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THE NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES
19th January 1983 THE BIGGEST UFO FLAP IN THE UK

Copyright SUFON.co.uk 2025

The evening of Wednesday 19th January 1983 started out much like any other cold winter evening in South Wales. Just after dark, people were heading home from work, making tea, watching TV. Some were heading to work, meeting friends, or walking the dog. Many children and teenagers were doing their paper rounds, hanging around on street corners, or walking with friends. Local football and rugby clubs were getting games or practice underway. Just a normal Wednesday evening in South Wales.

The weather was cold, it being mid-January, and the sky was starry with no wind. All was cold and clear. around 5.00pm, the first sighting was made of Triangular craft in Cardiff and then in Swansea around 5 30/ 5 45pm near Llanelli heading to Gower and large objects in the sky over Gorseinon and Swansea - ranging from huge triangular-shaped craft to small triangular craft in two`s and three`s .

Over the next few hours, hundreds of people at locations across South Wales from Newport in the east to Swansea and Milford Haven in the west. They reported that the craft, sometimes single, sometimes in twos and threes, were the size of jumbo jets, football fields, sometimes moving slowly just feet over rooftops and some were motionless. But all were completely silent.

Many witnesses were close to the objects, just yards away in some cases, and remarkably were seen at different places at the same time - showing that many craft were involved. One came so low behind one man that he had to jump into a roadside ditch as he thought a truck was approaching from behind, as he sensed its presence.

Power outages were reported in several areas and a 3M factory in Fforestfach . Three separate witnesses reported strange effects, one in Newport and one in Swansea reported missing time and a Cardiff woman said she felt she was in a kind of bubble, separate from the world.

A game of young football players in Llantwit Major was halted as a triangle flew over, people going in to a Rugby match also saw a Triangle. And in Cardiff, many pupils of a primary school (after school and separately) witnessed a huge triangle flying low over Whitchurch. Hundreds of people across South Wales were witness to these crafts.

SUFON has and is making contact with many of the witnesses, conducting interviews by video and by phone, documenting press cuttings and testimonies of the witnesses. Freedom of Information requests are being made and on this page, we are presenting all our findings of what went on that night in 1983, the night we have named: The Night of the Triangles.

When i started to put this page together the idea was to possibly show how the Triangles went from Gower towards Cardiff/Newport but it was pretty obvious going through cases that there were Triangles at the same time in several places Gower/Swansea/ llantwit/ Porthcawl, Cardiff Newport/ Plymouth and Ilfracome Devon.

So with that in mind i`ll go through cases area by area which should show there were several Triangles seen over 60 mile length across South Wales and an 92 mile length from Plymouth to Gower.

We`ll start in Gower then move eastwards towards Swansea, Swansea Valleys, Baglan/Port Tabot, Porthcawl/llantwit Major, Cwmbran and finish at Newport. with a surpise at the end

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : LLWYNHENDY LLANELLI

6 pm

Over a period of 10 minutes an observer in Llwynhendy watched two objects, long one in front of the other, second object had large red steady light on front.

Flashing white light in the centre and tail of both objects. It moved from the Swansea direction and then headed towards the Gower, at a steady, slow speed.

Source: Dave Partridge, MOD Files.

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : GORSEINON

18 15

Brighton Road

Brothers Milan and Byron Baljak, age 32 and 28 respectively, and friend Roger Williams, 32, were standing outside Gorseinon & District Working Men's Club on Brighton Road, Gorseinon, waiting for it to open to play snooker. Looking above them towards the east, a row of lights about 50 feet up came over the roofs of houses on the other side of the road (east of them). The lights were small, dim blue-white and numbered about a dozen and arranged in a line, moving from their left to right (south).

They realised that the lights were on the same object as it started to turn, and could see that it was a huge black triangle, with more blue-white lights along each side. Its size, Milan compared to two jumbo jets, but was unable to estimate its thickness. As it turned, slowly drifting towards the east, and away from them, it tilted slightly, all the small bluey lights going off and they could make out a red circular light on the top of the object near the front apex.

There was no sound and it just ‘floated’, slowly moving away from the witnesses, who then crossed the road to stand under it and followed it a short way down a side alley between the terraced houses on the left and a brick building on the right.

It moved away further in the direction of Penllergaer in the east and they watched as it disappeared out of sight. The duration of the sighting was about 5 minutes. The men returned to the club, talking about it to each other, Roger and Byron going inside to phone the local radio station, Swansea Sound, leaving Milan outside, who kept a look out in case the object returned.

Milan then saw two more black triangular-shaped craft, smaller than the first, and again about 50 feet up, one travelling one way down the road, and the other on a parallel but opposite course moving up the road.

Again, no sound was heard, the objects displayed lights, and reflected the glow from the street lighting. They did not rotate, and when they both reached a certain point after travelling half the length of the street, both reversed their course and passed each other again above him.

They once more reversed and passed, stopped and slowly drifted off together to the south, over the shops in the main street at the bottom of the road.

Roger also phoned the South Wales Evening Post and was told that reports had come in from all over south Wales. Milan was so affected by what he had seen that when he went home later, he burned his entire collection of UFO books in the garden, and went to sleep with blinds down and curtains closed. The following day, he said there was a tremendous amount of military aircraft flying around the area. He went to the Swansea Sound studio to talk about what he had seen that day.

Source: SUFON Files: Milan Baljak interviewed by Emlyn Williams 4 June 2015.

You can watch Milan`s interview below

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : REYNOLDSTON, GOWER

Mrs D Thomas

Early evening - 5 to 7 pm

Reported large craft heading over Cefn Bryn while driving home

Mr Thomas called by wife when she got home witnessed the craft shoot over the sea (Bristol Channel)

Source Sufon Files

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : KILLAY, SWANSEA

APPROX. 6 PM

Roland Betts – a long distance lorry driver from Killay, Swansea – had just uncoupled his trailer and was in Dunvant Road, high up on a hill, with a sweeping view of Swansea Bay, at around 6 pm.

“As I got out of my vehicle, I was attracted by a large area of stars that were blocked out.

There was a massive round object; I would guess at approximately 10-20,000 ft in the air. It appeared to have lights around the perimeter and was absolutely silent.

If it was moving, it was moving very slowly. For some reason, it didn’t sink into my mind what it might be. I went into the house and told my wife that I had just seen an unidentified flying object in the sky. Imagine my surprise when she told me that a programme had just been interrupted by a news broadcast, relating to a UFO having been sighted between Swansea and Cardiff by many people!”

Source: Haunted Skies Volume 9 page 240.

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : FAIRWOOD AIRPORT

Approx time 7 30/8 30

I was travelling back to Pennard from friends in my fathers car, we had just gone up the dip where the entrance to Swansea airport is, when we got to the high point my dad saw something in the sky so we pulled over to have a look.

In the distance slightly off to our left in a south easterly direction we saw a dark triangle shape that had some lights on it. My father who was a pilot and used to fly out of Fairwood airport said it was like no plane he had ever seen and was certain it wasn`t a plane.

We then carried on home and when we got to Pennard and our house there was a powercut, after seeing what we now know was a black triangle it sparked my interest in Ufo`s

Source interview with Mike Maunder December 2023

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : FAIRWOOD AIRPORT

5 55pm

While travelling along the Gower Road in a Westerly direction, I spotted what seemed to appear very low in the sky, and almost above me, two flat looking triangular objects moving very, very slowly and silently, both at the same height and same speed, heading west. The time was approximately 5.55 p.m. and the night was very clear and crisp. The objects appeared flat with many twinkling and flashing white lights. The span of the objects appeared to be larger than an aeroplane from wing tip to wing tip, but of course in the darkness this could have been deceiving.

As the UFOs were travelling slower than my car, I was able to park in a side street and watch them as they moved slowly towards Fairwood Airport. Upon reaching the brow of a hill some 5 minutes later, I could see the objects, which now looked like one large object, twinkling very brightly and almost at eye level.

QUITE A LARGE GAP BETWEEN THE TWO OBJECTS.

Name Mrs. Carol Batcup

Address DUNVANT SWANSEA, SA2 7PU.

Source Gary M Rowe, Dave Partridge and MOD reports

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : FAIRWOOD AIRPORT

5 55pm

One aircraft shaped object with six lights at front -three below three objects moving too slow to be aircraft

Outside house at eye level over Swansea Airport heading West over Gower peninsular

One to one and a half miles .

Carol Briggs - Lon-Bedwyn Tycoch Swansea

Cocket police recieved independantly a report from Carol Batcup of Lon Bedwyn who described a similar object while driving West on the A4116 at precisely the same time . The difference in description being ten bright lights at front and back of the object instead of six bright lights

SOURCE - Dave Partridge, MOD report

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : BISHOPSTON, GOWER

Between 8 PM and 9 PM

Ken Morse, a telecom engineer was at home in Ridley Way, a lane with houses only on the west side of the road. Ken explains his sighting in his own words:

“At the time of the sighting, our electricity supply was on three phase open wires running the length of the lane and was subject to power outages during windy weather. I have seen the wires blowing about in high winds and sparking on contact, resulting, unsurprisingly, in a power cut. Events leading up to sighting:

On the night in question, my wife was out and I would have been in charge of putting my then five-year-old daughter and nine-month-old son to bed – though I have no recollection of doing this! Once this was done, I would have settled down to watch television. This is where I’m hazy on the time but I suspect it was between

Part way through the programme I was watching, the power unexpectedly went off. As usual, when this happened, I would look out of our east-north-easterly-facing lounge window, to determine whether this was a local fault in our lane or whether the houses on Oldway across the field were also in darkness. On this occasion, they were.

The weather was clear and dry with no wind, when, looking out of my ground floor window, my attention was immediately drawn to a triangular formation of three bright blue-white “stars” that had just passed over the lane, south of my house, and were moving slowly in a roughly eastward direction.

(See attached simulated photo of what I saw which was produced for this report. The grey area in the top corner is the overhanging guttering of our dormer bungalow).

My initial reaction was that moving so slowly it must be close to commercial aircraft cruising height. I discounted this when I realised that if it was solid it would be absolutely enormous and if it were three separate craft, the lights were far more powerful than those found on any normal aircraft.

I opened the lounge window to see if I could hear anything. As usual, in our lane at night, there was complete silence. I strained to see whether there was a black triangle between the lights but the background sky was so dark it was impossible to tell. I was then hoping it might block out stars as it passed under them but so few stars were visible that night even though it was a clear sky that again I was unable to confirm the existence of a solid body between the lights.

It (or they) maintained the formation in a straight line until it disappeared over the tree in the photo in the direction of West Cross and Swansea Docks. In all I must have watched it for just over a minute but it seemed a lot longer.

The object was first seen at an elevation of about 35 degrees with 90 degrees directly overhead. It was clear they were forming the corners of an equilateral triangle with one light leading point and the other two at the rear. I reiterate, I cannot say of it was solid. Ridley Way runs NNW to SSE. The objects were about 40 degrees south of east when first seen. Without another observation from a different location it is impossible to determine how far the object(s) were along those bearings and therefore the height and distance away at which they (it) were flying.

Observations:

The three blue-white lights were equally bright (much brighter than any star or planet), well defined and did not sparkle or flash.
There was nothing visible between the lights and thus no black triangle or central light in evidence.
There were no other navigation lights (red/green) or any other strobe/rotating beacon lights of any kind to make me think they were commercial or military aircraft.
It was completely silent.
The relative distance between the lights was maintained until I could no longer see it.
The lights did not illuminate anything on the ground or any part of the craft as far as I could see.
The lights were still visible as it flew eastward suggesting they were 180 degree lights and not just downward facing spotlights.
There was nothing else unusual in my field of view.
Transatlantic commercial planes flying over at night at about 35,000 feet and around 500 mph have very faint lights and can be heard. See Flightradar24.com (REF 3) for altitude information.
Taking all the above into account, it would seem to indicate that what I saw was likely to be a large, low flying, slow moving possibly solid triangular object with a bright light at each corner. I have observed meteor showers, a comet, faint earth satellites, Iridium satellite flares, and the International Space Station. None of these bear any resemblance to what I saw that night. I have never seen anything in the sky before or since that couldn’t be explained.

