Letters From F.H.C.Wimbledon to Jenny Randles, undated (Nov 2000)

letter 1:

Dear Jenny

Excuse the familiarity but you also used my christian name! If only we had got together it might have prevented you falling into the same trap as have so many others. That is by accepting the American version, which I have been telling those who will listen since my letter to the Sunday Times in 1978, this version is 10 percent fact and 90 percent pure fiction.

I have tried to keep a low profile because, after my letter was printed, I was inundated with letters, phone calls, requests for interviews, people calling unanounced, etc. I became so sick of the whole thing I decided I had no desire to get more involved. I even refused the BBC and ITV.

The MOD said for many years they "had no knowledge" of this incident. Later they admitted an interception had taken place but, "unfortunately the papers had been accidentally destroyed." This presumably meant my report and the log book containing it went the same way. They had been taken away by the very senior officer who came to interview me and my crew. As he said he was going to interview the aircrew involved, I find it somewhat puzzling that your statement states that in fact he did not do so!

I have a great deal of correspondence from the late Condon, McDonald and Thayer. This is interesting in that not only did they write personal letters to me but they sent me copies of letters they had sent to one another about the incident. Also there are copies of letters to and from the USAF NCO who alleged he had controlled the interception but whose version they began to doubt. I understand that when faced with the fact that he had never been trained as an Interception Controller and that with the radar equipment at his disposal, [he] himself would not have been able to control an interception, this NCO admitted he had not controlled the interception. Also questioned about the expressions supposed to have been used by the pilot, he said he didn't understand the English accent so "may have got it wrong." (As this NCO would not have been given the radio channel used for the interception, he presumably got it by 'trawling' until he found it and listened to the conversations).

If you find this hard to understand, let me tell you that when I was in America a few years ago, I met several people who just could not understand my normal English educated accent!

I understand you are very highly regarded in UFO matters and only wish I had known about you earlier. But as I have said I kept my head down as far as possible.

Yours sincerely,

Freddie Wimbledon

letter 2:

Dear Jenny,

I was so pleased to get your letter and will try to answer your queries:

1. RAF aircraft would under no circumstances, except war, be controlled by non-RAF Fighter Controller - FACT.
In this case the interception was carried out by a Fighter Control Officer and his team from RAF Neatishead, Norfolk. I was there as Chief Controller on duty on the night in question, 13/14 Aug 56, watching the Radar picture and listening to the R/T on my Master Console. As I was responsible for the Venoms being scrambled, under no circumstances whatsoever would I have detailed the interception to be controlled by other than my own crew - FACT.
Everything was logged but my log book was taken away by the senior officer who came to investigate the incident the next day. It, together with other relevant papers, were later "accidentally destroyed." I do not believe this for one moment as the incident was far too important.
It is unfortunate that the Commanding Officer at RAF Neatishead at this time [Wing Commander John Seldon], died last year. On retirement he came to live 200 yards from my son's house and we often had a drink together. He would have verified everything of course.

2. Very rarely indeed would the Interception Controller be known by name to the pilot being controlled, unless they happened to live in the same RAF unit. Otherwise they would never meet - FACT.

3. The reason the Venom aircraft were mistakenly called 'single seater' just shows how ignorant about RAF procedures the USAF were. This was because the pilot said 'I' not 'we'! In the RAF the pilot is always the captain of the aircraft regardless of who or how many are also in the aircraft. He always said 'I', not 'we' !

4.One thing that worries me. You say the 2nd pilot made the interception. My version all along has been that the first Venom airborne made the interception, the second was scrambled when circumstances in my estimation warranted it but it never got to within 20 miles of the target. As it happened by that time the target had disappeared at terrific speed upwards. Examination of the aircrew logbooks would reveal the actual time of take off of each Venom and its subsequent action. Further proof is shown in the USAF report which states the second pilot (who had just taken off) asked the first pilot if he had seen anything. The reply from the first pilot was 'it was the damnest thing I ever saw'. Even allowing for the fact that British pilots don't speak like that, it still indicates which aircraft made the interception. FACT.

5. An 'undershot' by an aircraft gives virtually the same radar response as a loop by the first aircraft, in this case the target, hence the error in reporting.

6. I do not know how far your knowledge goes of how an interception is carried out but the role of the Fighter Controller has been described as 'leaning over the pilot's shoulder, virtually flying the aircraft.' It is highly specialised, the failure rate in training is high but strange as it may seem some WRAF became extremely good at it. Shortly after the Lakenheath incident I was posted as an instructor to the School of Fighter Control where I served for 3 years.
The type of radar display used by a Fighter Control Officer is completely different from that used by an NCO at a RATCC (Regional Air Traffic Control Centre) and in this case the USAF NCO had only an FPS-5 giving range and bearing only and his height-finder equipment was switched off (his own words!), so it was impossible for him to direct an interception! FACT

7. I would not have known what was going on unless the Venom pilots had answered. On the other hand they might have been requested to use the Lakenheath frequency by the NCO. In which case of course I would have been alarmed at the silence on my channel. The RAF aircrew would have been surprised at another voice chipping in.

The thing that leaves a nasty taste in my mouth is the fact that I have been misquoted, given the wrong name, even the wrong 'job' in some books. One author even went so far as to say 'Wimbledon' (not even a Mr!) told me this or that when I have never spoken to him in my life!

I am too old now to bother about litigation. At the same time I get hopping mad. What do my ex-colleagues think?

Now Jenny I think I have given you some answers to your questions. One thing I am sure. This is what really happened.

Sincerely,

Freddie Wimbledon