Churchill ordered UFO cover-up, National Archives show

'The government took the threat of UFOs so seriously in the 1950s that UK intelligence chiefs met to discuss the issue, newly-released files show.
Ministers even went on to commission weekly reports on UFO sightings from a committee of intelligence experts.
The papers also include a wartime account claiming prime minister Winston Churchill ordered a UFO sighting be kept secret to prevent "mass panic".'

Read More: Churchill ordered UFO cover-up, National Archives show

"The reason apparently was because Churchill believed it would cause mass panic and it would shatter people's religious views."

Files released in August 2010

The files contain a wide range of UFO-related documents, drawings, letters and parliamentary questions covering the years 1995-2003.
Discover which part of the country had the most reported UFO sightings and find out more about the terror attack foretold in a dream, mysterious objects tracked by radar and the 100-1 bet on alien life.
Start by reading our highlights guide (PDF, 332kb) to help you navigate your way through the files.
Due to the large size of some of these files, we recommend you save them to your PC before opening them. Please right click on the links and select the ‘save’ option.

• DEFE 24/1973/1 (PDF, 40.7 Mb)
• DEFE 24/1978/1 (PDF, 39.3 Mb)
• DEFE 24/1982/1 (PDF, 43.5 Mb)
• DEFE 24/1983/1 (PDF, 26.9 Mb)
• DEFE 24/1991/1 (PDF, 43.6 Mb)
• DEFE 24/1992/1 (PDF, 41.5 Mb)
• DEFE 24/1993/1 (PDF, 53.7 Mb)
• DEFE 24/1995/1 (PDF, 53.3 Mb)
• DEFE 24/1996/1 (PDF, 44.5 Mb)
• DEFE 24/1998/1 (PDF, 34.8 Mb)
• DEFE 24/2001/1 (PDF, 3.7 Mb)
• DEFE 24/2004/1 (PDF, 32.8 Mb)
• DEFE 24/2012/1 (PDF, 45.6 Mb)
• DEFE 24/2013/1 (PDF, 37.9 Mb)
• DEFE 24/2014/1 (PDF, 26.8 Mb)
• DEFE 24/2015/1 (PDF, 19.3 Mb)
• DEFE 24/2042/1 (PDF, 21.8 Mb)
• DEFE 24/2045/1 (PDF, 11.3 Mb)

Previous file releases

The National Archives holds other UFO files that have already been released by the Ministry of Defence. You can download these in PDF format for a small fee. The files contain details of numerous UFO sightings.

Access existing UFO files