The following day, the Evening Post carried some of the witness’ stories of the sightings that occurred that night and one explanation I remember was high altitude refuelling. If what I saw was high altitude refuelling they must have had very long fuel lines because at 35,000 ft I would estimate they must have been over a mile apart! Not to mention having incredibly bright lights (see point 9 above).

High altitude refuelling involves a leading tanker plane followed only yards behind by the plane being refuelled. I’m guessing at that height at night it would look like one aircraft and not three separated by a considerable distance.

If the power had not gone off (caused by the object?) I would not have been looking out of the window and would have missed it. I may have been the only person to witness this particular sighting over Bishopston. It appears to be very similar to the recent sighting over the Cwmfelin Club.

Ken Morse 21 August 2015.

You can watch Kens interview below

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : HARESLADE CHALETS, BRANDY COVE,BISHOPSTON

Approx 7 30 - 8 30pm

One of our friends at the time was renting a chalet down Hareslade Chalets in Bishopston. Next thing another friend came running in saying "come and have a look at this quickly" we all went out and what a sight! A massive craft with lights around it flashing intermittently and each side of it a triangular craft along with 2 other smaller Triangles.

I seemed to think at the time that the smaller crafts were like scout crafts. I remember one of the girls saying is this really happening. I'm so happy that at least once in my life I saw what I absolutely believe were UFOs...

The big craft hovered, so large yet so quiet, and then after about three or four minutes flew out towards the sea.

Then there was a blackout reaching from Fforestfach to Bishopston. I was so excited and absolutely thrilled to bits to experience such a wonderful thing. I haven't told many people mainly because they would think I am crackers, however I know what I saw and also there were, from what I can remember, quite a few people outside watching also....

There was no sound, not even a humming. I'm trying to think back...um possibly around 40 - 50 feet. It seemed they were not very high in the sky because of the size of the big craft. I can't remember the colour of the lights. I can't remember the month. It went in the direction of Brandy Cove. I was only 19 and I'm 63 now. I do apologise for being a tad evasive.

I even listened to "Swansea Sound" the next morning and it had been reported by several people...

Source online interview with Mike Maunder

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : NEWTON,MUMBLES

Early evening - 5 to 7 pm

Peter Trotman, of Bryncerdyn Road, Newton, Mumbles, said he was astonished to hear the claim that the sighting was meteorites.

Source South WalesEvening Post

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : LANGLAND BAY GOWER

Early evening between 6 and 7 PM.

Steve Boyd was living in Langland Bay Road, Langland, which led down the hill to Langland Bay Seafront. He was on the way out to attend an art auction and as he exited his front door his attention was drawn to objects in the sky in front of him.

He saw what appeared t be three bright triangular shaped craft in triangular formation heading from his left to right (north to south).

"Thinking about it, it is a possibility that these three craft were in fact one large triangular craft with a white light on each corner. I would estimate the height at about 1000 feet and there was no sound heard coming from them and they left no trail to the rear."

He watched the object for about two minutes as it moved slowly away in a southerly direction over the Bristol Channel, until it disappeared from sight.

"I remember thinking this was very strange as they were definitely not aeroplanes nor were they helicopters. I can only describe them as UFOs."

Source: SUFON Files: email from witness to Steve Drewson 22 September 2021.

19th JANUARY - 1983 NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : MUMBLES HEAD,SWANSEA BAY

BETWEEN 5.30 PM and 5.45 PM

For a period of 10 minutes an observer watched with the naked eye and through binoculars, two very bright lights about the length of a Boeing 747 apart.

No shape was discernible. The lights were over the ‘Lifeguard Station’, Mumbles [Lifeboat or Coastguard?] at 2000 feet maximum altitude, one mile away from the observer. Its movements were described as being steady, changing.

Source: Dave Partridge, MOD Files.

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : FFORESTFACH,SWANSEA

APROXX 6 - 6 30 pm

I was visiting my girlfriend now wife and was just getting out of my car when it appeared over the houses quite low and perfectly silent it must have been about the size of a football pitch as someone else said if not bigger with dim lights underneath I didn't actually see the back end because the acceleration on it was so fast and again silent I don't think anything we have can accelerate that quickly and with no noise from a standing start one minute it was there next it was gone any way if somethings come out of your article my kids always thought i was winding them up they don't now cheers Simon

All I can remember is that it was early evening and it was dark the address was it came from Fforestfach direction over the houses at probably about 10 mph it appeared speedboat shaped at first and just kept getting wider it must have been about the height of 3 houses couldn't tell how long it was as never saw the rear it accelerated so fast in the direction of roughly Morriston hospital there was someone else on the street a man with a baby but he just grabbed the child and ran into one of the house.

Email correspondence June 2017

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : FFORESTHALL, SWANSEA

Early evening - 5 to 7 pm

9-year-old Allan Crocombe lived at 17 Ffordd-Y-Brain in Fforesthall with his grandmother, and was on his way to his cousin's house nearby in Portmead, walking up Ffordd-Y-Brain. He'd only been out of his house for two minutes and something made him turn around. Covering at least four houses opposite his house, he saw two triangular-shaped craft very low in the sky. They were very large, he said 'football pitch' in size.' Some houses obscured his view of the craft, as they were so low and they were moving slowly and silently, with white lights. The lights were not flashing.

One triangle was larger than the other, which he thinks might have been because it was further away from him, and were in staggered formation. Many other people living in the area were out looking at the craft. Allan ran back home to tell his grandmother, "There's aliens!" whom he lived with and she went outside with him to see the craft also. The objects went over Ravenhill Park to the south, and out of sight.

Source: SUFON Files: Witness interviewed by Steve Drewson and Emlyn Williams 26 February 2018.

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : ALCOA FACTORY GORSEINON ROAD,PENLLEGAER,SWANSEA

Approx 6pm

The Evening shift hadn`t long started when all of a sudden the lights/power went off from one end of the building to the other end and went off for about a minute, the lights then came back on start

in Conversation with 2 separate individuals who confirmed to Sufon 2023/2024

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Here`s a few reports from South Wales Evening Post

Early evening - 5 to 7 pm

Mrs Elsie Davies portmead Road, Portmead

Saw bright lights in a Triangular shape, flashing erratically

The object changed shape from a Triangle to a square and then a circle before disappearing slowly across the sky

She also saw a "fiery orange ball" moving slowly over rooftops

She compared it to "fireworks or fire coming up from the ground"

Source South Wales Evening Post

Source

Mrs. Thomas (Swansea Coastguards):

Saw two objects moving towards Swansea from Port Talbot.
They were "molten things" burning up as they changed colors, eventually disappearing.
She said, "What I saw was two objects, with a strange glow, moving across the sky slowly and without any sound."

Mr. Leslie Price (Swansea):

Saw two "brilliant objects" in the sky, one larger than the other.
The larger one was triangular and the smaller one circular.
The triangle had flashing lights and moved in a "zig-zag" pattern.
He ruled out meteors, aircraft, or balloons.

Mr. S. Protheroe (Swansea):

Saw an object that was "not like anything he had ever seen."

Another UFO Spotter (Mr. Alan Mogridge, Brynffrwd Road, Newton, Mumbles):
- Confirmed the sightings.
Mr. Kenneth Nettles (of Morriston, ex-RAF engineer):
He also saw the UFOs and dismissed meteors as the cause.

Mr. John Owen (of St. Thomas):

Saw the lights in the sky above his house.
Described them as "very big, huge in size and did not have any navigation lights or civil or military aircraft lights."
Estimated the speed at about 30 m.p.h., far too slow for an aircraft.
He concluded, "I cannot really say what it was - it was a strange phenomena."

Electricity supplies in several hundred people in the Kimble Street, Portmead, and Penlan areas went off for a short while:

The cause was an object hitting an overhead power line.

19th JANUARY 1983 NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : SWANSEA

6.30 PM

An observer located on ‘highest point of Swansea on Hill’ – presumably Townhill, saw 3 white flashing lights.

Moving at a steady, slow speed towards Swansea Bay. Watched for 2 minutes.

Source: Dave Partridge,MOD Files.

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : MAYHILL, SWANSEA

Between 7.30 PM & 8.30 PM

Peter Watkins, living in Teilo Crescent, Townhill which overlooks Swansea Bay, south facing, had gone out alone to the car when he noticed a triangular craft which had lights at each tip. It was silent and approximately at least 500 feet in altitude. The object travelled slowly from east to west from the Kilvey Hill area towards Sketty. It was visible for about 5-10 minutes before it disappeared from his view, in the Uplands/Sketty direction over the roofs of houses.

Source: SUFON Files. Email correspondence

You can watch Peters interview below

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : LANDORE, SWANSEA,LANDORE, SWANSEA

APPROX. 6 PM

The witness, a man (who did not give his identity) was in Cwm Level Park, Landore and saw a black triangular craft, which displayed lights, hovering over the Morfa area, to his south-east.

It was low, and he was looking slightly down to it as the park is located at a higher level.

It was about the size of a bus.

The witness said it was just above roof-top height and was drifting slowly.

Source: SUFON Meeting 25 August 2015.

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : BRYNMILL

Rita Bradley of Finsbury Terrace, Brynmill, Swansea:

“I saw two triangular objects close together with lots of white lights towards Townhill. I could hardly believe it.”

Source South Wales Evening Post

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19th JANUARY 1983 NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : PENTREGETHIN ROAD, SWANSEA

BETWEEN 5.45 PM AND 6.45 PM

An observer located outdoors on Pentregethin Road described seeing an object for 5-10 minutes moving slowly around a TV mast (presumably Kilvey Hill).

Source Dave Partridge, MOD

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : MORRISTON, SWANSEA

About 6 PM. Clear dark sky.

15-year-old Debra Brooks was with friends of roughly the same age, hanging around at the top of a flight of steps at the top of Park Avenue, a cul-de-sac terraced street on the western slope of the Lower Swansea Valley in Morriston. The steps led between some flats, down to the main road, Neath Road. Her friends were Susan Rees and a brother and sister (the latter two have since died).

Debra remembers that is pitch black at the time, with a clear sky full of bright stars. She knows it was about 6 pm because Susan had a row shortly afterwards, when returning home because she was late for tea. Debra was suddenly surprised when, looking straight up at the sky, she could see no stars, it was completely black. She then realised why. Above them, and moving slowly from west to east (from the direction of Trwyddfa Road on the top of the hill), and across the valley in the direction of Winch Wen, was a black triangle-shaped object. It was really large, about the size of two football fields, and easily covered an area from Park Avenue down to Neath Road.

It moved really slowly over them, huge and low. Debra briefly looked at her three friends, who were unaware of the object above them. She said to them, "Look at that!" They looked up, all now staring at it. The triangle displayed no lights, and moved flat-side-forward, not what you'd expect. She isn't sure if it was an equilateral or an isoceles triangle. Debra felt like it was forever while they all stared up, all in dumbfounded silence. She then felt panic and wanted to run. Her friends were doing nothing, just transfixed, saying nothing.

Debra then started yelling at her friends, "We got to go! We got to go!" There was no response, so she grabbed Susan: "She looked at me - then was 'back in the room.'" They all then started running, trying to run but Debra felt it was hard, like running in a dream. They all ran to Susan's house, on Park Avenue. They told Susan's mother what they had all just seen, but she dismissed it as nonsense, and annoyed by Susan's lateness for food.

Debra recently asked Susan if she remembered it, and was told that she did.

Source: SUFON Files: witness interviewed by Emlyn Williams 2021.

You can watch Debra`s account below

Source: SUFON Files: witness interviewed by Emlyn Williams 2021.

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19th JANUARY - 1983 NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : LLANSAMLET

5:50 PM

Sighting: An observer located on Tal-Y-Coppa, Llansamlet reported two objects - one large elongated.

Two pulsating white lights at the front, and two yellowish steady lights on the rear. The second object was small and triangular with steady white lights. No sound.
Movement: Moving at steady height from west to east from Morriston towards Kilvey Hill.

SOURCE Dave Partridge, MOD

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : WINCHWEN, SWANSEA,

17 50

Detective Sergeant Michael Troake and Detective Constable Gethin James were carrying out enquiries into a spate of burglaries.

