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Showing posts with label Wilbert Smith. Show all posts

Monday, July 15, 2013

Smith Memo: Flying Saucers Exist; Matter Classified Above Top Secret

By Wilbert Smith
11-21-1950

For the past several years we have been engaged in the study of various aspects of radio wave propagation. The vagaries of this phenomenon have led us into the fields of aurora, oceanic radiation, atmospheric radio-activity and geo-magnetism. In the case of geomagnetics our investigations have contributed little to our knowledge of radio wave propagation as yet, but nevertheless have indicated several avenues of investigation which may well be explored with profit. For example, we are on the track of a means whereby the potential energy of the earth's magnetic field ray may be abstracted and used.

On the basis of theoretical considerations a small and very crude experimental unit was constructed approximately a year ago and tested in our standards laboratory. The tests were essentially successful in that sufficient energy was abstracted from the earth's field to operate a voltmeter, approximately 50 milliwatts. Although this unit was far from being self-sustaining, it nevertheless demonstrated the soundness of the basic principles in a qualitative manner and provided useful data for the design of a better unit.

The design has now been completed for a unit which should be self-sustaining and in addition provide a small surplus of power. Such a unit, in addition to functioning as a 'pilot power plant' should be large enough to permit the study of the various reaction forces which are expected to develop.

We believe that we are on the track of something which may well prove to be the introduction of new technology. The existence of a different technology is borne out by the investigations which are being carried on at the present time in relation to flying saucers.

While in Washington attending the NARS Conference, two books were released, one titled "Flying Saucers Are Real" by Frank Scully, and the other, "Flying Saucers are Real" by Donald Keyhoe. Both books dealt mostly with sightings of unidentified objects and both books claim that flying objects were of extraterrestrial origin and might well be space ships from another planet. Scully claimed that the preliminary studies of one saucer that fell into the hands of the United States Government indicated that they operated on some hitherto unknown magnetic principles. It appeared to me that our own work in geomagnetics might well be the linkage between our technology and the technology by which the saucers are designed and operated. If it is assumed that our geo-magnetic investigations are in the right direction, the theory of operation of the saucers becomes quite straightforward, with all observed features explained qualitatively and quantitatively.

I made discreet enquiries through the Canadian Embassy staff in Washington who were able to obtain for me the following information:

a. The matter is the most highly classified subject in the United States Government, rating even higher that the A-bomb.

b. Flying saucers exist.

c.Their modus operandi is unknown but concentrated effort is being made by a small group headed by Doctor Vannevar Bush.

d. The entire matter is considered by the United States authorities to be of tremendous significance.

I was further informed that the United States authorities are investigating along quite a number of lines which might possibly be related to the saucers such as mental phenomena and I gather that they are not doing too well since they indicated that if Canada is doing anything at all in geomagnetics they would welcome a discussion with suitably accredited Canadians.

While I am not yet in a position to say that we have solved even the first problems in geo-magnetic energy release, I feel that the correlation between our basic theory and the available information on saucers checks too closely to be mere coincidence. It is my honest opinion that we are on the right track and are fairly close to at least some of the answers.

Mr. Wright, Defense Research Board liaison officer at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, was extremely anxious for me to get in touch with Doctor Solandt, Chairman of the Defense Research Board, to discuss with him future investigations along the lines of geo-magnetic energy release. I do not feel that we have as yet sufficient data to place before Defense Research Board which would enable a program to be initiated within that organization, but I do feel that further work of our own organization with, of course, full co-operation and exchange of information with other interested bodies.

I discussed this matter fully with Doctor Solandt, Chairman of Defense Research Board, on November 20th and placed before him as much information as I have been able to gather to date. Doctor Solandt agreed that work on geo-magnetic energy should go forward as rapidly as possible and offered full co-operation of his Board in providing laboratory facilities, acquisition of necessary items of equipment, and specialized personnel for incidental work in the project. I indicated to Doctor Solandt that we would prefer to keep the project with the Department of Transport for the time being until we have obtained sufficient information to permit a complete assessment of the value of our work.

It is therefore recommended that a PROJECT be set up within the frame work of this Section to study this problem and that the work be carried on a part time basis until such time as sufficient tangible results can be seen to warrant more definitive action. Cost of the program in its initial stages are expected to be less than a few hundred dollars and can be carried by our Radio Standards Lab appropriation.

Attached hereto is a draft of terms of reference for such a project, which if authorized, will enable us to proceed with this research work within our own organization.

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Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Did the Canadians Analyze the Roswell Metal?

