1967 British flying saucer hoax
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Contents 4
| Type | Case |
|---|---|
| Also known as | 1967 saucer hoax |
The 1967 British flying saucer hoax took place on 4 September 1967, when six "flying saucers" were found in a line across southern England, prompting a large police and military response. They had been made and placed by engineering apprentices from the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough as a stunt for their charity Rag Week.[1][2]
The saucers
Each saucer was about 1.4 metres long and weighed about 45 kilograms, made of fibreglass with an aluminium-coloured surface so that it looked like seamless metal. Inside, the apprentices put a foul-smelling paste of flour and water and an electronic oscillator with a loudspeaker that gave off an eerie tone when the saucer was moved.[1][2] Working at night in small groups, they placed them at roughly equal distances along a line of latitude from the Isle of Sheppey to Clevedon in Somerset, including at Bromley golf course and near Ascot.[1]
The response
Police cordoned off the sites. The Army, bomb disposal teams and RAF helicopters were called in, and the Ministry of Defence was informed. The army blew up the saucer at Chippenham, another was lifted away by helicopter, and one was sent to the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston. When one was drilled open, the paste inside burst out over the police officers.[1][2]
The reveal
The organisers, Christopher Southall and Roger Palmer, both 21, owned up the same day. They had not expected such a reaction; several appeared on television, no action was taken against them, and they raised about £2,000 for charity.[1][2]
References
This page was last edited on 31 October 2026. Articles are written in our own words from the sources listed under References; disputed claims are attributed to the people who made them.
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