Mike explained that they were based in Morriston Police Station, and had gone to visit a member of the public in a house at the top of Maes-yr-Haf [Y Gefnen, which leads off it], Trallwn , and had just come out of the front door, which was at the top of steps, which faces south-west, with good views down the Swansea Valley.

Mike said, "Good God, what the hell is that?" Gethin replied, "It's like two football pitches", to which Mike said, "It's like the whole length of Woodfield Street" [the main street in Morriston].

Mike described it as being rectangular, with flashing blue lights arranged along the sides, and there were two blue triangular lights at the rear - all part of one object, moving slowly towards them from the south-west.

It was about a half a mile to a mile away from them in the south-west, moving from the Landore area. It was blocking out the stars behind it. They were looking up at it at an angle of about 45 degrees.

There was no sound from the object. When it was roughly over the Winch Wen area, it slowly turned to the left (the object's right) and shot off to the south, towards Swansea Bay.

They heard over their police radio that many reports were coming in from the public, about seeing unidentified objects in the sky. There were a number of calls from the Port Tennant and St. Thomas area.

About two hours later, back at the station, they received a phone call from the RAF at Uxbridge, and were interviewed separately. They were asked the same prepared questions, such as description, size, what did it do, etc.

Later BBC Wales telephoned and asked Mike for an interview, but he declined, fearing that they would be ridiculed.

Source: SUFON Files: Mike Troake interviewed by Steve Drewson and Emlyn Williams 31 October 2016.

MOD Report

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : WINCHWEN, SWANSEA,

DC Gethin James

Early evening Dark.

The duration of the sighting was a few minutes.

Detective Sergeant Gethin James and Detective Inspector Mike Troake were leaving a house at the top of Mars-yr-Haf in the Talycopa area of Trallwn, Swansea. The 1970s -built house was situated in a commanding position looking west down the Swansea Valley. The two police detectives had just made a house call as part of an investigation.

As they were at the top of a flight of steps in the front garden of the house they had an uninterrupted view of a number of bright white lights "like a herd of helicopters" or "lights on a gantry" which were on a big object which Gethin estimated to be at a 1000 feet altitude at an elevation of 45 degrees. It was moving slowly and unusually silent in an east to west direction over Crymlyn Bog.

Gethin said it reminded him of a colliery washery gantry. If it were two separate objects they were moving together in unison. He said a girl in the control room in Swansea Central Station said on the car radio that a report from a member of the public in Clase, Morriston had come in, and she mocked it at first but then Gethin and Mike reported that they had seen something.

Steve Drewson and Emlyn Williams interviewed Gethin in 2017 and Emlyn told him that Mike Troake had said that the object had initially been moving in their direction (south-west to north-east), crossing the valley and then turning to the left (it's right) towards Crymlyn Bog and Swansea Bay, which was opposite to what Gethin had told them. Gethin replied that Mike was probably correct - it might have changed direction. He said he could remember the bright white lights and slow speed.

Gethin added that the object then went towards Swansea and that he and Mike drove away before the end of the sighting. He said he "had never seen anything like that before in the sky - it was big!"

Source: SUFON Files: witness interviewed by Steve Drewson and Emlyn Williams 28 November 2017.

19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : BRYNHYFRYD, SWANSEA

Between 4.45 PM and 5.45 PM.

Mark (15) and his friend, Ian (15), had just come out of the chemist shop on Brynhyfryd Square and were heading towards the west, opposite the Co-Op, when they saw two objects very low in the sky.

They was shaped like triangles and displayed three white lights on each. They were moving slowly towards the west but turned towards the south.

The boys could make out the underneath of the crafts, as Mark explained:

"It wasn't flat or smooth, you could make out indentations etc. They were triangle shape, three white lights low in the sky (very low) moving slowly then turned simultaneously and started ascending slowly. Saw it in the paper the next day.

Realised we weren't the only ones to see it."

Source: SUFON Files. Report by witness 27 May 2019.

You can hear Marks account below

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : TOWNHILL, SWANSEA,

Evening: 7pm

8 year-old Mark Rayworth was with his mother, sister and friend. It was dark and the street lighting was on. The weather was dry and clear.

They were standing on the footpath at Townhill Road, Graiglwydd Square, opposite the police station, when his mother said, “Look at that,” pointing above their heads.

On looking up he saw two equilateral triangular shaped objects above them which he described as massive in size and almost stationary, but very very slowly moving, in the direction of Mumbles. Both objects were black in colour with rounded off corners.

Around the entire lower perimeter of the objects, were flashing lights, all different colours, and just individually flashing on and off randomly. There was one large white light positioned in the centre of their base, which was constantly glowing.

They made no sound nor was there any trail left behind them. Their height was estimated to be about 500 feet. They all watched these objects in awe, for some 10 to 15 minutes, and they then had to leave the scene, to visit friends before the objects disappeared from view.

Mark immediately believed that the objects were alien to this planet, and says they had a profound effect on his life.

Source: SUFON Files: Mark Rayworth interviewed by Steve Drewson 17 March 2016.

You can watch Marks account below

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : TRAWLER ROAD, SOUTH DOCK, SWANSEA BAY

Early evening - 5 30 to 6 15 pm.

June Thomas, of Pentrechwyth Road, Bonymaen, Swansea, had just finished work as a cleaner at the Viscose plant at South Dock when she saw the mystery objects.

Mrs. Thomas said today she discounted theories put forward by Swansea Coastguards that the lights she saw in the sky were meteorites burning up as they entered the earth’s atmosphere.

“What I saw was two objects, very big objects, moving across the sky slowly and without any noise,”

she said. “Call them flying saucers if you will, but they were definitely not planes or meteorites”.

Source: South Wales Evening Post 21 January 1983.

June Thomas is now one of SUFON's regular attendees at meetings and has given us more information regarding her sighting. She actually saw three triangles, she just caught a glimpse of the leading one in the formation as it was obscured by a factory building.

Because she managed to get a good look at the other two, it was these she did drawings of which appeared in the newspaper.

The craft were out over Swansea Bay, heading south-east and she saw them turn to a more easterly course in the direction of Port Talbot (moving her right to left) until they too, like the first one, was obscured by the Viscose buildings.

Source: South Wales Evening Post 21 January 1983.

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : ST THOMAS,SWANSEA

Early evening - 5 to 7 pm

Maesteg Park, St Ledger Crescent, St Thomas, Swansea

It was outside number 6 Maesteg Street where I use to live. If it was yhat year 79 I would have been 12 and my younger brother 10.

I was telling a work colleague about it last year and he didn't believe me, so I txt my brother and asked him to tell my colleague what we saw . This is what he

What my Brother saw was out over the sea when he was walking over to football training.There was something Big flying over us , wasn't to high over us , not a plane or helicopter , wasn`t any sound, 3 lights in a Triangle shape in the sky

Email correspondence

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : SKETTY PARK, SWANSEA

Laburnham Place

Early evening - 5 to 7 pm.

Reported several white lights in three Triangular formations moving East to West along Swansea Bay very slowly . Wants to remain anonymous.

Email Correspondence

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : UPLANDS, SWANSEA.

6.15 PM

Long Oaks Avenue

Driving Instructor, Orllwyn Jones was leaving his house, 20 Long Oaks Avenue, Sketty, Swansea, to collect a pupil on a lesson. As he left the house, he suddenly became aware of a black triangular object, approximately the size of a family saloon car, slowly crossing the sky above the house next door.

The object was blacker (or darker) than the evening sky; had a small tube protruding downward from each corner and each tube had a small but bright light at the tip. The object had insufficient height (or depth) to be a manned craft, as it was no more than approximately 18 inches high. Any entity controlling the craft from within would have been lying flat.

The craft was so low that he estimated it was no more than a foot or so above the roof of the house next door. The object travelled at what Mr. Jones described as “a slow walking pace”, and made an audible ‘chugging’ sound as it crossed the road toward the houses opposite in a North West to South East direction (and toward Swansea Bay). He then stated that he braced himself for what he envisaged to be an inevitable crash, as the object was so low it was going to hit the roof of the house opposite his own.

However, this object seemed to adjust its height as necessary and simply skimmed over the roof opposite, missing the ridge tiles by a matter of inches. It then seemed to descend back down and below the level of the roof opposite, and out of Mr. Jones’ sight.

The witness stated that it was definitely a solid, tangible object, and was definitely under intelligent control of some sort. He wanted no publicity at the time and shared his experience with family only.

His son, Phil Jones came forward only after the death of his father in 2012, and he kindly met members of SUFON in 2015 to share his father’s experience.

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : UPLANDS, SWANSEA,

Between 6.30 and 8 pm.

Beechwood Road

Cold, clear night.

Natalie Bowden (aged 13 years 6 months) lived at 38 Beechwood Road, Uplands, Swansea, which stands on the north side of the street, which runs east-west. Natalie was in the back room with her dog, watching TV and suddenly had a feeling that she should go out the front door. She did so, but the dog did not follow her, and saw a huge object over the houses on the opposite side of the road.

She remembers a shape of lights on the underside of the object, which she compared to a stadium, which consisted of a ring, round or oval, which protruded below the craft. Large coloured square windows or panels of light were on the outer side of the ring, which constantly changed colour. She remembered these colours being creams, ochres and pinks and others, all soft hues iridescent and 'pearly.' The colours were pulsating rather then flashing. The outside of the ring was sloped rather than straight. She could not see in detail the body or shape of the whole craft due to the brightness of the ring, but it was large, covering the street. She assumed that it was circular, because of the ring of light beneath it.

Natalie was alone to begin with, for about 5 minutes, while the object was silently hovering 30 feet above the street, just above the houses opposite, and also covering the street. She called her sister and stepfather out of the house. She remembers, too, that even though it was a cold winter evening, it wasn't cold during the time of the sighting, and it was perfectly quiet: "you could hear a pin drop," she said. There was no sound from the craft and everything was completely still and silent.

When her sister and stepfather came out, strangely there was no excitement or interest evident from the stepfather when he was now confronted with the sight of the UFO. Her sister was unusually quiet. By this time a few more people were in the street, around seven plus Natalie, her sister and stepfather who stood opposite her at the top of the steps that led down to the street. There were some people down the road to the left, the James family (Duncan and his son) and Mrs Parker to the right, a man who lived to the right, across the road )who Natalie called the rose man as he always tended his roses), and some other whom she did not know.

They stood there for about 5 minutes and then my stepfather said he'd seen enough and went back indoors! my sister , who normally did not get on with him, nevertheless followed him in, and Natalie remembers that her sister turned in a sort of fluid, automatic movement, which was unusual enough for her to have noticed it. Natalie told them she would not leave until she sees the object go. For some reason this was important to her to see it leave. She stayed watching it, and mentally asking it questions. She said she actually started to get a bit bored waiting for it to move or do something! She was aware of a pressure sensation in her ears.

It must have been after another 10 minutes that she suddenly had a feeling of bitter disappointment: "I found myself feeling gutted as it had gone! All I could see were the stars. I was very confused because that was my goal to watch it move, but was left there feeling perplexed, dazed....also no one else was on the street, except me." It was now cold and windier, normal for January.

She went back in feeling 'gutted' and her stepfather asked her jokingly, "Did you see your UFO go?" Her sister didn't discuss it at all. They did not discuss it with any of the neighbours at all in the days following, which again, was strange.

Natalie explained that the following day she showed her stepfather the Evening Post and there was an article about a Russian satellite out of orbit, which was suggested as a possible explanation of the sighting over Swansea the night before [that South Wales Evening Post article was actually published on the following Monday 24th January 1983].

About a week after the incident, while washing her hair, Natalie found a small bald patch on the left side of her scalp. The bald patch is still present, and the skin feels raised. She showed it to SUFON investigators and it is confirmed that it does indeed, feel slightly raised above the surrounding skin.

Years after the incident, in 1998 she got in touch with local investigator Neil Spring who interviewed her and decided to pursue hypnosis to try and find out what had occurred during the missing time episode. She was put in touch with a local hypnotherapist, but after a preliminary test the hypnotherapist decided that Natalie was an unsuitable subject.

