Crash Landings, Domed Discs, And Likely Alien Abductions: Otherworldly Encounters Of The Early-1930s

With the Second World War still almost a decade away and with aviation progressing at a rapid pace, sightings of strange objects and mysterious creatures began to increase steadily from the previous decade. And while these sightings were taking place around the world, there was beginning to be a particularly heavy concentration in North and South America, Europe, and Russia. Whether the residents of these territories simply made more reports or whether there was a genuine increase in sightings in these areas remains unclear.

As the 1930s unfolded, and another war in Europe was looking increasingly likely, reports of strange aerial objects in the skies increased. And perhaps because of the very real prospect of imminent war, various militaries around the world began to take a more active interest in these strange sightings, if only to rule out they were not advanced vehicles of their respective enemies. Whether the likeliness of war was the catalyst for an increase in sightings – not least in Europe where much of the fighting would take place – or whether it is purely coincidence is open to debate.

While we don’t have time or space to examine each and every sighting, we will examine some of the most intriguing incidents of the first half of the 1930s. Incidentally, you can read about UFO sightings and encounters from the previous decades of the pre-Roswell twentieth-century era here, here, and here.

Shining, Glowing Objects Around The World Ushers In The Thirties

Early in 1930 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a bizarre object was witnessed moving over the city at speeds not achievable by a conventional aircraft. According to the files of Bill Chalker, another incident in early 1930 occurred in the Central Desert in Western Australia, when an aboriginal man reported seeing a “green light spinning around in the sky” while camping. The next thing he realized, there were several short men “shining with green light” emerging from the nearby trees. These strange men watched the witness and the other tribe members for several minutes before disappearing back into the trees. Moments later, the spinning green light took off back into the night sky.

According to an account in The Chronicle of UFO by Michel Bougard, a similar encounter unfolded in Mouzaki, Greece where a blue, diamond-shaped object was spotted flashing in the sky over the village. The object remained visible for several minutes before it disappeared into the distance. A particularly bizarre encounter unfolded on the other side of the Atlantic in Cincinnati, Ohio when an 8-year-old girl discovered a tiny man in a gutter at the roadside. She picked the small creature up and noticed that he was wearing a tight-fitting suit and had a triangular-shaped head. After several seconds she put the creature back on the ground, watching as it ran off immediately and disappeared.

Around the same time in Toulx-Ste-Croix in France, a similar account can be found. At around 9 pm on the night in question, a witness known only as “MB” was walking on a road when a “little man” suddenly appeared at the roadside out of a ditch. MB estimated that he was around four feet tall and appeared to glide along the ground as opposed to walking. Then, right in front of the perplexed witness, the small man simply vanished.

Several weeks later in Tomintoul, Scotland, at around 9:30 pm two men were walking along a quiet lane when they witnessed a bright light descend out of the night sky. Even more amazing, when the glowing object approached them, the two men could see several strange figures seemingly moving around inside the object. Yet another similar sighting is on record from Barcelona in Spain when 10-year-old Antonio Ribera was in his bedroom when he noticed a bizarre green light appear from outside, although he couldn’t see where it was coming from. He peered through his window, and to his amazement, he saw a strange figure standing within the glow, although he couldn’t make out any specific details. After several moments, the figure and the light disappeared.

Another mysterious incident unfolded in Spain around the same time, this time in Martilandran during a particularly strong thunderstorm. The witness, who had been caught in the rain, was looking for somewhere to take shelter when he happened upon a “strange man” who was shirtless and with bare feet. Even stranger, he was carrying what appeared to be a wooden cross. Despite the intensity of the rain, this mysterious stranger appeared to be completely dry. Ultimately, the stranger walked past the man. By the time witness had turned around, he had disappeared.

Yet another encounter involving strange lights and small humanoid creatures occurred in Wayne County in Tennessee. A local resident reported seeing several “little men” who had “wrinkled faces” walking near the woods. Even stranger, at the same time he witnessed the strange beings, there were several strange, bright lights moving in the skies overhead. When the small humanoids began chasing the witness, he turned and ran as fast as he could. However, the next thing he realized, he was waking up in a field and the beings were no longer there. Just what happened, however, remains a mystery.

