Halt memorandum 'Unexplained Lights' sent to UK MoD
January 13, 1981 · RAF Woodbridge, Suffolk · Document release · Primary document linked
The deputy base commander summarized the Rendlesham events in a one-page memo to the Ministry of Defence. It became public in the United States through a FOIA release in 1983 and is the central official document for the case.
Why it matters (2/5)
Key document for a single case rather than a policy turning point.
Sources
- The Halt memorandum, 'Unexplained Lights' (full text) (Lt Col Charles I. Halt, USAF), primary
- The Halt Memo – The Rendlesham Forest Incident (U.S. Air Force (memorandum, 13 Jan 1981)), primary
- National Archives UFO files, August 2009 podcast transcript (The National Archives (UK)), context