Natalie brought the subject up with her sister at this point but she remembered the incident as if it were a dream - she said she could remember lights coming out of the circumference of the object - which in Natalie's opinion, covered almost the length of the street. And her sister remembered the object as being a disc in shape but cannot remember the 'stadium' below the centre of it. her stepfather said he didn't remember anything at all. Natalie's memories are vivid and clear, except for the missing time episode. She has a feeling that the experience was meant for her alone.

She kindly met members of SUFON on 16 August 2016 for a videoed interview, at the house, which her mother had only recently sold, and was empty, so there was no problem in conducting the interview on the doorstep, in the exact location where she had been during the sighting. This formed Part Five of SUFON's series of short videos documenting the 'Night of the Triangles.'

Source: SUFON Files: witness interviewed by Emlyn Williams via Facebook August 2016, and on video with Steve Drewson, Laurence Lowe and Mike Maunder 16 August 2016.

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Natalie contacted Emlyn and Mike on the 13/3/24 not long after speaking to her sister

" Plot thickens

So spoke to my sister today about ufo sighting.

She said, hers was a boring story!!!! my stepfather called her outside... he said come with me, she said, she saw the lights underneath the craft ,3 rings of light

Not what i described no colours??!!!

She said that it was above the opposite house across the road and there was a still atmosphere, the neighbours were out BUT she didn't see me, actually said that I was Not there!!!

This freaked me out, as i had called them outside!, they came out together i watched their faces looking at the craft briefly, cause i didn't want to take my eyes off the craft!! She said she came out saw the 3 rings of white light underneath not on the edges! (which she definitely told me yrs ago).

And she noted the blackness of the underside of the craft as it moved.... it glided away - slowly!, she showed me the way it glided as if to the right and over the roof away from her, towards the Rhyddings pub (Conrad who saw a ufo & Rita Bradley who lived by the cricketers said she saw a cigar shaped craft the same night and time) can’t believe my sister said i was not there???? my stepfather went in, then she went in as my stepfather said there was nothing to see….Omg... couldn't believe what i was hearing.

I tried to tell her what actually happened, (but am now shocked cause if they were mind controlled, maybe they, the Aliens! showed her a version of non reality in order for them to go in the house, i carried on watching the craft as in my reality... it did not glide anywhere it disappeared!!

without me seeing it disappear whilst I'm staring intently at it!! What a mind fook... lets get this regression done... i want answers now."

You can watch Natalies account below

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : BRYNMILL, SWANSEA

Cantabury Road

Early evening - 5 to 7 pm

The image in my head i remember seeing the image in the paper the next day , ufo spotters and it had the trianges with the three lights in each corner, i didn`t even need to think as that`s exactly what i saw . It was difficult to gauge about the size but to me it was big probably massive and very low and it was dark .

You`d often see aircraft high up and delayed sound of the planes as they went over but this was completely silent, it was definately mechanical as in nuts and bolts kind of thing, i couldn`t see any features all i could se was a silhouette.

It went over swansea bay but there was no sound, nothing as it was dark you could see the silhouette but it wasn`t as if there was a big contrast if that`s makes kind of sense, the lights certainly defined where the shape was . The other thng that was striking was the speed as it wasn`t going fast but quite slow, i couldn`t undestand how something so big could go so slow and make no noise.

You can watch Robs account below

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : SKETTY LANE/BLACKPILL, SWANSEA

My name is Jane, I’m 65 years old and I have never forgotten the strange lights I saw over Swansea Bay on the night of 19th January 1983 . I know now I’m not nuts ( husband thinks I am ) as I’ve now been able to google what I saw and to my amazement lots of other people also saw it then !

I was 23 years old back then . I had just finished work at 5:30pm in Marks and Spencer’s on Oxford Street . Must have left there at approximately 5:45 /5:50 pm , walked across the road to the market from where my father picked me up in his car and we headed home towards Mumbles .

When we got to the junction of the SLIP / Sketty Lane at approximately 5:55/6.00pm , it was completely dark outside . I’m sitting in the front passenger seat . I look to my left over the grassy bank out over the sea …. And there in the sky is a very bright white light it appears to be moving closer towards us quite slowly it seemed to get larger as it moved forward . I thought it strange, as I’d never seen any sort of light over the bay before ( having lived all my life in Mumbles and West of Swansea ) I immediately thought it must be a helicopter light perhaps rescuing someone from the the sea .

I then notice a similar light closer towards BLACKPILL. Thought this very unusual. I’m watching both of them … ( 2 largish bright white lights ) They started moving slowly towards each other .

Now …. FYI …. I cannot remember if I saw a 3rd light , but I have a feeling that I probably did , because what happened next was so peculiar…. And I came to the conclusion THERE AND THEN that what I was witnessing was a UFO . I said to my father “ look see those strange lights …. I think that’s a UFO !” I don’t know if he did see them because he was driving and he’d have had to bent his head sideways to look out of the passenger window. But he did acknowledge what I said I was looking at !

We are now just about arriving at the BLACKPILL LIDO area .
The 2possibly 3 lights move closer together and I gave out a little scream as I thought these things were going to crash into each other . But they didn’t . The lights came together ….. to form one bigger light, it just hovered in the sky for a few seconds . And then whoosh 💨….. took off at high speed in an upwards direction and just disappeared! I was shocked ! Never seen anything like it . I was absolutely sure it was a UFO . When we arrived home in Newton I told my mother what I had just seen and said “Daddy you saw it too didn’t you ?” and it was so strange because he said nonchalantly “ yes a UFO !” He didn’t seem at all amazed , excited or anything . I got the feeling he thought I was mad and imagining it . Neither he or my mum seemed interested in this freakish thing I had just witnessed , I carried on my night and got ready to go out clubbing or something. It wasn’t ever mentioned again and we didn’t think to look for newspaper or news reports the day after ! Weird !

Now …. All I saw was lights ! I was inside the car . I didn’t see any triangle or black shapes . But the lights were definitely like the 3 points of a triangle and it would have been a very large area that was covered ie between in front of the boating lake all the way down to around BLACKPILL Or even a bit further on towards West Cross.

I’ve never forgotten it , because it was weird , not normal !

Email correspondence 2023

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : CLYDACH, SWANSEA

Early evening - 5 to 7 pm

Phil Prevel was walking his dog in Beryl Road, Clydach and looked up into the clear sky to see three lights, one red, and the other two, green, arranged in a triangle, with a dark space between them, over the Mond Nickel Works.

He could not see a body to it, but could see no stars in the space either.

It seemed to be motionless but was drifting slowly towards Morriston in the south-west.

Source: SUFON Files. Witness testimony 8 April 2015.

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : SKEWEN,NEATH

5 45

Lucy Road

At 5:45pm on January 19th 1983, my children drew my attention to the objects in the sky. They were travelling very slowly across the sky, looking quite small, they hovered over the P.R. Oil Refinery for a few minutes and then travelled slowly back towards Swansea. Hovered over the Refinery Night area, and then back towards the Refinery, like they were hovering over the Neath area. There was a large Red Moon shape, as it was glowing Red like a large search light.

Mrs. Margaret Gaskins, of Lucy Road, Skewen, said her children 14 year old Leanne and 10 year old Ceri were watching television when they spotted strange flashing lights in the sky at about 5.45 p.m.

They came running into the kitchen full of excitement," she said. "At first I didn't believe them, but when I looked out of the window I could see a sphere of flashing lights which travelled from the Killvey Hill area over to Baglan Bay."

The whole family were hanging out of the windows of their flat for a better view and soon neighbours were also peering out.

Meteorites say Coastguards

"It was all very exciting," said Mrs. Gaskins. "We couldn't believe what we were seeing."

Shortly after seeing the flashing lights the family spotted a large red glow in the sky over the lower Swansea Valley, heading towards Skewen.

"Later I heard that a Sea King helicopter from Brawdy had been in the area. At first I thought the flashing lights must have been from that," she said. "But then I was told the helicopter was not over Swansea Bay until 6.20 p.m.

"I don't believe in UFOs. There has got to be a logical explanation for it, but I can't explain what it was I saw."

Source Swansea UFO Network,Gary M Rowe and South Wales Evening Post

We interviewed Leanne Gaskins on our Radio Show which can be heard below

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : SKEWEN,NEATH

Early evening - 5 to 7 pm

At the time i was 12 and lived in 31 Daphne road, i was out playing on my bmx . It was early evening but it was dark , i looked over towards top of the hill where bp llandarcy was and i could see two triangular craft hovering above the works . two triangular craft consisted of 6 red lights , 3 red lights each on the craft in the corners.

The triangles were moving slowly over the works , almost as though they were scanning the area below them . As i watched i was startled and immediately knew something strange was happening and witnessing something amazing, i didn`t know what it was but knew i was watching something amazing. I watched it for a while then ran back into the house and told my mum to have a look as there was ufo`s above Bp but she wouldn`t come out.

I went back outside and watched them for a bit more, i can`t remember what happened then but skip forward a day and there was a headline in the evening post saying 100`s see mystery lights over the city , i showed it to my mother and she couldn`t believe it and regretted not coming out for a look

Source Swansea Ufo Network

You can watch Simons account below

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : BAGLAN

6 30

On Wednesday January 19th 1983 at 6 30pm. I was observing through binoclars the star groups of Pleadies, the Bull and Orion.

At this time i observed three sets of bright lights inTriangular formation travelling slowly in an Easterly direction. . I assumed ay the time that lights belonged to aircraft as some of the lights flashed on and off at regular intervals .

The only unusual thing that struck me at the time was the absence of any noise .

At the time of the sightingi was in my garden in Baglan

Richard John Gravelle.

Source Gary M Rowe

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : SWANSEA/LLANDARCY/BAGLAN

Early evening - 5 to 7 pm

We had just dropped off my son`s friend and as we got out of our car we noticed there was a triangle above our house, it was huge with no lights visible. I t did look like it had craters on the underside and it was pointing towards

Swansea, there was also a feeling of calm that we felt. Noe of us looked out of the window or went outside till the following morning.

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : BAGLAN

Early evening - 5 to 7 pm

John Owens of St. Catherines Road, Baglan, saw the lights in the sky above Porthcawl. He said:

“What I saw was about 600 feet from the ground, huge in size and did not have any engine noise, not like any civil or military aircraft I know. Besides, it was only moving at about 30 mph, far too slow for an aircraft. I cannot really say what it was....it was certainly phenomenal.”

Source: South Wales Evening Post 20 & 21 January 1983.

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : PORT TALBOT

Early evening - 5 to 7 pm

Mr Kenneth Needles, of Verdi Road, Port Talbot, said he was also sure the UFOs were objects of some kind.

Mr Needles, who was in the RAF during the war, said:

“To be honest, I have no idea what the UFOs were, but they can’t have been aircraft.”

Source: South Wales Evening Post 20 & 21 January 1983.

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES: PORT TALBOT TO SWANSEA

6.05 PM

A silver-coloured, saucer-shaped object, showing four or five lights, flashing in rotation, was seen motionless in the sky, over the steel works at

6.05 pm.

A few minutes later, it was joined by a second UFO. The two of them moved off towards Swansea.

Source: Haunted Skies Volume 9 page 240 citing Jeffrey Horton-Jones South Wales Echo 20 January 1983.

Dave Partridge MOD

In the MOD report it records time period as being 17.50 – 18.15.

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : BRIDGEND

Early evening - 5 to 7 pm

I was around 10-12 years old. We talked about it a few weeks ago as it happens and then yesterday my work colleague sent me the link to the ‘night of the triangles’ and asked if that’s what I saw.

I was in my garden in Bridgend with my friend Gareth, probably setting fire to something as we did back then. It was dark, the sky was brown – almost as if it there was low cloud maybe even damp/slightly misty and amber brown in colour from the street lighting.

Something flow over. It was a colossal triangle, we could see the silhouette of it clearly. It made a buzzing sound a bit like the noise from electrical pylons in damp weather. Not lights at all. Moving slowly.