The Mile Long, Half Mile Wide UFO Encounter

Without a doubt, one of the most intriguing UFO encounters of 1930 unfolded in Glenwood in the state of Washington. ^[1] The account was relayed by the witness’s grandson, Paul Jefferies, who was told of the incident by his grandfather, an incident that occurred when he himself was a young boy.

According to the account, Jefferies’ grandfather was heading to the fields to help out with the work for the ranch. He decided to take a route that would take him through some light woodland. It was as he was approaching a ridge that he noticed how unusually quiet it was, recalling there was “no wind, no birds, no nothing”. It was as he was coming to this realization that he noticed a huge shadow coming over him as if there was something, particularly large overhead. When he turned his head upward, he could see a huge object that was “blocking the sun out entirely”.

The object appeared to be rectangular, and the witness noticed that a smaller rectangle on the underside appeared to “reflect the ground like a mirror”. As he watched, the object appeared to slow down somewhat, and several balls of bright light emerged from the underside. Immediately, they headed to where he was standing. At this point, he was so scared that he was almost unable to move. Eventually, though, he forced himself to move and turned and ran. Even then, however, he felt like he was “running on a sponge” and was seemingly hardly covering any ground, even having the feeling as of he was “being pulled backward”.

Suddenly, the light whizzed straight past his head, went around the trees, and then set off back toward the object still overhead. As soon as they moved away, the witness was able to move once more. As soon as this happened, he ran as fast as he could to his house.

Jefferies grandfather would tell him that the object was at least a mile long and around half a mile wide.  He also claimed that he had also heard similar stories from locals who had lived in the area all of their lives who had described almost identical objects. It is perhaps interesting that the state of Washington remains a UFO hotspot today.

Alien Captured On Film In Alaska?

Perhaps another intriguing encounter, not least as it was captured on a photograph, occurred in Alaska around the same time as the above incident. ^[2] The photograph didn’t come to light until the early 2000s when the witness’s grandson made the picture public to an online UFO reporting website.

According to what little information is available about the incident, the witness was on his way to a lake in the remote wilderness of the state when he first noticed the strange creature. He purposely followed the entity, who appeared to be trying to evade his pursuit. Eventually, he was close enough to be able to snap a picture of the creature. You can see that picture below and make up your own mind.

What is also interesting about this photograph is an apparent blurred part of the potential alien entity near its right arm. When the witness’s grandson subjected the photograph to intense analysis, he began to make out what appeared to be the tentative form of a much smaller figure. The more he looked at the image, the more he contemplated whether this smaller being was a child. Had his grandfather captured a mother or father extraterrestrial with one of their young? And is that the reason they were so keen to evade his pursuit, much the same as most animals, including humans, would do to protect their young? You can see those enhanced images below.

Further Encounters With Humanoid Figures

A sighting that occurred in the spring of 1930 in Bolivia is also of interest to us here. According to the account, a shepherd was gathering his animals due to the night being particularly cold when a sudden bright light lit up the entire area around him. At this same time, his dog became agitated and frightened, not leaving his side. Not understanding what was taking place, the shepherd quickly took cover in nearby trees. From there, he watched as a glowing object steadily made its way through the sky overhead. As it did so, the animals he had been gathering up began to run in different directions, each more than spooked by the strangeness.

He wasn’t sure if the object landed a short distance away or not, but the glow from the object began to lessen after several moments. Once it had died down completely the witness could see “four human-like figures” moving in the fields, each leaping as they did so, appearing to float in the air for several seconds, much how the Apollo astronauts moved on the lunar surface during the moon landing missions. He couldn’t make out any specific features from where he stood, although he could tell that the figures were smaller than an average man, and there was something about them that made him sure they were not humans. Then, without warning, the light and the figures completely vanished into thin air. In a bizarre twist to the whole affair, following the incident, the witness began to experience visions of the future, with many of his premonitions coming true. This is something that is often reported in close encounter cases.

According to the files of George Fawcett, one afternoon in May 1930 in Greensboro, North Carolina, Mr. and Mrs. Rankin, along with their daughters, Katherine and Mary, witnessed a “top-shaped object” that was “dark in color” and approximately 40 feet wide descend out of the sky and land in their yard. As they looked on in shock, they were even more startled to see the head and shoulders of a humanoid figure inside the mysterious vehicle. From what they could see, the figure was wearing a tight one-piece suit and a tight-fitting helmet. The object remains on the ground for several minutes before it suddenly took off back into the sky, remaining completely silent all the while.

