Halt memorandum
The Halt memorandum is a one-page note written in 1981 by U.S. Lieutenant Colonel Charles I. Halt about unexplained light phenomena that occurred near Rendlesham Forest in December 1980. It is one of the best-known documents among British UFO cases.
The Halt memorandum is a note dated January 13, 1981, by U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Charles I. Halt, which he sent to the British Ministry of Defence under the title “Unexplained Lights.” Its subject is the events that took place in December 1980 in Rendlesham Forest, next to the Bentwaters and Woodbridge air bases, known as the “Rendlesham Forest incident.” At the time, Halt was the deputy commander of the bases.
What it contains
The memorandum is a one-page account written in a matter-of-fact tone. According to Halt, on the first night American security patrolmen saw a metallic-looking, triangular object 2–3 meters across among the trees, with red lights on top and blue lights underneath. The object illuminated the forest, and the animals on a nearby farm became agitated. The next day, three depressions arranged in a triangle were found in the ground at the site. The note also reports radiation readings: values higher than background level were measured in the depressions and on the side of a nearby tree facing them. Halt also describes how, on a later night, a red, sun-like light was observed, as well as star-like objects in the sky, one of which beamed down a ray of light. The dates in the note differ by one day from the other accounts, which is a frequent point of dispute.
Significance
The document became famous because it comes from an official military source, written by a senior officer. It was made public in 1983 under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). UFO researchers often cite it as one of the best-documented examples among British UFO cases. Halt, who later retired as a colonel, spoke about the events several times over the years, and his later claims were considerably more assertive than the tone of the original note.
Official and skeptical positions
According to the position of the British Ministry of Defence at the time, the matter posed no defense threat, so no detailed investigation was carried out. According to skeptics, the observed lights can be explained by the light of the nearby Orford Ness lighthouse, a bright meteor, stars, or other natural and man-made sources. The interpretation of the radiation measurements is also disputed: according to critics, the measured values fall within the range of natural background radiation.