Back then the only triangular aircraft would have been a Vulcan bomber, I’ve been in a Vulcan so I know exactly how big they are. If it had been a Vulcan, to appear that size, it would have had to be less than 50 feet above our heads and you would certainly know if it was a Vulcan if it was one!

The object we saw must have been many hundreds of feet in size. Just a triangle.

I’ve more or less lost touch with my friend Gareth but I bumped into him about 5 years ago and one of the key thing he said was “Do you remember that thing we saw flying over that night?

Email correspondence

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : MOUNTAIN ASH

APPROX 10pm

i had one of those experiences that stick in your mind, we often stayed over a friend sleeping over. i was coming up to my 13th birthday . It was a strange one as we would`ve been sleeping at that time, i would describe it as being woken up , it was quite strange really as we were woken up by a bright light in my bedroom , i always slept with my curtains open , i have a large window that opens up over a mountain side.

We both woke up and thought somebody had turned the bedroom light on but realised no one had, it was a strange light , even stranger it didn`t seem to be coming from anywhere , we were both drawn to look outside and what i describe is quite a way away just over the mountain, it was a very dark and clear night and cold night. What we saw was three objects , they were close to each other which looked equal lengths apart and a funny shape, almost like a pyramid , flat pyramid and clearly 3 D .

They weren`t moving, they weren`t pulsating , didn`t see to be any specific light coming from them but they were lit up . I remember we looked at each other in aghast as we thought what was going on, by this time light in the room was gone but these objects were still there, they were there for quite a while but not sure how long, one minite they were there and suddenly gone, there was no noise either, they were close enough to hear an engine but we didn`t hear any noise at all .

There`s no doubt in our minds we saw something unexplainable, it was a very odd occurrence and something that`s stayed with us ever since, we sometimes talk about it .

We think it was about 10 , they were in a straight line, slightly angled and pointing quite north or north east one behind each other

Source - conversation with Emlyn and Mike which can be heard on radio show 107

you can hear the conversation below

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : ABERCANAID, MERTHYR TYDFIL

About 6.30 PM.

Keith Jones of Anthony's Grove, Abercanaid was just leaving home to go shopping at Asda. He was walking down to the parking bay to the car, and looked up at the stars as he often did, being a keen amateur astronomer.

"I'm a star gazer and I've got my own telescope and many books on the subject. I'm always looking at the sky, but this sighting was just pure chance. It was incredible. The first thing I do when I go out at night is look at the sky. I used to plot satellites and the time they go over. I've pointed them out various times to people, but they do not believe you can see them.

As usual, I looked up and I thought, 'Hell, that's strange.' I heard an aeroplane and at first I looked for one. I looked on other directions. I couldn't hear a sound from this other object. Then I realised the size of it. It was as big as a football field - it was triangular. At the head there was this massive bright light and that was rigid, and there were small lights around it."

Keith called his wife and his neighbours to witness it. One of the neighbours, Anthony Beynon said, "An aeroplane went over at the same time. You could see the difference in size to the two craft. The aeroplane went by and the other craft was still there and was not making a sound."

Anthony Beynon described the intensity of the lights as , "something similar to the flash of a camera. It was a fair distance across, but it was obvious that the lights were on the same object. I was telling everyone in work about it the next day, and the next thing it was in the newspapers, describing exactly the same thing, so we weren't hallucinating."

Source: The Merthyr Express 27 January 1983.

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : PORTHCAWL

Early evening - 5 to 7 pm

John Owen of St. Catherine's Road, Baglan had gone to Porthcawl RFC in South Road, Porthcawl to watch Porthcawl v Baglan rugby game.

He had got to the field early as his son was playing and was standing by the clubhouse when suddenly in the clear dark sky overhead he saw three white lights, one in front and two on the side, like a triangle with red lights on the side.

It reminded John of a Vulcan bomber in shape, but much bigger. It was moving slowly, at the speed of a helicopter, going from John's left to right - south-west to north-east towards Kenfig Hill. It was so big and low it blocked out the stars.

After it had passed, the stars came back into view. John estimated its height at 2000 feet. There was no noise - it 'just floated overhead' and seemed to take ages to get to Kenfig Hill.

John's sighting had been mentioned in the South Wales Evening Post in January 1983, where he was quoted:

'What I saw was about 600 feet from the ground, huge in size and did not have any engine noise, not like any civil or military aircraft I know.

Besides, it was only moving at about 30 mph, far too slow for an aircraft. I cannot really say what it was....it was certainly phenomenal."

Source: SUFON Files: John Owen interviewed by telephone by Steve Drewson 26 February 2018.

19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : CWMBRAN & RISCA

The first of two Gwent sightings was reported at 6.35pm. Mr John Rees, his wife and daughter, spotted a triangular shape with three lights, over their home in Garw Wood Drive, Cwmbran.

Then at 7.45pm Mr M. Powell saw an object alternately blue and red in colour from the front garden of his home in Cotswold Way, Risca.

Source SOUTH WALES ARGUS 22nd Feb 1983

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : LLANTWIT MAJOR

MRs. P. A. Thomas

On Wednesday the 19th January 1983 approximately 7 30pm i was in the kitchen looking out of the window into the garden and i saw . a brightly lit object in the sky, i called my husband and my daughter and they also saw it . It was a triangular shape with varous flashing lights and it moved very slowly and silently along the sky towards the horizon . The weather conditions were very clear with a full moon

Coed-y-glyn, LLantwit Major, South Glamorgan.

SOURCE Gary M Rowe

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : LLANTWIT MAJOR

Early evening - 5 to 7 pm

Joe Tolland, an insurance agent, a former engineer with the RAF with 15 years service, of Ham Lane East, Llantwit Major, was coaching Llantwit Major under 12's football team, stopped the game they were playing to watch a huge triangular-shaped object in the sky. At first he thought what he was seeing was an aeroplane being re-fuelled in mid flight. But he admitted that this operation was never done over built-up areas, and two aircraft would create a lot of noise.

"I couldn't fathom out why the lights were so far apart. It was close perhaps 600-1000 feet up. It must have been 300 feet across, so it could not be an aircraft. The thing I really don't understand is that it made no noise. The lights were not usual aircraft lights, though it was in the flight path from Rhoose Airport."

Source: South Wales Echo 24 January 1983.

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : LLANDOUGH, VALE OF GLAMORGAN

Early evening - 5 to 7 pm

William "Bill" Rich and his son, at home in Llandough Castle, Cowbridge saw a large triangular object passing in a westerly direction towards the Bristol Channel.

A little later they also observed other lights which were pulsating but stationary.

Williams (Bill) Rich is a member of BUFORA.

Source: 'South Wales Evening Post' Friday 21 January 1983 and Thursday 27 January 1983.

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : WENVOE

Early evening - 5 to 7 pm

Mrs Brotherston of Church Rise Wenvoe reported seeing two massive lights close together like a plane on it`s side

Source South Wales Echo

19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES: PORTH, RHONDDA

Early evening - 5 to 7 pm

12-year-old Rob Williams was at home in St. John Street, Glynfach, Porth. A group of friends called on him to go out quickly to see something. He went outside, and his friends were all standing in the street looking up. He looked up to see a large black triangle hovering at an altitude of about 200 feet above them.

Rob compared it in size to that of a football field at least, with three lights, one at each corner.

"It wasn't doing anything odd in terms of lights. No flashing etc. There's no sound other than a really low hum which sort of feels electrical (no way of knowing it it was, but like when you walk past a substation). Now, I'm pretty sure the triangle was looking at Porth Colliery more than down on us. It's the only possible reason for it being there that I can think of."

Rob thought no one is going to believe them, so he ran back into the house to get his father, who then came out to see what all the fuss was about. The dad was a lorry driver at the time, and to the present has no clue as to what the object was.

The object stayed static in position for a few minutes and then moved off slowly at walking pace, heading down the valley towards Trehafod and Pontypridd, in an easterly direction. Rob and his friends followed it until the streets where they lived stopped and the object was viewed just above the mountain beyond.

"It didn't shoot off at silly speed or anything. So it sort of acted rationally, if that makes sense. I have a memory of it being reported on the front page of the South Wales Echo the next day and that the RAF scrambled jets?"

Source: SUFON Files: witness email July 2021.

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES - HOLLYBUSH CWMBRAN

BLINKIN' HECK - IT'S A UFO!

CWMBRAN woman Susan Williams could hardly believe her blinkin' eyes when she spotted strange lights in The Blinkin' Owl near her home.

She heard a strange noise and on looking up at what she is convinced was a flying saucer. "I was walking home from the district club and was going past the Benson's, when I heard 6.15pm when I heard a strange noise in the sky," said 22-year-old Susan, of Bryn Milbor, Hollybush.

She described what she saw as being a vessel with flashing bright lights underneath it and it was heading in the general direction of Risca.

Susan, who later reported the sighting on an emergency line to the police, said she was cer-tain it wasn't a meteor. "I'm sure it wasn't. The possibility it was an aeroplane."

"I did not stay around too long after that. "I ran all the way home. I was frightened to death," she said.

Source - SOUTH.WALES ECHO JAN 20 1983

19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES - BLACKWOOD

DORWELY MOUNTAINS Nearest town/village. BLACKWOOD County/town GWENT What was the date of your sighting? WEDNESDAY JAN 19, 1983

6.30 I LEFT THE HOUSE AT 6.20 PM

For how long did you observe the objects? 20 MINS

Did you see the object(s) at or near ground level?

How did the objects disappear from view? THE FLICK OF A LIGHT

If you noticed any unusual effects on people, animals, plants, objects or equipment nearby? Describe these NONE

What was the main feature of the sighting which made you feel that the object(s) was/were not natural or man-made? THERE WAS NO SOUND AND THE WAY IT VANISHED

How many other people at the same time saw the object(s)? THREE

Give a brief description of the object(s) under the following headings:- (a) Number of objects 1 (b) Colour WHITE (c) Sound. NONE (d) Shape. ROUND was this sharply defined or hazy? SHARPLY

Brightness. VERY BRIGHT

SOURCE GARY M ROWE

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : LLANDAFF

WHAT CAROL SAW

My husband had already seen something at about 5 pm. The same afternoon

he had seen what looked like the same object in the semi light conditions and for a brief moment had observed it`s shape quite clearly. He had decided not to say anything when they saw it again until he found the courage to do so.

Mother of four Mrs Carole Griffiths, of Heol Denlon, Fairwater, Cardiff, had been driven home from work at 7pm when she saw the object over the River Taff, close to Llandaff Rowing Club.

She said today: "My husband believes the car we were so amazed. It looked like Concorde taking off but the strange object normally pooh-pooh things. It was." It had to be a UFO.

Mrs Griffiths' husband, John, who works with her at the Air Call Ltd, a com-munications company in Cathedral Road, said he saw a similar object above Pentwyn earlier in the even-ing.

A passenger in the car, Dr Nribendra Deb, who practises in Coedcaeilly, said the object seemed fixed in the sky and made no noise looking at it. I have never seen anything like it before, he added.

But much traffic was passing by and people were on the pavement. None of them seemed to be even slightly interested in the hovering object. Mr D, the passengers, in blowing on a dangerous bend, nor of the giant UFO hovering right beside them. They acted as if oblivious to it!

JENNY RANDLES BUFORA

Around 7pm

Near Llandaff

Mr`s G was in the car with her husband and a Dr D is a medical man without a car, It was the job of Mr G to drive such people in the Cardiff area to their emergency calls, such was the situation on this evening as they drove on the snaking road into Llandaff that parallels the river.

Just ahead of them Mr G saw a bright flashing light that he took for an aircraft, he pointed it out to his wife and Dr D and commented on it`s brightness. But as they drove more or less towards it it seemed to be stationary. After about 2 minutes they took a right turn over a bridge and across the river and now found some parkland to their left and large tennis courts in the center.

The UFO was hovering directly over these courts and plainly not an aircraft, Mr G slowed the car right down and pulled over to the side of the road, but such traffic was passing by and people on the pavement.

None of them seemed to be even slightly interested in the behaviour of Mr G or his passengers, in slowing on a dangerous bend, nor of the giant UFO hovering right beside them.

They acted as if oblivious to it all.