By Grant Cameron
The President's UFO Website
5-28-12

Did the Canadians Analyze the Roswell Crash Material?

Notes of a conversation with Defense Research Board Scientist A.W.L. Bridge

As a background to the conversation the reader should know that Arthur Bridge was a Canadian government scientist working for the defense research board which was the main weapon research unit for the department of defense.

Bridge was a member of a secret “inner circle” of government employees who worked with Wilbert Smith on gravity control experiments and other sensitive matters. The work was done in off hours. Bridge was the youngest member of the group.

I was the only researcher that Bridge ever talked to. He wouldn’t have talked to me either, except that Wilbert Smith’s wife asked him to talk to me. Bridge lived in Morden, Manitoba just 70 miles from my home.

This conversation occurred just after I had sent Bridge two documents by mail for comment. The two documents included the MJ-12 document, and a letter written by scientist Robert Sarbacher to researcher William Steinman about his involvement in a set of crashed saucer briefing that had taken place in 1950 at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. The conversation took place in late 1987 or early 1988.

As you will see from the phone conversation Bridge was very paranoid after his government career. When I went to his house to talk both his wife and two children would be asked to leave the room. Then he would close the door, and remind me that nothing he would tell me should leave the room.

Bridge’s comments from my hand-written notes:

• “How long has it been” etc etc

• “I worked for 18 ½ years for these people” (I assumed he meant the Defense Research Board)

• “I’m still under the 25 year rule”

• “I’ll tell you Grant. I analyzed a piece that was pulled off that New Mexico thing. I know that thing was analyzed. It was super light weight material.”

• He was quite amazed to read the reference in the Sarbacher letter to the aliens being “insect like.” ‘That is absolutely the first time I have heard that. I’ve heard humanoid, but that is the first time I have heard them being referred to as insect like.”

• He says he is 55. Buck (Buchanan – another inner circle member living in Alberta Canada) is 71

• (Phone clicks twice in a one minute period) Bridge becomes very upset. Without referring to the click he says, “This is what I mean. There is not a secure phone in this whole province (Manitoba).

• (The phone clicks again) “I don’t know if this is on your end or on mine. Is it on yours?

• I reply that I don’t think so.

• “Could you please check?” Bridge asks.

• (After checking the extension phone I tell him it is not on my end.)

• ‘I don’t think there is a phone line in the whole world that is secure. Either that or it’s these small town operators sticking their nose in where it doesn’t belong.”

• “Buck stopped by there for two days. He had your letter. We had a discussion.”

• In reference to his interest in UFOs, then and now, he kept using the expressions “red-circled” and “red-eyed.” He assumed I knew what he was talking about. I didn’t and didn’t ask.

• He also assumes I know a lot about him. I know next to nothing as Mrs. Smith said nothing about him.

• He was not specific but stated that he wished to stay out of the public end of the Smith research. “It ruined my career. I assume it ruined Wilbert Smith’s as well.”

• Then he made reference to Wilbert Smith’s two sons. James – “He was into the arts. I am afraid I was responsible for that.’ (James was a music school teacher and who was the one who held the Smith files before donating them for research to the University of Ottawa) Dyck – “More into technical things. Works as a maintenance supervisor for a hospital in the Hill Gatineau region.” (James had nothing to do with UFOs as far as I know)

• “Buck and I worked on these anti-gravitational experiments with Wilbert…now that experiment I built…we had quite an active group in Ottawa Not many people knew what we were doing…but it leaked a couple times to the press. It wasn’t officially sanctioned.”

• “When I left (moved from Ottawa) I felt I should leave it with the active group. From time to time when I am going through my toolbox I find odds and ends – coils and stuff.” (When at his house he did go to the toolbox and gave me a magnet that had been used in the anti-gravity experiments. I still have it)

• Referred to the inner circle group of a half dozen people as “a cell.” (There were 40+ people in the larger flying saucer club that Wilbert and Murl hosted for the public. “We know we were being watched. I know a couple of people who showed up who weren’t who they were claiming to be. That’s fair ball though. I don’t mind that.”

• “Worked for DRB from 1952 to 1969.”

• ‘I also analyzed a piece from that Washington thing. ( I believe he is referring to a small piece that was reported shot off during the 1952 over flights of Washington that was sent to Smith by the CIA for analysis. It was carried to Canada by Captain Donald Goodspeed along with some angel hair that was found. Goodspeed went on to write the official history of the Defense Research Board called A History of the Defence Research Board of Canada.) Again he assumes I know a lot more than I do.

