Penbrook, PennsylvaniaJuly 1955

Insufficient Data

Summary

Mrs. Anne Chamberlin, a 42-year-old Ground Observer Corps volunteer in Penbrook, Pennsylvania, reported seeing unidentified flying objects on two separate occasions in July 1955. On the first sighting, she observed twelve silver square objects drifting through the sky roughly one hour before she reported seeing eight silver and gold square objects traveling very fast at an estimated altitude of 40,000 feet. After the first sighting, Chamberlin found a twelve-inch square piece of cardboard with pebbles attached to it, which she believed to be related to what she had witnessed.

The U.S. Air Force investigated Chamberlin's reliability as a witness. When interviewed, she struggled to provide consistent descriptions of the objects, referring to them variously as tinsel, paper, and cardboard of silver color with yellow centers. Her USAF supervisor, Sergeant Arthur Bray, confirmed that Chamberlin was sincere but had a tendency to exaggerate and be overly cooperative. Bray noted that despite spending considerable time at her observation post, he had never been able to verify any of her sightings. Based on these findings, the Air Force rated Chamberlin's reliability as poor, citing her lack of technical background and her overzealousness in reporting observations.

The Air Force's conclusion on this case appears in the index card at the beginning of the file as "probably balloon." The full case file, comprising 21 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.

Reported location

Penbrook, Pennsylvania

Date of incident

July 1955

State / country

PA / US

Page count

21 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 23

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 21

View transcribed text

| ga | EL UFGB INDEX CARD
Joi i ATSS=UFQB=200=56 _
1. DATE § LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
| QO Wes Balloon
AF July 195% Penbrook, Psnns a Probably Ballon

3. DATE-TIME 683 B TYPE OF OBSERVATION O Possibly Balloon |

4 0 rounds Vi sua raund«Re 0 Was Aircraf

0) re . 2002 Jul 55) R = Vi sual a on d-Rador DO Probably Aircraft |

g CMT / 0552 July 1955 0 Air Visual 0 Air-Intercept Radar i Possibly Aircroft
E ] 5. PHOTOS 6. SOURCE 0 Was Astronomical

QO Yes O Probably Astronomical
§ X No c O Possibly Astronomical :

" Fa OF OBSERVATION 5. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE iol Other WIMREL ELE |
jo 1 (2) (1) Twelve (12 I Drifti 0 Insufficient Data for Evaluation |
B | Ten (10) Minutes Unk (2) Bight a 3 ary wl Be Cero |
| 8 10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS |

Observer noted UFOB's 4iwce during day, approx Due to the strangs nature of the sizht-

ons (1) hour aparte The first sighting con- ing ATIC Form 184 was sent to the ob= |

| sisted of twelve (12) silver, squares objeocis, server for completion and return to

| | arifting. ‘Observer found a twelws (12) inch | this headquarters. Upon receipt of

j aquars of cardboard with pebbles on il. form and analysis thersof, the conclus=| |

The second sighting consisted of aight (8) jons of this headquarters will bs for= |

square, silver and gold objects 4raveling very warded to ATIC to be £iled on this card, |

| Past at an estimated altitude of 40,000°%. |

AISOP Form 5 (15 Oct 54) yi Galen |
k RR A a i a AR obra i si 3
\

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28962649