Winsor, Newfoundland, October 1953October 1953

On the night of October 19, 1953, two observers in Winsor, Newfoundland, watched a bright object descend from the sky and move across the landscape. The sighting lasted between 10 and 13 minutes. One observer was Barry Dawson, an RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) constable stationed at Grand Falls. The other was George Taylor, a Canadian National Railways employee who happened to be visiting the area. Both men watched the object from the ground.

The object was difficult to describe because of its brightness. It glowed a fluorescent blue on top, with a red glow underneath. As the witnesses watched, the colors shifted from blue to orange to red. Dawson, who had experienced the bombing campaign in England during World War Two, said the object resembled the magnesium flares he had seen used in combat. The object made no sound and left no trail or exhaust. It first descended vertically, then leveled off at approximately 2,000 feet and moved in a south-southeast direction before disappearing with a red glow.

The Air Force interrogated both men and found them to be reliable observers. Dawson was described as well-informed and intelligent. Taylor, who had studied astronomy, examined the object through a surveying instrument and later stated it was not a meteor, star, or other known astronomical phenomenon. The weather that night was exceptionally clear with good visibility and a bright moon.

The Air Force's investigation ultimately determined that the sighting was a radiosonde weather balloon. The file notes that equipment was recovered in the area and had reportedly fallen at approximately the time of the initial sighting. The complete case file, consisting of 7 pages of declassified documents, is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.