. . . More

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Monday, February 20, 2012

Wilbert Smith and Project Magnet

By Dr Kevin Randle
A Different Perspective
2-17-12

TONIGHT (2-19-12) ON COAST TO COAST AM RADIO: Joining George Knapp, author Kevin Randle will discuss his life as a UFO investigator, traveling throughout the U.S. on his quest to learn the truth about one of the most puzzling phenomenons of our times.

For some bizarre reason, the Wilbert Smith documents have gained new life and I’m not sure why. Smith was a Canadian radio engineer who worked with, or for the government and was well thought of. He was, for example, the Senior Engineer at the Canadian Department of Transport. He also, according to researcher Grant Cameron, was responsible for “Radio Ottawa” where the Canadian “spies” reported in and which also monitored Soviet communications. Yes, I wondered about Canadian spies as well, but that something for another time.

According to the latest information, this memo, written by Smith on November 21, 1950, has just been recovered from the Archives of the University of Ottawa. I guess that means that the document was found in their collection, but it has been available for a long time. Though originally classified as “Top Secret,” it has been downgraded over the years so that it is no longer classified (which means only that its classification was downgraded and says nothing about the importance of the information included in it.) The complete text says:

- click on image(s) to enlarge -

That is the full text of the document and it is clearly a document that was held at a high level of classification by the Canadian government. But there are some things that we can say about it.

First, this is a report by one man telling of his meetings with others and some of their discussions. For the parts that interest us, which is, of course, the material relating to UFOs, there is no outside corroboration of the facts as he stated. It is clear that he is reporting what he believes to be the truth, as told to him by others, but that doesn’t get us to a point where there is an official confirmation of the data by either the Canadian government or by the United States.

In that respect, this is similar to the FBI document that generated all that interest last year. Yes, that document referred to UFO crashes, and yes it was an official FBI document, but that report seemed to be generated by the Frank Scully book and not by anything official. This seems to be some of the same thing.

Might I relate a bit of personal experience here. I had appeared on a national television program in 1991 and before I could get home, some fellow had attempted to contact me with important information and with evidence in the form of classified documents. He had received them from an inside government source who was credible, but who, because of his government position wanted to remain anonymous.

What did he have?

The Eisenhower Briefing and the Truman memo from MJ-12. I don’t know where he got his copies, but by 1991, they were floating all over the place. If the man had truly gotten them from an inside source, and had we had the name of the source so that we could verify his government connections, that would have been one thing. But we didn’t, so that information was as useless as the rest of the MJ-12 documents.

This document created by Smith is a report by a member of the Canadian government about several issues, including the flying saucers. He does make reference to two books, one, Behind the Flying Saucers has been discredited, and the other, by Major Don Keyhoe does not talk of crashes and bodies, but of the cover up by the Air Force. Smith doesn’t mention any other sources of information and that seems to be a critical point here.

What we have to do is see it in the context of the time and the context with which it was written. It wasn’t an official government study approved up and down the chain. It wasn’t designed to prove anything about UFOs one way or another. It was simply a report by one man about a conference he attended and he mentioned the UFOs as part of the discussions that took place there, unofficially.

In other words, it is interesting, but it doesn’t provide the evidence of either flying saucers or government cover ups. It is a document composed of rumor without foundation, and unfortunately, that is all that can be said for it.

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Tuesday, November 01, 2011

UFO NEWS | CANADA | Ottawa's X-Files: "Project Magnet Lasted Just Four Years Before the Plug was Pulled On Aug. 10, 1954"

By Doug Hempstead
QMI Agency
cnews.canoe.ca
10-31-11

Two days after Wilbert Smith thought he detected a flying saucer over Ottawa, the government shut his top-secret operation down.

Project Magnet lasted just four years before the plug was pulled on Aug. 10, 1954. With funding cut off, Smith continued the work on his own, with a handful of believers — still allowed to use government facilities and equipment.

Officially, they were studying “magnetic phenomena” and the concepts of geomagnetism. They believed it could be possible to harness and manipulate the Earth’s magnetic field as a means of propulsion for aircraft.

It’s the only thing Smith figured could be powering all those UFOs described in the growing number of sightings since 1947.