Later in the year, during the summer one afternoon in Lisbon, Ohio, a young boy was making his way home along a footpath that cut through the woods. Suddenly, he noticed several strange “whitish creatures” without facial features “running around” in the trees. He watched them for several minutes, surprised that the strange figures either didn’t notice or were not concerned by his presence. At that point, he discreetly made his way from the scene.

Across the Atlantic Ocean in Haverigg, Dunes in Cumbria, England, 13-year-old “Philip” was making his way toward the sand dunes to meet a friend. As he did so, however, a strange creature suddenly appeared out of the woodland. It was approximately the same height as he, with a human-like face, but was covered in reddish-brown fur. The witness also noted a strange “silver plate” that appeared to be fixed to his chest. After watching the creature for several seconds, the witness turned and ran back home.

Continued Interactions With Potential Extraterrestrial Entities

Sightings continued around the world throughout the summer of 1930. In August in Maillezais Vendee in France, an anonymous woman along with two friends were driving along a quiet road when they noticed a strange, red sphere appear in the sky that appeared to be following their vehicle. After several minutes, the object changed direction and disappeared into the distance.

Around the same time in Montebenichi in Italy, a farmer was at her home washing clothes when she heard a strange whistling sound and felt a sudden strong wind wash over her. As she looked up, she noticed a bizarre-shaped craft that had seemingly landed on the ground a short distance away. As she looked on, a hatch opened and a ladder stretch forward reaching the ground before two humanoid figures appeared in the opening and began down the steps. Once on the ground, they began walking toward the witness. In a rather bizarre turn, one of the figures reached for an item of her clothing – a stocking – and then they both simply turned around and reentered the craft. A moment later the object rose into the air and disappeared.

Several weeks later, in September in Pittsylvania, Virginia, a local resident was walking when he heard a strange “loud humming sound” that was coming from behind a nearby knoll. When he went over to the area, he saw a “large aluminum-colored domed disc” that had landed on the ground around 70 feet away from them. As he watched the strange craft, he noticed there were two strange beings, around three feet tall, each wearing “green coveralls” and strange helmets. They appeared to be collecting soil samples and other vegetation. After several minutes they each returned to the craft which then rose into the air and disappeared.

There were several particularly intriguing encounters that occurred in the final weeks of 1930. In December, for example, in Salisbury, England, an entire family was suddenly awoken by the sound of their dogs howling and barking outside. Family members dragged themselves from their beds and rushed outside to see what the commotion was about. When they went outside, they could see the figure of a “strange man” standing by the fence. It was this figure that the dogs were barking at, although they appeared reticent to approach the stranger.

The figure appeared to be wearing some kind of strange tuxedo-type suit and was simply staring at the dogs and the family. After several minutes they approached the figure but he then backed away from the fence and started back up the road. Although several of the family members attempted to catch up to the mysterious man, they were unable to do so, and he eventually disappeared into the night.

Strange Vehicles With Humanoid Occupants

Sightings of strange objects continued over the following years. In early 1931, for example, while flying over the Tasman Sea, Sir Francis Chichester reported seeing a “dull gray-white airship” heading in his direction. He would describe the object as “pearl-shaped” and “flashing brightly”. At one point, it appeared to vanish before reappearing again. After several moments, it sped off into the distance and disappeared.

Around the same time, over Simferopol in Crimea, Mr. Yakov Tabunshikov witnessed a similarly globe-shaped object hovering over the roof of a nearby house. The object appeared to be completely transparent with no visible means of propulsion. Inside the object, he could see a humanoid figure that appeared to be sitting on an “invisible chair”. The strange figure had a helmet on his head and was dressed in red clothing. The object remained where it was for several moments before eventually heading off into the distance and disappearing out of sight.

