Exploring the Berwyn Mountain incident
Uncovering the truth behind the infamous UFO sighting known as the Welsh Roswell
Welcome to Night Skies: a weekly column exploring the strange world of UFO sightings, alien abductions and the search for extraterrestrial life. Today we turn to the skies over Wales to investigate one of the most famous UFO sightings in British history.
1974 was a year that saw the world gripped by the unfolding Watergate scandal and a uncertain UK general election leading to a period of political unease around the world. The political landscape was bleak and trust in politicians at an all time low.
It was set against this backdrop of political unrest that the residents of the Berwyn Mountains in North Wales reported seeing lights in the sky. It was on January 23rd, 1974 that loud noises and bright lights were observed in the skies over the mountains, leading to public speculation that a UFO had crashed and that the British Government had covered it up. This led the Ministry of Defense to open an inquiry into the events that unfolded that January evening which led to a conclusion that many didn’t believe.
FIRE IN THE SKY
Two loud bangs were heard at 8:30pm by residents of nearby villages Bala, Cerwyn, Llandrillo and Landerfel who all immediately rushed to their windows in search of the source of the sound. What local residents saw that night would lead to a flood of panicked 999 calls. Somewhere in the distance, high above the Berwyn Mountain range, residents witnessed a strange, bright light.
Shortly after the event had occurred, many began to speculate on the origin of the loud crashes and strange lights, leading the event to become dubbed the “Welsh Roswell”. A major MoD investigation at the time of the incident seemingly debunked the alleged sighting but many around the world have long questioned the government’s findings.
THE TRUTH
After an investigation by the Ministry of Defense it was concluded that the events on the Berwyn Mountains were the result of an earthquake. The lights in the sky? They are said to be a meteorite that crashed to the earth during the same evening, combining with the earthquake to create the illusion of a UFO crash.
The former head of the MoD’s UFO investigation desk and champion of the release of MoD documents told TNR that “the available evidence — including data from the British Geological Survey — does indeed suggest that there was an earthquake in the area at the time concerned.” He is, however, less certain about the meteorite which he described as “more difficult to pin down, because even if people reported meteor activity (which they did), a counter-argument is that these were sightings of the UFO.”
Despite this element of doubt Pope, who headed the UFO desk from 1991 to 1994, remains certain that the released MoD documents are genuine and do support the official cause of the events at Berwyn.
THE BRITISH AREA 51
A case known colloquially as the “Roswelsh incident” needs a secret government facility around which its central mysteries might orbit. Pope had suggested in a previous episode of the History Channel show Ancient Aliens that had there been a crash in the Berwyn Mountains that night, the wreckage may have been taken to the infamous Rudloe Manor.
The RAF base formed the central hub of all UFO research in the UK since the 1950’s and was in operation until 2000, earning itself the moniker the “British Area 51”. Pope speculatively suggested Rudloe as potential location where crash debris may have been taken, saying, “If there was suggestion of a UFO connection, then the material would doubtless have been sent to a location involved with government UFO research, and Rudloe Manor is certainly on that list.”
AN ANSWERED QUESTION
So often in cases such as these, the truth is an illusive needle in a very large and complex haystack but Pope believes the mysteries of Berwyn have already been answered. “As much as I love a good mystery, on reflection, I wouldn’t put the Berwyn Mountain incident into the 5% unexplained category,” he began, referring to the unexplained 5% of cases he investigated while at the MoD.
Having reviewed the documents during his time at the MoD, Pope remains sure that the official explanation is correct, but he’s not sure everyone will believe him. During that cold January evening in that politically charged year, many of the local residents of the Berwyn Mountain region were sure they had just witnessed a UFO crash and, while Pope may be satisfied with closing the case, many believe that the truth is still hidden from view. Whether the official explanation is true or just part of a wider conspiracy to shroud the truth, the answers sought by millions around the world ultimately depend on one very key question; who do you trust?