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Friday, August 08, 2008

Kimball, Smith, Bush and MJ-12

By Stanton Friedman
fsphys@rogers.com
© 8-2-08

Paul Kimball has, for reasons unknown, become very upset about my claiming that he got things wrong about Wilbert Smith, Van Bush, MJ-12 in “Flying Saucers and Science”. He claims in various blogs that I have said that Wilbert Smith headed a major Canadian UFO group, that President Truman would never have appointed Dr. Vannevar Bush to head the MJ-12 project had there been one; that Smith was basically an individual not to be respected, a kind of nobody, that Truman didn’t like Bush., etc. Paul spent 6 hours at the Dalhousie University Library looking up comments in the Canadian Hansard (unclassified record of Parliamentary testimony)made about UFOs back in the 1950s. He apparently spent no time with Smith’s papers in an archive in Ottawa. He apparently didn’t look into Defense Research Board Materials at the National Archives in Ottawa. The 300+ page formerly classified DRB UFO file has been available for a number of years. He totally neglected what I have said about the comments made by George Elsey, who had responsible positions at the White House as noted below during Truman’s entire tenure there.

Nowhere did I,or anybody else besides Paul, claim Truman had appointed V. Bush to head Operation Majestic 12. The proof is the statement in the Truman Forrestal memo. It clearly authorized James Forrestal, the new and first Secretary of Defense, to proceed with Operation Majestic 12. He did not authorize Bush to proceed with Majestic 12. He did say “It continues to be my feeling that future considerations relative to the ultimate disposition of this matter should rest solely with the Office of the President following appropriate discussions with yourself, Dr. Bush, and the Director of Central Intelligence.”

Yes, Bush would be consulted. There was nobody more knowledgeable about developing new technology with national security implications. Bush had been head of the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics pre-war, During the war he had directed the Office of Scientific Research and Development which covered such major areas as the development of the atomic bomb, the proximity fuse, radar, and many dozens of other devices. Literally billions of dollars were spent at a wide variety of Labs. There was nobody who knew more about who the best practitioners of advanced science and technology having security clearances were. On September 24, 1947.(The date of the Truman Forrestal memo) Bush and Forrestal were with Truman at the White House. He appointed VB to be head of the new Research and Development Board which had replaced the Joint Research and Development Board which had replaced OSRD.. all headed by Bush. We have unclassified notes made by Bush after the meeting. We furthermore know that Bush was also later appointed by Bush to head a classified committee to review data that might indicate the Soviets had exploded their first atomic Bomb. We know that he continued to be a member of the high security War Council, that he was in charge of another high security committee concerned with a possible Surprise Attack.. though the attackers were unspecified .To suggest that Truman would not have used him to look into Modus Operandi for saucers is absurd.

Furthermore the crucial statement in the Smith memo so disliked by Paul, is 3.

“Their Modus Operandi is unknown, but concentrated effort is being made by a small group headed by Dr. Vannevar Bush” Modus Operandi means manner of working. Note “small group”.

There is no suggestion anywhere that Bush was in charge of all aspects of effort dealing with UFOs or Majestic 12.Just working on technological aspects. Obviously the US government was also concerned with the origin and purpose of alien visitation, their interaction with other countries. There was nobody better equipped than was Bush to do look into “Modus Operandi”. Of course Truman and Forrestal would have picked him. Bush and Forestal had a long and close relationship even playing tennis together. There were six military and intelligence people and 5 scientific people on MJ-12. Forrestal as head of DOD would have been on top and report directly to Truman.

After sending Elsey, with his permission, a copy of the3 primary MJ-12 documents. I had specifically asked him, as I have reported, if he saw any reason to believe that the Eisenhower Briefing Document or Truman Forrestal or Cutler Twining memos were fraudulent. He said No. I asked if he had any reason, knowing all the people, to believe that, if a saucer had crashed, Truman would not have picked any of the 12 to be a member of an over-group. No. They were all people he trusted. I asked if the TF memo could have been typed elsewhere than at Truman’s office. He said more than 80% of what a President signs is prepared elsewhere. I noted that the numerical portion of the date is offset from the month and that there is a period after the date and that Bush’s office always put a period after the date. Could it have been typed in Bush’s office (or Forrestal’s?). He said certainly. Truman certainly trusted them. He also noted that often documents had to be put in a typewriter twice to put the right date on them as to when directives etc went into effect. I have examples from the National Security Council where the date and text are typed in 2 different fonts.

In case people are wondering why I place much reliance on Elsey,. here is some background: He was a Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve and the duty officer at the White House map room from 1941 until 1946, that is the entire 2nd World War. He was assistant to the Special Counsel to the President (Clark Clifford) 1947-1949; Administrative Assistant to the President 1949-1951 and assistant to the Director, Mutual Security Agency 1951-1953.

