| Absence of evidence... Chuck Dalldorf's response to Georgina Bruni's request for recollections of the time I will tell you as much as I can, as truthfully as I can. If I had to testify in a court of law about this period of time, I would swear to this testimony. People won't want to hear this, as it seems that those who have created this and live it seem to grossly outnumber those of us who were there at the time and truly don't believe this incident happened. The forest and the coast of Suffolk was a very mystical place, and I don't mean that badly or caustically. I don't mean anyone harm and don't mean to throw negative attention on anyone who believes in the UFO story. There were many unexplained things to see and experience, but that was the beauty of the Suffolk coast. I loved my time living in Suffolk. I lived in a small cottage in Tunstall for much of my time. I enjoyed and was good at my work. I was an outstanding airman and was promoted early and often. I arrived at the twin bases as an E-1 and left as an E-5 Staff Sergeant. I traveled extensively on and off duty and saw much of Suffolk, England, the United Kingdom and the world from my time at the twin bases. I arrived at the bases in 1977 and stayed through on a couple of tour extensions through 1981. I worked as an E-5 Staff Sergeant, aircraft fuel systems technician, assigned to the 81st Tactical Fighter Wing, 81st Equipment Maintenance Squadron, repairing fuel tanks, cells, in-flight refueling equipment and drop tanks on A-10As at both RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge, a twin base operation. The 81st EMS Fuel Shop was a small building immediately adjacent to the fence surrounding the base, against the forest. We shared our very small dispatch/tool shop building (Building # 307) with the 67th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron fuel repair crew. The 67th ARRS operated HC-130N/P fixed wing aircraft and heavy duty HH-53 helicopters for combat search and rescue (SAR) as well as special operations support. We had a small ramp which attached to a taxiway so we could accomplish open fuel cell/tank maintenance and rope the area off as a controlled area. Our building was located between the 67th ARRS Helicopter hanger and the large 81st EMS Hanger (Building 202, I believe). During the time of the purported incident, the twin bases and both the 81st TFW and 67th ARRS were operating on a very limited duty due to the holidays. Both operations generally had used all of their allocated flying hours and kept a very small amount in case of an emergency contingency. The majority of married personnel would have part of the week leading up to and following Christmas off. Single personnel (including myself) would have the week just before New Year's Day and immediately following it off, as possible. The break that year followed the day after the UFO incident. As I mentioned, I was on duty the evening of the infamous UFO incident at RAF Woodbridge, England. Although the incident purportedly occurred during the Graveyard shift, I was on duty during the swing shift (1600 - 0100) the days before and as best as I remember at least one night immediately following the purported incident. On my own time, I was helping organize and lead a hired coach, through Big Ben Travel, a base travel agent, of people from both organizations up to Edinburgh, Scotland for the Hogmanay celebrations. The trip would have been canceled if their was military operation requiring us, and/or the 67th personnel. Our group included 28 people who were Security Police, aircraft mechanics, Pararescue staff and administrative clerks supporting the 81st TFW commanders. The trip went off as planned with no problems and no delays two days after the purported incident. No one discussed any incident or rumours of an incident. I never heard about this until almost May of 1981 as I began to prepare to return to the U.S. An enlisted woman shared my rented cottage in Tunstall during that time. She was working rotating shifts as part of the 31st Weather Squadron at the twin bases. This is a small group that primarily were weather observers. They were stationed at both aircraft towers and worked 24 hours a day, seven days a week in rotating schedules. They had an unblocked 360 degree view of the air field and the surrounding area. None of them ever reported or discussed any incident. Ever. There are many theories about what may have happened that evening. I would swear under oath that no aircraft took off that evening. During the holidays there were limited flying during daylight. The rescue squadron had an on-call HC-130 and an HH-53 standing by on alert as they always did. Neither aircraft took off during that entire week. During the year the HH-53's did engage in special ops and rescue simulations in the forest and on the coast. They had done lots of low level hovers and dropped PJ's into the forest and extracted them. This did not occur during that week. British special forces also conducted operations in and around the area (they still do even though the twin bases have been closed for many years now). The lighthouse at Orfordness is certainly one possibility of creating light. Drifting coastal fog and rain could sometimes cause weird light effects. The British Department of Defense also operated a secret compound at Orfordness. God knows what they did there. There were stories that radar and code work had been done there during WWII. They still had a very quiet presence and moved civilian staff in and out of there via a very small ferry boat (an old landing craft). I don't know if they are still there or not. All I can say from my experience and all of the British friends I had in the area that it took many months before someone ever mentioned that anything had been rumored to happen. What little I have read about the purported incident sounds so way off the normal operating experiences of the base (even during exercises and special operations) that it all rings very untrue. I was there for four years and lots of things happened there. Nothing like that and nothing that ever caused a wide spread, off the base search of the area. As many people were involved, and as small of a world and community we had both on and off the bases at that time, it would have been impossible to have kept this quiet. The rumours would have been flying. There were always rumours flying about things and operations and exercises. I remember rumours both true and false about things such as preparations for participation in the Iranian Hostage crisis, operations into Eastern Europe, special ops in Africa, etc. Many of the true rumours came from the villages some of us lived in throughout the area. The pubs provided better information about what we were going to do when and with who than the bases ever provided. I will tell you truthfully that nothing ever was said, on or off base that I ever heard until May of 1981 and it was all said very tongue-in-cheek. It wasn't until the middle eighties that I began to hear that there were written accounts and BBC documentaries about the purported incident. I have been shocked at what a growing life this story has had. Again, I don't mean anyone harm in discounting anything that has been said to date. This is what I remember as best as I can. I have many photographs of the base and have several friends who I correspond with from the community as well as the USAF. I miss my time there and hope to retire in Suffolk someday. I hope this is helpful and again, I would swear to this recollection in a court if this was a deposition or a trial. Best luck to you in your research. You should go to the forest and spend a lot of time walking it in all weather. I did so in walks through Tunstall to Snape many, many times. It is too wonderful too believe. Yes, and mystical. Sincerely, |