Right Back At East Gate
A HUFOS and independents trip to Rendlesham Forest, June 27/28, 1998.
Includes, Darren Parr, Darren Railton, Tony Barker, Billy Wedgner and myself, Andrew McCartney.
The scene of the most famous British UFO incident in 1980 was to be, quite by accident, our first major skywatch,
even though it was not my original intention. Billy confided in me some time ago, that a sighting he had was in 1980,
when he was 15 years old, his mother and neighbours also witnessed the incident. Realising his sighting was very probably
on the same night(s) as the Woodbridge - Bentwaters incident, Billy wrote to the original researcher, Brenda Butler. She did
reply and two years later Billy showed me the letter, I then wrote to Brenda myself (on Billy's behalf) and requested additional
information on her comments, and asked her to elaborate on a number of her original findings. Well, nothing prepared me for the
eight page letter she wrote, and some of her claims are startling and disturbing to say the least. So taken was Brenda by Billy's
story, she rang me one evening in June of last year, and invited us to meet her for a skywatch at the famous Capel Green in
Rendlesham Forest no less!
The day we set off, Darren Railton had kindly offered to take myself and Billy, while Tony and Darren Parr were to follow us later.
The weather was atrocious and a few times we thought we were lost, thanks to Darren and my pathetic navigation we finally arrived
in Rendlesham. The local police were not very helpful, and did not want to give us directions to RAF Woodbridge.
After much perseverance we found track ten, and finally met up with some of the local buffs, some of whom took their beliefs beyond
the fringe. Imagine being told by guys dressed like SAS assault teams, that they were 'armed', and that they would kill on sight -
anything that 'got in their way', (phew... fruitcakes or what?).
There were however some locals who were more than helpful, and offered to take us to East Gate, and to 'Ground Zero'
(or Capel Green). Still no sign of Brenda Butler, we walked to the East Gate, a very long concrete section of road with eighty foot
pine trees on the left, and Woodbridge base on the right. There was definitely something strange and eerie about this place, almost
a sense of anticipation. The East Gate stands very desolate, padlocked, but still patrolled by security, and overrun by wild rabbits
. With the area filmed and photographed, we headed back, set up at the camp site and returned to track ten, still no sign of Brenda
Butler, though we were later told that she had been and gone. Well thanks for nothing Brenda! We arrived around six as arranged,
and she turned up around 9.30pm, nevertheless we soldiered on and headed for Capel Green.
Please remember, all the debunkers of the incident used the Orford Ness lighthouse theory to explain away the original sighting,
well, we tried to see this 'theory for real' and even tried to film the lighthouse from Capel Green at 11.30pm.
One could only see the faintest hint of light in the far distance, and without doubt, down below land level some five miles away.
The lighthouse beam never reaches the forest, let alone shine through the trees. That theory disproven, we headed back to track ten
and found that the other chaps had arrived. Alan Cole, a friendly sort, offered to give us a guided tour of the woodbridge perimeter
fence. Bear in mind this was around 2.30am. The canopy of the forest is very dense, and had we been there on our own, I doubt we
would have got there.
The night time walk had been very wearing and spooky. All the time Tony kept us in fits of stifled laughter. I think it was that
that kept us awake. After a few beers we all decided to call it a night and set off to camp, Darren Parr, and Tony Barker slept on
old fag packets or something, whilst me, Billy and Darren Railton slept 'comfily' on air beds, in snugly sleeping bags,
in warm dome tents (ha ha Tony!). At breakfast of bacon and eggs, hot coffee, we all left the campsite (I still don't understand
why they didn't charge us?), maybe we just forgot to pay (tee hee). Naughty northern lads, eh?
None of us had visited Capel Green in the daylight so we headed back. Sunday was a beautiful, sunny day. As we walked into the field
, the giant oak came into view, Billy filming all the while, and there to the right of the tree amongst the fallow section of the
field, was a curious circle of dark green foliage. We climbed over the very small wire fence and walked into the centre of the
circle. Very strange we thought, that all the field had been ploughed except, up to the point where the depression/circle began,
also, that heather grew everywhere else but in this circle. Darren Parr took some soil samples, and has yet to have them analysed.
The whole area seemed strangely silent (as we had been told by the locals), no birds sang, as the summer sun shone down. We
photographed and filmed the area extensively, then made our way back to the van/cars. On our way back we reflected on a few things,
and wondered. Why when the air bases had been closed for five years, had no development ensued? Also, why maintain such a vast
ex-NATO airbase with security, When not operational? Why were the police so uncooperative?, and why was Capel Green field left
fallow on only that part of field?
Had we all read Left At East Gate, before visiting this place, I am sure it would have helped us enormously in our investigation.
Whether there really was a UFO incident there in 1980 has yet, still, to be established, yet why do 'they' still continue to
debunk it to this day? And when weighing up all the witness testimony, both civilian and military, also the Halt Memorandum, not
to mention all the books on the incident (and denials), one has to ask, if this was bigger than the Roswell Incident, and I am,
in no doubt, THEN WHY THE SILENCE?
Why do all UFOlogists look to America, when something much bigger happened here in our own country? Yes and isn't it strange, all
the documentaries, films, etc..., concerning other sightings, yet no major film company has even shown interest in something so
fascinating, enigmatic and MORE PROVABLE than anything anywhere else in the world.
If you are interested in attending a H.U.F.O.S. organised Skywatch, contact us for further information.
Below are stories of other skywatches we have been on. (Warning: Some of these may contain strong language!)
Four Camp It Up
Right Back At East Gate
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Andrew McCartney |
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