He also filled me in on the close connection between James Lay, Executive Secretary to Eisenhower’s National Security Council, and Robert Cutler, Ike’s National Security advisor. This helped very much in evaluation of the Cutler Twining memo. The evidence strongly indicates this is also a genuine document despite the attacks of noisy negativists, armchair theorists. This is not only because Phil Klass paid me $1000. for proving him wrong about the type face on the memo.

Paul doesn’t mention that the public Hansard Question Period comments could not be classified. The Canadian Defense Research Board for some time was denying to anybody who asked that it had any concerns with UFOs, even though they had a committee meeting often to deal with them. There was no Access to Information act (Like FOIA) in Canada then. In the USA, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover wrote many letters, to people who had asked, saying the FBI is not now and never has been involved with the question of UFOs. He also lied. Dr. Bruce Maccabee obtained over 1500 pages of FBI UFO material using FOIA, There were many other government UFO lies as noted in a piece by that name at my website www.stantonfriedman.com.

Another point of the Smith memo helps explain the lies: “ The matter is the most highly classified subject in the United States government rating higher even than the H-Bomb.” I believe that this explains why Canada’s sort of equivalent to Bush, Omond Solandt, was so negative about Smith.. long after Smith was no longer around to defend himself. Solandt was very careful in what he said to me at his home in the manner of someone who is dealing with classified material and must be very careful. He knew I had had a clearance. He did admit that if the effort had been accountable only to the President, that he wouldn’t have been privy to details.

Paul is also unhappy with the role of Dr.Robert Sarbacher who supplied the info to Smith noted in his Classified memo of 1950. He suggested that Sarbacher, whose meeting with Smith was arranged by the Canadian Embassy, was passing on false information about alien technology to have it move up through channels, by some very mysterious means, and be passed on to the Soviets to get them to think, falsely, that the US had learned about alien technology. He calls Sarbacher a young scientist. He was 43 in 1950 and already had many major contributions to the US national security technology working on various high tech projects. He was featured in a Saturday Evening Post article ,as a boy genius. He was not some wet behind the years youth. It is an insult to Smith to suggest that he was a disloyal Canadian and would have passed on classified information (True or untrue)to the Soviets. What possible basis is there for this damning remark? Paul provides none. Sarbacher was concerned with advanced technology, not intelligence as such..

I should mention that I had visited Sarbacher and had phone and letter communication with him as well. I was very favorably impressed. He said the accounts given in the Smith memo sounded right to him. He appreciated that I had found an old R and DB colleague with whom he had lost touch.

Paul could have benefited from reading Chapter 16 of “Captured! The Betty and Barney Hill UFO Experience “ by myself and Kathleen Marden, Betty’s niece. It discussed Smith and Sarbacher and Solandt. Paul condemns Smith for being a contactee. The chapter covers others interested in contact including US Navy Admiral Knowles who, along with various CIA personnel, was also interested in contactees such as a Mrs. Swan. They were impressed when she told them to look out the window and they saw 3 UFOs.

Paul also, for reasons unknown, belittles Smith by showing a Canadian Government Organization chart and showing what a small fraction f of the budget Smith controlled and suggesting he would never have been let in on the most classified Information in the US. Funny there isn’t the slightest suggestion that he was. He certainly knew that the military, especially the Canadian Air Force was heavily involved in monitoring UFOs. Neither he nor Sarbacher said Smith was given the secret details, only told that there was some very classified material…. which is very different.

Of course, Paul has also insisted that I am really hurting ufology by championing MJ-12, The Flatwoods Monster work of Frank Feschino ( as shown in “Shoot Them Down”) by standing behind the Aztec crash and the 1947 Plains of San Agustin saucer crash. Art Campbell has added greatly to my early work on the Plains. I am very familiar with the outstanding research on Aztec done by Scott and Suzanne Ramsey. Paul isn’t, nor is he familiar with the work done by Frank. Clearly he is also not well versed about the Plains. He, of course, is free to believe whatever he wants to, regardless of the evidence or lack there of.

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Monday, July 15, 2013

Smith Memo: Flying Saucers Exist; Matter Classified Above Top Secret

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Did the Canadians Analyze the Roswell Metal?

Monday, February 20, 2012

Wilbert Smith and Project Magnet

Tuesday, November 01, 2011

UFO NEWS | CANADA | Ottawa's X-Files: "Project Magnet Lasted Just Four Years Before the Plug was Pulled On Aug. 10, 1954"

Friday, August 08, 2008

Kimball, Smith, Bush and MJ-12