Mr`s G see`s this as the most peculiar thing, she says that they lost all awareness of the traffic and people and focussed on the UFO, only it and them existed and time stretched out. She thinks this phase of the encounter lasted four or five minutes but she cannot be sure. Time lost all meaning.

This effect and plus the inexplicable blindness of the many passers by is what I call The Oz Factor and it demonstrates that the UFO was essentially a subjective consciousness phenomenon.

Mrs G emphasises this seemingly strange conclusion. She says as they rounded the bend, passed over the bridge and drew alongside the object, it seemed to defy the laws of perspective. At no point did it alter it`s orientation towards them, it remained stationary at all times.

The suggestion is that there was something there in the sky, since others saw it in various locations , as the MOD report demonstrates at least some of these others saw it merely as a light. Mr and Mrs G and Dr D all agree what they saw was a huge triangle.

It was hovering at a height guessed as 1,000ft . The apex of the triangle was pointing towards them but it was angled at such a way that the underside was in view, a steady red light was in the center and white lights (now steady) poured out from the sides.

This lit up the underside which appeared to be a light metal, Structure and rivets within were seen in reflective glare. The size of the object was two or three times that of a full moon.

Dr D had to make his emergency call so Mr G dropped off his wife at a spot near by, close to their home. She dashed inside and brought her children to the door, but the ufo that was visible just three or four minutes before was now nowhere to be seen.

Mr G had sheepishly admitted the morning after their encounter that at about 5pm (two hours before the Llandaff sighting), he had seen what looked like the same object in the semi light conditions and for a brief moment had observed it`s shape quite clearly. He had decided not to say anything when they saw it again until he found the courage to do so.

GIANT UFO

Mrs G was in the car with her husband and a Dr. D. Dr. D (who now lives in Staffordshire) is a medical man without a car. It is the job of Mr G to drive such people in the Cardiff area to their various emergency calls. Such was the situation on this fine evening as they drove on the snaking road into Llandaff that parallels the river.

Just ahead of them Mr G saw a bright flaming light which he took to be an aircraft. He pointed it out to the wife and Dr. D and commented on the brilliance. But as they drove, more or less straight towards it at speeds to be stationary. After about two minutes they turned right into their private drive and D and now found some men carried to their left, with large tennis courts in the centre. The UFO was hovering directly over these courts and was plainly not an aircraft.

Mr G slowed his car right down and pulled his car where he pulled over to the side of the road . But much traffic was passing by and people were on the pavement. None of them seemed to be even slightly interested in the hovering object. Mr G, the passengers, in slowing on a dangerous bend, nor of the giant UFO hovering right beside them. They acted as if oblivious to it!

In retrospect Mrs G. sees this as quite the most peculiar thing out the many that they just look at themselves of the traffic and people moving down their UFO. Only they they existed and she stretched out. She think this phase of the encounter lasted four or five minutes, but she cannot be sure. She has it, needless to effort click the complete inexplicable 'holiness' of the men observe-by. It was still the 'OZ factor' and demonstrates that the UFO was essentially a subjective, consciousness phenomenon. At least it does so in my opinion.

Another remark uttered by Mrs G. emphasises this seemingly 'stray' conclusion. She says that as they rounded the bend, where the UFO first appeared, to it along the object. It seemed to defy the laws of perspective, It a point in time near its orientation towards them, although it remained stationary at all times.

This phenomenon it related to syncomisty with the car's motion-similarly with the cars in front and back. It was a projection onto the sky from their location and thus maintained this orientation with respect to them.

Yet the suggestion is that there was something there in the sky, since others saw it from various locations. But as the MO report demonstrates an leastone of these others saw it merely as a light. Whereas to Mrs G. and D. at all, the object they saw was a huge triangle.

UNSATISFACTORY

It was hovering at a height guessed at as 1,000ft. The apex of the triangle pointed towards them, but it was angled in such a way that the underside was in view. A steady red light was in the centre of white light (that now hidden) formed out from all sides.

This lit up the underside which appeared to be made of light metal.

Structure and 'rivets' within this were seen in the re-flection there. The size of the object at the time the time of the full moon was such that it was really (in the way we understand the word 'real') half of Cardiff would have reported this major event.

We are not towards the impression that an initial stimulus was a 'real' (e.g. a bright white light) but that somehow the perceptive systems of Mr and Mrs G and D.D over the complex UFO leapt onto this. So far as their recall was concerned,

Mr G. was much a more amused, and a littleatory, but there seems little else that makes much sense.

Mr D. had to use his emergency call and as he dropped his wife off at a good nearby, close to their home. He turned inside and brought the children to the door and she. Mr D and the three or four minutes before, was now nowhere to be seen.

CATALYST

Several interesting details emerged when the witness was probed more deeply. I wonder if she could be the "catalyst", or have realised that such an event group in terms of his file, as this describes it, is usually psychic. Mrs G. always said he.

She that. She recounted (with apparent surprise at my asking for open invention) details of telepathic, precognition and strange dream experiences. She recounted a strange dream she of her seeing a large disc-shaped UFO on the grounds, at the farm where she then lived. She would be walking up some steps and about to look out of the basket! This dream deduction memory is indeed remarkable.

However my confidence is increasing to Mrs G the catalyst role was when (when I learnt that her husband and neighbour had omitted the turning after the bungalow) she all about it, i.e. two hours before the Llantwit sighting! He had seen what looked like the new object at the semi-light conditions and for a build, which was observed by her but quite clearly by him. She did not in any way when they saw it again until he found the courage to do so.

Source Suth Wales Argos - Jenny Randles Bufora

Article starts on the bottom of page 26 https://www.bufora.org.uk/_files/ugd/4719c2_2c4ed1207ec246ca84ed74cb00104812.pdf

,

19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : EGLWYS WEN, WHITECHURCH, CARDIFF

The Eglwys Wen file on UFOs

Early evening - 5 to 7 pm

Eglwys Wen Primary School in Whitchurch, Cardiff, took great interest in a mysterious flying object that haunted the South Wales coast last month.

"So many children (some of whom are normally quite disruptive) came in with reports, that I did a little census around the school," said teacher, Mrs Helen Williams, whose class of 22 five-year-olds were the most active in the project.

"We found that 22 children and 29 parents had seen the object. So we decided to make a frieze with a picture of what they saw and underneath that, their drawings and descriptions by the children."

The frieze, which took the children three days to complete, also contains a picture of the Cosmos spacercraft, which was at the same time as our UFO in South Wales.

"I'm sure people will be impressed by the project," said Mrs Williams, "and I am delighted it's my own."

The children's view of the flying triangle ranged from a verdict that it was really the Northern Lights, apparently far from the Star trek, to the alien-earth invasion it was a plane.

"It was like a flying saucer, moving round and round," said Jonathan Hutchinson, aged seven. "It was shadowy like a snake."

Mark Powell, aged six, went to bed with his father, and the bedroom window. "My Dad was scared and he went out," said Mark. "It moved round, and went up, and down, and watched it, even though it frightened me."

Headmistress Mrs Betty Thomas said: "They have all been terribly interested in the project."

"It's a great idea for the class to follow it up, and children from other classes have joined in."

SUNDAY MIRROR, FEBRUARY 20, 1983 PAGE 15

QUICK-DRAW KIDS TRACK A UFO

AN amazing UFO sighting by more than 200 people is being investi-gated.

Among those who spotted the "flying saucer" along a 40-mile stretch of South Wales coastline were two policemen, a class of schoolchildren and a football team.

The sighting - over a one-hour period - is one of the best-witnessed ever.

First to spot the huge, triangular shaped craft were 22 pupils at Cardiff's Egwys Wen primary school.

They told their teacher Helen Williams who was astounded when the children later produced near-identical drawings.

Source South Wales Echo and Sunday Mirror

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES :LLANYRAFON, CWMBRAN

7PM

That night myself and my father were walking across the Llanyrafon area of Cwmbran to visit my grandparents. It was around 7pm. My father looked up and said "What's that?" and pointed upwards. Above us, around 500ft above, was a black triangular object.

We knew it was triangular because it was blocking out the stars so we could basically trace its outline. At each point of the triangle was a red light. It was silent, eerily silent. We watched it travel North-West.

The next morning my father was up at 6am for his morning shift.

He went to let the dog out in the garden for a pee, as usual, but the dog wouldn't go out. It stayed rooted to the spot. My father looked out and saw a yellowish orb like object hovering over the street behind our garden. It hovered there for about 10 seconds before blinking out.

Now my father was an industrial chemist by trade, wasn't interested in anything paranormal and in-fact is highly sceptical, so if he said he saw a yellowish orb, that's what he saw 100%.

Source Jonathan Davies, email from Witness

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : NEWPORT
19 45
.
B. Description: Similar to a star or planet, one object only. Alternating blue and red in color.
C. Location of Observation: From the front garden of a house in an elevated position, commanding an excellent view of the Newport area, Bristol Channel, and Avon.
D. Observation Method: By naked eye, telescope, and binoculars.
E. Direction: Southwest.
F. Elevation: 30 degrees.
G. Distance: Unable to state precisely distance, appears similar to other stars.
H. Movement: Static.
J. Weather: Clear, cloudless.
K. Additional Notes: Two aircraft passed below the object. Could not be confused with aircraft lights.

Source Dave Partridge, MOD

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19 JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : CWMBRAN

Garw wood drive

1835

One object, three lights in a Triangular shape, pink light at point , viewed outside house in the road. Pulled up in car and observed it from overhead coming towards him and overhead in a West to East direction travelling in a straight line moving very slowly , faint humming sound coming from far away.

Source Dave Partridge MOD

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19 JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : UNDERWOOD, NEWPORT

APPROX 9 or 10pm

Jonathan Davies was 15yrs old in 1983, SUFON interviewed him about his sighting of a miles-wide wedge-shaped craft, Jonathan told us he had missing time and no memory of a day and a half before his sighting, he found himself in a field around 1.5miles from his home with no idea or memory of how he had got to that location, please watch the interview for full details - we don't have an accurate time of the event but Jonathan believes it was late evening.

Source: Jonathan Davies

It was noticed in most media reports that Triangles were being reported as being as far west as Milford Haven " Swansea coastguard Mr Alan Perry said yesterday reports of sightings in the Milford Haven area began coming in during the early evening, Milford Haven Coastguards would have passed that information to Swansea Coastguards." .

With that in mind we visited Haverfordwest library to search through newspapers on microfilm but unlike Cardiff and Swansea media outlets there was nothing to find .

We`ve since found out that Coastguard records are stored in the British National Archives so maybe a visit to Kew to view the records

While we were researching the 19th Jaunuary we told that there were witness`s of a Triangle over Illfracombe heading over the Bristol Channel towards Swansea we were also told there was one seen very close to Devenport Nuclear Submarine Base in Plymoutgh.

So that expanded our search.

We paid a visit to Barnstable Library to look though microfilm but yet again we left empty handed but we did previously came across this account

19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : PLYMOUTH, SOUTH DEVON

Date: January, 1983

Sighting Time: 20:30

Day/Night: Nighttime

Location: Plymouth, Devon, United Kingdom

Urban or Rural: We were living in Crownhill which is a high up part of Plymouth overlooking a valley between residential estates and the naval base in view towards the west , the ufo seemed to be traversing from a southwest to northwest trajectory over the city.

Hynek Classification: NL (Nocturnal Light) Point or extended luminous source observed at night.

Duration: 5 – 20 minutes

No. of Object(s): 1

Height & Speed:

Size of Object(s): 100 ft across and 200 ft deep.

Distance to Object(s):

Shape of Object(s): large inverted cone with an obtuse (flattened) triangular base

Color of Object(s):

Number of Witnesses: Multiple

Source: UFOEvidence.org

Summary/Description: Large, low flying , silent and slow inverted trapezoid witnessed by two other people that I know of (who chased it in a car through Stoke village) as well as two other members of my family. [It had] lit up windows on it and it was apparently following a Dash 7 commercial airplane on route to land at Plymouth airport. The local paper the next day reported that a couple of women in a car had also observed this object and attempted to follow it as far as they could in their vehicle.

