The Sea Fury Incident
DATE - August 31, 1954
PLACE - Nowra, Australia

One of the earliest recorded radar visual reports occurred on August 31st, 1954 off the New South Wales Coast near Nowra. The Australian press got the story on 15th of December, 1954, after it was leaked by members of the Defence Force. After that details were released to the public. The two official navy file on the event remained classified by the Directorate of Naval Intelligence, but was released to Victorian UFO groups in the late 1960s.

Lieutenant J.A. "Shamus" O'Farrell was returning to Royal Australian Navy Air Station Nowra after a night cross country navigation exercise with radars assistance in a Hawker Sea Fury FB11 aircraft. After contacting Nowra at about 1910 hours at 15,000ft, O'Farrell saw a very bright light closing fast at one o'clock. It crossed in front of his aircraft taking up position on his port (left) beam, where it appeared to orbit. A second and similar light was observed at nine o'clock. It passed about a mile in from of the Sea Fury and then turned in the position where the first light was observed.


O'Farrell reported, the apparent crossing speeds of the lights were the fastest he had ever encountered. He had been flying at 220 knots. O'Farrell contacted Nowra who in turn confirmed that they had two radar "paints" in company with him. The radar operator, Petty Officer Keith Jessop, confirmed the presence of 2 objects near the Sea Fury on the G.C.I. remote display. The two lights reformed at nine o'clock and then disappeared on a north easterly heading. O'Farrell could only make out "a vague shape with the white light situated centrally on top".

The Directorate of Naval Intelligence at the time wrote that O'Farrell was "an entirely credible witness" and that he "was visibly 'shaken' by his experience, but remains adamant that he saw these objects".

Shamus O'Farrell described the incident to researchers in the following way:

PILOT - Nowra, this is 921. Do you have me on radar.

(seconds later)

RADAR - Affirmative 921. We have you coming in from the west.
We have another two contacts as well. Which one are you?

PILOT - I think I'm the central one.

RADAR - Do a 180...for identification.

(Shamus O'Farrell did a quick 180 and then continued on
around and made it a 360 back to where he was going)

RADAR - Yes, we've got you. You're the centre aircraft.

PILOT - Correct.

RADAR - Who are the other two aircraft...

PILOT - I don't know. I was hoping you would tell me,
because I didn't think there was anyone up here.

RADAR - Well there shouldn't be, and they certainly shouldn't be that close to you.


Shamus O'Farrell described how the conversation went on like this and that he was very pleased to be talking to somebody because "it gave me a lot of reassurance". The 2 unknown aircraft came in quite close to Shamus O'Farrell who reported to the Victorian researchers:

"I could really see the dark mass and that they were quite big,
but I couldn't make out any other lights or any other form of
an aircraft. They were vague shape with the white light situated
centrally on top."

Just then the 2 other objects "took off and headed off to the north east at great speed". O'Farrelldescribed how:

"I was about to press the button and tell them at Nowra that
the two aircraft were departing when Nowra G.C.I. called me up".

RADAR - The other two aircraft appear to be departing at high speed to the north east.
Is that correct?

PILOT - Yes!

RADAR - Roger, we'll see if we can track them.

Radar tracked the two objects for a while and then lost them. At 7.30 (1930) Shamus O'Farrell landed his Sea Fury aircraft at the Royal Australian Navy Air Station Nowra.

O'Farrell later told researchers:

"When I got there, there were quite a few people waiting for me.
I thought it was a bit strange and so they came over,
the crew said, 'You sure you had aircraft out there!', and I said yes".

Then the Surgeon Commander who was now with the ground crew asked O'Farrell:

SURGEON - Do you feel sick, or upset at all?

PILOT - No.

The Surgeon Commander ran his hand over Shamus O'Farrell head to see whether he had any bumps. After the short examination the Surgeon Commander declared that O'Farrell was okay. Then he said:

SURGEON - Perhaps you'd like to come to the sick bay after you've
changed and we'll do an examination.

After finishing all his aircraft checks and paper work O'Farrell went up to sick bay and the Surgeon Commander gave him a more thorough medical. After the full examination the Surgeon Commander again told O'Farrell That he "appeared to be alright".

O'Farrell told researchers:

"I found out later, that at the same time, they checked to make
sure I hadn't been drinking before I took off and all that sort
of thing".I wanted to hush it all up. That sort of investigation
made me look a bit of a fool. I was worried it wasn't going to do
my career any good".


Other Witnesses

At the same time that O'Farrell was involved in his encounter two other reports were researchedby the Joint Intelligence Bureau (JIB).

[1]. A technician was repairing an out of service Non Directional Beacon (NDB), a aircraft navigation aid at Narulan, the technician happened to look up while the encounter was in progress and reported seeing these lights fly overhead.

[2]. And an air traffic control officer in the control tower at Mascot Airport, also reported two lights saw approaching the ATC that seemed to be from this encounter.

During Dr. Hynek (US Researcher) 1973 visit to Australia, Victorian groups arranged and facilitated an interview the pilot Lieutenant J.A. O'Farrell who was involved in this famous incident. After the visit Dr. Hynek made his notes on this interview available to researchers in Australia after his 1973 visit. Victorian groups provided Dr. Hynek with a copy of the official file on the incident.


SOURCES & IMAGES:
Victorian UFO Research Society - Paul Norman & John W. Auchettl
Phenomena Research Australia - John W. Auchettl
http://www.gibstuff.net/aircraft/warbirds3/RAN_Sea_fury_01_061002.jpg
http://www.gibstuff.net/aircraft/warbirds3/RAN_Sea_fury_02_061002.jpg