October 1912 War Office conducted investigations into Mysterious Airships

There were investigations conducted by both the War Office and Admiralty into sightings of unidentified airships, aircraft and mysterious moving lights. These incidents were regularly reported from many parts of the British Isles during WWI. Statesman Winston Churchill makes reference to them in the “Airships” section of HANSARD Vol: 44, 27th November, 1912. In October 1912 questions were raised in the House of Commons about a sighting of an unidentified aircraft over the Royal Navy torpedo school at Sheerness, Essex. [National Archive Ref: AIR 1/2455] [National Archive Ref: AIR 1/2456] [HANSARD Vol: 44, 27th November, 1912, 18,] This was the result of an honest investigation conducted by the MOD (then the War Office), because if they were indeed real, they were seen as a national security threat. In 1916 a War Office intelligence circular found that 89% of the reports could be explained by planet light, searchlight and natural aerial phenomena. They concluded “There is no evidence on which to base a suspicion that this class of enemy activity ever existed.” [Alleged Enemy Signalling 1916 WO 158/989] [National Archive UFO Briefing Document] [www.catalogue.nationalarchives.gov.uk...] This scenario was later dubbed the “UFO Problem” by military intelligence at the War Office, which is probably early evidence disinformation campaign and counter-intelligence psychological operations.