Full Report

ABOVE: Drawing by the witness. (Note that the object in the drawing is not proportional in size to the airplane or houses.)

It was my younger sister who alerted us (my mother and I) to come and view a large 4 sided trapezoid, like an inverted cone with a triangular rather than flat bottom. My sister saw more of it than I saying she saw lit up windows on it and it was apparently following a dash 7 commercial airplane on route to land at Plymouth airport.

By the time I and my mother came out to see it, it had moved over the other side of Whitleigh valley and seemed to have descended to a very low height, skimming over rooftops. I estimated its size to be about 100 -150 ft across. The top of it had two red lights which moved from the object’s two top corners in sequence towards the apex of the upper point of the inverted cone and back down again to the corners. As it was night this was the only way it could now be tracked as the lit ‘windows’ were not observable. My mother and I watched this silently slow moving ufo traverse in a north-easterly direction until it faded from view.

The local paper the next day reported that a couple of women in a car had also observed this object and attempted to follow it as far as they could in their vehicle. I believe it had also been observed flying over the local naval base which is a refitting yard for nuclear submarines. There have been numerous other sightings of ufos around this dockyard area.

I was most impressed by the object’s size and ability to float silently and so low over the Whitleigh and Crownhill estates apparently mere metres above the rooftops!

Name: T. Tyler
Location: Plymouth
Age: 36

Source https://www.thinkaboutitdocs.com/1983-large-inverted-trapezoid-seen-over-plymouth-devon-uk/

During this time good friend Jonathan Davies was a team member of Sufon in which he sent out a few FOIA`s to the relevant police forces. These were sent out in 2021.

FOI - Freedom of Information requests made by the SUFON Team

An FOI has been submitted to the Navy, re the case above

Note: Naval Base, Devonport is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy and is the sole nuclear repair and refueling facility for the Royal Navy. The largest naval base in Western Europe, HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth, England

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19th JANUARY 1983 - NIGHT OF THE TRIANGLES : ILLFRACOMBE, NORTH DEVON

We were contacted on the 21/11/24 by a person called Mark who was looking into his own sighting of a Triangle that went over Illfracombe and then went across the Bristol Channel on the 19th January 1983 .

Here`s his account

To one and all. I just wanted to say I also saw the triangle UFO on 19 Jan 1983 but not in in wales, I saw it fly strait over my head in Ilfracombe North Devon heading over the Bristol channel. I came across this the other day about a UFO report in Devonport on the same date. I got curious and pulled a map of SW England and drew a line from Devonport up to Ilfracombe and yep you guessed it onwards to Gower,Swansea.

The link is for the Devonport sighting. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ufo_triangle_january_1983_over_o?utm_campaign=alaveteli-experiments-87&utm_content=sidebar_similar_requests&utm_medium=link&utm_source=whatdotheyknow

Me and a friend were walking up by the college which is right at the high point in altitude in Ilfracombe and by chance because I said to my friend I wonder if we could see any satellites and he spotted what looked like a good candidate and my friend then said there’s another and another. My mind raced a little and thought how curious that they were in a triangle formation and didn’t realise satelites did this.

But then came my little heart stopping moment when I realised the stars where being blacked out in-between the lights giving me cold realisation that it was solid but not a whisper of any noise and so big and moving so slow it should have stalled out. If you could think of a triangle hundreds of feet across but flying at 25mph. This did not compute in my noggin. It went straight above me and I would say we say three huge sets of lights in triangle formation glide over us. Two days later my friend handed me a news paper cutting his dad gave him about what happened over Swansea.

It wasn’t a B1 bomber as some would say because it was flying at half if not more than half a B1’s rotate speed and its size would have meant a B1 flew 50ft above my head with no engine noise. You know what it wasn’t scary but I did feel a huge surge in curiosity wonder and at the time and it burned in to my memory because, for the life of me can’t explain what I saw but I know what I saw and always since keep giving the sky a quick check glance now and then. I feel somewhat honoured that I saw something the universe shared with me no matter how brief.

Timings of this Triangular craft in Illfracombe, North Devon moving across the Bristol channel towards Gower/Swansea could be said to have coincided with the latter events in Bishopston recorded by Ken Morse. We can`t say for definite but the times could easily fit

$Illfracombe .png$

It`s possibly worth mentioning that a straight line from Devonport/Crownhill goes straight over Illfracombe College and Gower but could there of actually been 2 Triangles as the one in Plymouth was sighted 30 minutes after the one in Illfracombe. After reading all the above cases it`s quite possible there were 2 Triangles moving up from Devon to Swansea/Cardiff

A few news articles from top of the page

Early evening - 5 to 7 pm

What Carole saw over Cardiff...

POLICE PROMISE A SERIOUS PROBE ON GIANT UFO REPORTS

Reports of a giant triangular object hovering over South Wales are today being investigated by police.

Descriptions of a sighting in Llandaff, Cardiff, match those made by six people in Swansea, including two detectives.

All say they encountered a silent triangle-shaped object with white lights along the border of the wings. Some reports say it had a red light in the middle.

Mother of four Mrs Carole Griffiths, of Heol Rempis, Llandaff, Cardiff, said the object came from west of the city and went in the direction of the River Taff.

She explained: “My husband and I had just got into bed when we saw it. It was Concorde-shaped but with bright white lights at the end and a red one in the middle.”

Mrs Griffiths’s husband, John, who works with mentally ill patients in Caerphilly, said the object seemed fixed in the sky. “I don’t know what it was,” he said. “I have never seen anything like it before,” he added.

South Wales police say they have received a number of reports of a “giant UFO” between 10 and 7pm last night.

The first sighting reported was from a man living near Whitchurch Hospital.

A spokesman for the force said the reports were being taken seriously.

He added: “We’ve had over 1,000 recent UFO sightings reported from this area, and many of them have no obvious explanation. But this is the first time we’ve had such a consistent report from so many people in different places.”

The Air Call Ltd communications centre in Cathedral Road also received several inquiries and confirmed it was passing the information on to the Ministry of Defence.

A spokesman for the Niriband, Deb, who asked not to be named, commented:

Sky-watchers agree on mystery lights

METEORS! NEVER SAY ALL THE UFO SPOTTERS
By Robert Lloyd

Whatever the nature of the UFOs which passed over Swansea and other parts of South Wales two days ago, one thing is certain:

Sky-watchers are roughly divided into two groups — those who believe the objects were flying saucers from outer space and those who believe there is a logical explanation.

Descriptions of the objects vary, but the most popular theory remains the same.

Call them flying saucers if you will, but definite evidence is still missing.

Among the most vocal UFO spotters is Peter Thomas, of Wood Road, Neath. Strangely, while many witnesses agree on the triangular shape of the objects, Mr. Thomas is not among them.

He said: "My initial response would be to say meteors, but the sightings and the length of time flying discredits this."

South Wales Echo THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 1983

A sketch drawn by Mrs Carole Griffiths of what she saw flying over Cardiff last night. She says the centre light was red and the outer lights white.

What Carole saw over Cardiff . . .

REPORTS of a giant tri- POLICE PROMISE A angular object hover- SERIOUS PROBE ON ing over South Wales are today being inves- GIANT UFO REPORTS tigated by police.

Descriptions of a sighting in Llandaff, Cardiff, match one by a group of people in Swansea, including two detectives.

All say they encountered a giant, triangular-shaped object, with white lights along the borders of the tri-angle. One said it was larger than a jumbo jet and had a red light in the middle.

Mother of four Mrs Carole Griffiths, of Heol Denlon, Fairwater, Cardiff, had been driven home from work at 7pm when she saw the object over the River Taff, close to Llandaff Rowing Club.

She said today: "My hus-band believes the car we were so amazed. It looked like Concorde taking off but the strange object normally pooh-pooh things. It was." It had to be a UFO.

Mrs Griffiths' husband, John, who works with her at

Mr Griffiths - pictured here today.

the Air Call Ltd, a com-munications company in Cathedral Road, said he saw a similar object above Pentwyn earlier in the even-ing.

A passenger in the car, Dr Nribendra Deb, who prac-

tises in Coedcaeilly, said the object seemed fixed in the sky and made no noise looking at it. I have never seen anything like it before, he added.

South Wales police say they received a number of calls reporting UFO's between 6pm and 7pm yesterday.

The first sighting reported four flashing lights in the form of a triangle. Two detectives reported watching what was a triangular shape, drift west over Swan-sea.

They said it was flying at 1,000 feet, with three lights. It was followed by a smaller craft. Police had received two similar reports.

A police spokesman said the reports would be treated seriously. "At present we have not got a clue, but in-quiries will be made," he commented.

South Wales Evening Post

Hundreds spot mystery lights over city

Hundreds of sky-watchers in the Swansea area were today still puzzling over the strange ET-like happenings of last night.

Many early evening joggers and householders looked upwards in amazement at a skyline decorated with strange illuminated shapes. Mrs. Margaret Gaskins, of Lucy Road, Skewen, said her children 14 year old Leanne and 10 year old Ceri were watching television when they spotted strange flashing lights in the sky at about 5.45 p.m.

They came running into the kitchen full of excitement," she said. "At first I didn't believe them, but when I looked out of the window I could see a sphere of flashing lights which travelled from the Killvey Hill area over to Baglan Bay."

The whole family were hanging out of the windows of their flat for a better view and soon neighbours were also peering out.

Meteorites say Coastguards

"It was all very exciting," said Mrs. Gaskins. "We couldn't believe what we were seeing."

Shortly after seeing the flashing lights the family spotted a large red glow in the sky over the lower Swansea Valley, heading towards Skewen.

"Later I heard that a Sea King helicopter from Brawdy had been in the area. At first I thought the flashing lights must have been from that," she said. "But then I was told the helicopter was not over Swansea Bay until 6.20 p.m.

"I don't believe in UFOs. There has got to be a logical explanation for it, but I can't explain what it was I saw."

Another UFO spotter was Mrs. Rita Bradley of Finsbury Terrace,

South Wales ARGUS 22 JAN 1983

Probe into UFO reports in S. Wales

MINISTRY of Defence experts will investigate a string of UFO sightings reported over South Wales this week.

Dozens of people, in-cluding two detectives, reported seeing objects moving across the sky on Wednesday night and the police will be passing details onto the London Air Traffic Control Centre.

But mystery still sur-rounds the cause of the lights in the sky, which startled observers.

Early sightings were reported over West Wales before the UFOs ap-peared to move into West Glamorgan.

South Wales police reported several sightings over Swansea, early Wednesday evening.

The two detectives reported seeing two triangular objects, one larger than the other, and both covered in lights.

The first of two Gwent sightings was reported at 6.35pm. Mr John Rees, his wife and daughter, spotted a triangular shape with three lights, over their home in Garw Wood Drive, Cwmbran.

Then at 7.45pm Mr M. Powell saw an object alternately blue and red in colour from the front garden of his home in Cotswold Way, Risca.

A police spokesman said reports were being investigated. "We knew that certain activity was going to take place in con-nection with a meteorological station in West Wales," he said.

Meteor UFO theory

Police were yesterday investigating reports of UFOs seen flying over the South Wales coast between Milford Haven and Newport.

Dozens of people have reported seeing a large slow-moving, triangular object with green flashing lights travelling close to the ground on Wednesday night and early yesterday morning, followed by a smaller object with blue flashing lights.

Mystery surrounded the exact nature of the UFOs yesterday with air traffic controllers at RAF Brawdy and at Cardiff Wales Airport reporting no unusual aircraft flying over the South Wales coast.

"There was nothing out of the ordinary on our radar scanners last night," said an air traffic con-troller at Cardiff - Wales Airport.

Swansea coastguard Mr Alan Perry said yesterday reports of sightings in the Milford Haven area began coming in during the early evening.

"South Wales police had six calls from groups of people in Swansea, includ-ing two from two police officers as well as four from Cardiff. Gwent police reported two more calls later in the evening.

"We always get lots of people ringing in with reports of UFOs on clear nights," said Mr Perry. "These were probably meteorites, burning up as they entered the atmos-phere.

"They often fall over a very wide area and give off green and white light, which because of its brightness makes them seem very close."

Another theory put for-ward by amateur aircraft expert Mr Arthur Fisher, who saw the object over Rogerstone, Gwent, was that they were two aircraft refuelling.

"The larger aircraft was probably an RAF Vulcan which is triangular in out-line and normally has red and green flashing tail lights," said Mr Palmer.

"It is probably being refuelled by a smaller Air Force bomber travelling very close to it, and these often have blue flashing lights!"

A South Wales police spokesman said yesterday all reports of sightings were being monitored and a careful check was being kept for future sightings.

From a Bufora Article by Bill Rich

The sighting of the month took place over South Wales on Wednesday, 19th January. It was widely covered by the local press, radio and television, and police stations had numerous calls between 6 and 7pm. In fact police were amongst the hundreds of witnesses along a sighting line of up to 80 miles. Place names mentioned included Milford Haven, Newtown, The Mumbles, Biewen, Swansea, Port Talbot, Neath, Llandugh, Cowbridge, Llantwit Major, Wenvoe, Cardiff, Risca, Fairwater and Cwbran. Witnesses saw one or no more than two giant triangular objects flying silently, one larger than the other.

The sighting period was between 4.30 and 7.30 pm with earlier reports coming from West Wales although reports suggested that the triangles were moving in various directions. The triangles carried a varying number of lights, some said three - one at each corner - while others said four lights or with lights along the borders. Some said lights were flashing, or some of the lights flashed but not all. Everyone agreed that the objects travelled slowly, one estimate said 30mph. BUFORA member Bill Rich of Llandough and his 18 year old son saw one object and are convinced it was not a meteor nor aircraft. Swansea detective Sgt. Mike Troake said it was massive with a large main cluster of lights at the front, shaped a bit like a Zeppelin, followed by a triangular group of lights, and an estimated 1,000 feet in length.

Twenty-two youngsters at Egwys Wen Primary School, Cardiff, (time not stated) saw one of the objects. Their teacher asked them to do individual drawings, and it will come as no surprise to UFOlogists that they were all very similar. Apparently no unusual activity was monitored by RAF Brawdy nor by Cardiff airport. Incid-entally there was a story power-cut in the Kittle and Bishopston area. An unidentified police spokesman hinted at an explanation, by saying that certain activity was going to take place in connection with a meteorological station in West Wales. One reasonable suggestion put forward was a sea king helicopter which carries bright rescue lights. However due to the size of the objects and the lack of noise over some 80 miles, this seems hard to reconcile with the witness reports. To this writer's knowledge no firm, official explanation

has been put forward.

A few more comments and bits and pieces from Facebook and YouTube videos

Early evening - 5 to 7 pm

I’ve just found out about Sufon from the Triangles FB page and thought you might like to know about my experience that happened around about the same time as what when on in Swansea back in January 1983 when my family and I saw a gigantic triangle shape thing fly over our home.

It was the most bizarre thing that I’ve ever seen in my life, we knocked up our neighbours to get witnesses. We did not know who to contact so we called the police to just Log the call and luckily 2 detectives saw the same thing as we did.

A day or so later we saw that a similar shape had been seen in west wales around the same time, nobody ever got back to us to offer any explanation, although we did have a mention in Gwent Folklore book basically dismissing what we saw without even talking to us! I’ve attached the clipping from the South Wales Argus who reported our sighting. Nobody ever tied up these triangles with what was going on in west wales as the same time.

this page just popped up on my timeline. This particular incident started my lifelong interest in the subject. I was living in the North of Swansea as a teen. Myself and some friends were playing in the street when I noticed something above our heads. A dark triangular form with with lights on the corners. It moved slowly and silently towards Kilvey hill. We could see Kilvey from our road. It filled much of the sky above us. I remember running in the house to get my dad but he told me ‘don’t be daft son’ I remember the Evening post reporting on this and believe a sausage shaped craft was also witnessed by many around the same time. Thought I would share.

We had just dropped my sons friend off and as we got out of the car there was a triangle right above our house, it was huge, there was no sound or lights anywhere, It did have what looked like craters on the underside and it was facing west towards Swansea, olso a feeling of calm that we felt, None of us looked out of the window or went outside until the following morning.

Just watched some of this video about 1983. I witnessed it with a friend above my house in the hafod .I was on my front door talking to him and I noticed something coming over my parents house,it was rectangular in shape I only know because of the lights as you couldn't really see the craft.it was huge moving very slowly with no noise which was strange as it was so low.we watched as it past the Terrence house across the road so we ran about 20m to the end of the street to Philadelphia lane which looked right out to the bay and we watched as the craft just carried on at the same speed as it went out over towards the bay.the lights weren't that bright on the craft and never flashed

I was outside the Bonymaen inn that night with a friend and we both saw that triangle,same thing with the straight end coming towards us from the area of the old Moria stadium,at the same time I saw two smaller triangles over Kilvey hill,but the smaller triangles had lights on each corner.Still haunts me to this day.When I went to school the next day everyone was talking about it ,and a few kids from Pentrechwyth had seen the smaller craft over Kilvey hill,but I can’t recall anyone saying they seen the large black mass that we had witnessed,whatever that thing was I would say that it was a lot bigger than two football fields,more like 4 times the size!

I saw this with my dad. I was with dad in Baglan sitting in his van while he was working. At that time dad had a contract with a Pontardawe/Swansea bed company to deliver beds.

I remember some of the houses around us were still being constructed. I think we were in the region of Brookside Avenue or nearby.

Dad said something like, "James, come and have a look at this." I got out of the van and saw six white lights in the sky moving I think north or northwesterly.

I think we were looking in a westerly or southwesterly direction towards the sea.

The six white lights comprised two triangles which faced in opposite directions. < >

I could only see the lights. In the night sky I couldn't see any solid object or objects as such, just the lights.

We observed the lights until we lost sight of them.

I still have the issue of the Swansea Evening Post which mentioned the sightings of these lights.

I guess the lights could have been planes refueling but haven't seen anything exactly the same as that before or since.

I saw a black black rectangle fly over my house following the canal!Tiny light on the front!(Bluish white)Really fast!

A brief note at the end.

When we started to look into this little did we know just how many cases there were let alone finding out both Cities of Cardiff and Swansea would have Triangles over the cities at the same times, let alone multiple Triangles seen in both area`s and in Newport or even Devon.

There are still plenty of witness`s out there, in which we gained a few after Sian Eleri`s BBC Paranormal programme in which Episode 4 covered some of our witness`s for her programme in 2024 so we`ll keep logging accounts when they come in and we can`t thank all witness`s enough for contacting us and being open about their accounts and even those who have contacted us. we`re sure there will be more coming forward in the future so this page will be updated .

Were you a witness on that night in 1983

if so feel free to contact us via our email swanseaufonet@yahoo.com

Here are 2 maps with approx positions

Blue dot - 5pm

Yellow Dots - roughly between 5 30 and 7pm

Orange Dots - between 7 pm and 9 pm

2 Red Dots - approx 10pm

Some don`t have timings like Eglwys Wen but we put them as yellow dots.

Map 1.png

Map 2 only shows the later sightings between 8 and 10pm

Orange Dots - 8 30pm till 9pm

Red Dots approx 10pm

Map 2.png

A few years ago we did a 3hr podcast talking about the sightings, we`ve had a few more since then

Big Thanks to Dave Logan for having us on

It`s worth noting this was exactly the same time as The Hudson Valley Triangle wave , it ran from 1983 till 1986, very similar in a few ways., there`s a Swansea Town in Southeastern Massachusetts a 3 hr drive from the Hudson Valley. You can listen to our podcast with Linda Zimmerman who was lead investigator at the time in the link below .

Big Thanks to Linda and Mike for having us on their Podcast.

https://www.spreaker.com/episode/wales-night-of-the-triangles--47051183?fbclid=IwY2xjawKxFkRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETA4QXhPQ21kVTFDa255NFZqAR4ocVQS7GJSfGy-qOA-dsPkOBsz8iyKNdo_OJQ3SCXLd6ou2LsS_64Jo9tXFA_aem_jhxMrUXtyx6IjN04B9IXPQ&utm_medium=widget&utm_source=user%3A10880920&utm_term=episode_title

Linda .png

Some of our Night of the Triangles cases are in David Marler`s excellent book on Triangles

6 days after 19th January there was report of a Triangle shape at St Athan

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10 days before the 19th January there was an incident at Llanilar

One morning a farmer awakes to find his field covered in strange metallic debris, at first looking rather like crumpled tin foil. The farmer Mr Erwel Evans assumed a plane had crashed so immediately called the police and soon an air-force crash investigation team turns up at the farm to investigate the material which is scattered across 4 fields.

This is not the famous 1947 Roswell crash but you would be forgiven for thinking it was. This strange event occurred at Llanilar, near Aberystwyth - yet you have probably never heard about it.

he air force team inform the farmer Mr Evans that the strange green-grey honeycombed metal pieces were not from any known aircraft and that no RAF planes had been reported lost.

Later that day another team of both uniformed and plain clothes personnel from the MOD (Ministry of Defence) turn up, they also start to investigate the debris in the fields but farmer Erwel says they seemed to take it far more seriously than the RAF team.

They create a cordon around the area and set up flood lights. They then began to collect all of the material, farmer Erwal described this material as ranging from chunks that were 6 feet across to tiny fragments.

Erwel described the scene as “something out of a James Bond movie”.

They stayed until every piece of material was collected late into the night

Two weeks after the event the MOD investigation gave a statement, it stated that the material had not been identified and that no RAF or private aircraft had been lost in the area. They also said that no other craft had been detected or seen on the radar.

This story has remained largely unknown despite the fact it seems to be so similar to Roswell

Only one newspaper, The Express, ran a story titled ‘Strange debris out of the sky’ on January 23rd, 1983, strangely never followed by them or any other media outlet in the UK - Also strange that they failed to mention a massive UFO event took place only a few miles away 10 days later and 2 days after the Express published the story a huge triangle was reported as hovering over RAF St Athan.

Luckily for us and for the historical context the case did not die at this point a UFO researcher from North Wales, Mr Gary Rowe, saw the article in the press (The Express). He contacted his team of investigators and they travelled to Llanilar and spoke with Erwel Evans and what he had witnessed he gave them permission to recheck the fields they scoured his fields for any signs of the metallic material at first without success the MOD had done a great job of recovering the debris, nothing could be found.

The tops of the trees near the crash site had been damaged they decided to check amongst them to see if any material had been missed thankfully for us they started to find pieces of metallic debris.

Mr Gary Rowe would send some of the material samples off for testing with a metallurgist. Gary said the results returned were intriguing, the metal was an unknown alloy similar in properties to duralumin. Duralumin itself is a lightweight material like aluminium that is used in the manufacture of aircraft. Gary has stated that there appeared to be nothing identical to the material known anywhere on Earth. And that the green paint-like compound that covered the metal’s surface could also not be identified.

Gary and his team had planned to follow up with another trip to the crash site but Erwel told him that the forestry commission was cutting down the trees and also taking away the soil.

Erwel Evans also stated that even the soil was being removed and transported away.

Gary Rowe contacted the Forestry Commission, he asked what was going on, and they told him the trees needed to be removed due to storm damage. He found this hard to believe and pushed for a better explanation he asked if it was normal procedure to fell and remove trees (Even healthy trees were removed).

Gary says the man he spoke with said it was NOT normal, but that the explanation was what he had been instructed to say!

Gary Rowe has also stated that he was visited by men in suits who requested he turned over all the materials his team had recovered. He gave them nothing.

He says he also informed these men that he had already sent dozens of fragments of the material to his UFO contacts across the UK and they were wasting their time.

Gary also says his post was intercepted and opened for many weeks afterwards - he means the post that was being delivered to him.

His landline was also tapped and he had some dodgy BT technicians arrive telling him his phone line was reported as damaged and they were there to fix, Gary said he didn`t report it

This case UFO case at Llanilar West Wales should clearly be given more attention, is this another Roswell, and was it connected to another major UFO sighting only 10 days later and only a few miles down the road? Seems a huge coincidence!

You can find out more about this incident here https://www.sufon.co.uk/llanilar-crash

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