At the end of March in Cannes Alpes Maritimes in France, Mr. Blanc – the conductor of a streetcar – noticed a “gray, white luminous object” around 300 feet in front of the vehicle, which was heading straight for it. As it got closer, Blanc noticed a humanoid figure appear in the middle of it. He watched in amazement as the figure was then seemingly “sucked up” into a cloud that appeared to be hovering directly overhead. After the figure had disappeared, the object itself rose into the air and vanished.

In June 1931 in High Bridge in New Jersey, 9-year-old Howard Menger and his 7-year-old brother, Alton witnessed two disc-shaped objects in the sky over the city. Menger claimed that the object was around 10 feet across and reflected the sun brilliantly. The two young boys, cautious but equally fascinated, began to approach the object. As they did, they noticed another, larger object higher up hovering in the sky. Before they could get any closer, a blinding flash of white light hit them and the two objects disappeared.

The Vnukovo Humanoid Incident

In early 1932, according to the files of Valeriy Kukushkin, an encounter with several “greenish little men” unfolded in Vnukovo in the Yaroslavl Province of Russia. On the day in question, 12-year-old Vera Alexandrovna claimed that she witnessed a “flying ship” that passed over the village, causing a huge wave to sweep through the river as it did so, before landing in a nearby field. Then, perhaps bizarrely, the object appeared to dig itself into the ground until it was almost completely submerged.

A short time later, several strange creatures were seen by other residents of the village. All were described as having a greenish-brown tint to their skin, and with “sallow complexions”. Alexandrovna herself witnessed one of these creatures at close range. Although he appeared like “a boy” his face was devoid of any emotion or expression. Even stranger, there were no toes on his feet and his hands had four fingers but no thumbs.

There were also witnesses who recalled seeing a taller creature, the same as the rest but much taller around the same size as an average adult. Also unlike the others, his face appeared full of expression and movement. Many witnesses, and indeed UFO investigators who examined the cases years after it had happened have contemplated whether this tall creature was a leader of sorts, while the smaller, expressionless entities were some kind of biological robots.

Further according to the reports of the villagers, these apparent aliens remained in the village for several days. They would often enter the homes of people at night, often carrying shiny tanks with them that contained multiple tubes. They would then perform several tests on the barely awake person before moving to another house. As bizarre as this sounds, if we accept for a moment that this account is 100 percent accurate, then this would sound like some kind of abduction encounter, only one conducted “in-the-field” as opposed to taking the respective residents from their homes.

Ultimately, these strange men eventually left the village, and the encounters remain wrapped in complete mystery.

Further Encounters In The Air

An intriguing encounter around the same time as the strange robotic aliens in Russia occurred off the east coast of Greenland during a photogrammetric survey mission by three HE 8 Seaplanes of the Royal Danish Air Force. One of these planes was piloted by Lieutenant Colonel Peter Grunnet, along with his co-pilot, Lieutenant Tage Anderson (who would later become the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Danish Air Force).

It was as if they were flying over a “mirror-like glacier” below them, the freezing conditions causing their breath to freeze in front of them, Anderson noticed the reflection of what appeared to be a second object seemingly in the sky with them, noticing that “something didn’t make sense”. When he turned around, he could see that a flying vehicle was behind them and appeared to be intentionally following their plane.

Grunnet, now also aware of the strange object behind them began to turn the plane around so that they could get a much better look at this bizarre craft. He would later recall that it was “nothing like flying machines of that period”, describing it as “hexagonal, flat, and seemingly made of aluminum or some other metal” elaborating that there were “no breaks in the surface and no rivets”. He also went on to describe a bizarre feeling that he had at the time as if he could feel “the presence of whoever was inside the craft” and this feeling was “hostile”.

Several weeks later, one evening in Killdeer, North Dakota, Leo Dworshak, and his brother were walking in the countryside when they noticed a strange object appear in the sky before landing a short distance away from them. The two boys were immediately intrigued and made their way toward this strange object. However, they soon discovered that some kind of forcefield prevented them from getting beyond a certain point.

As the two boys looked on, they noted that rotating lights went around the side of the object, while there appeared to be an inner section of the craft that was rotating in the opposite direction. The craft made no noise whatsoever, and there were no clouds or smoke that the boys might have associated with a vehicle, flying or otherwise. After several moments, the object took off back into the sky and disappeared. The two brothers, however, fascinated by what they had seen, returned to the same spot the following evening. And to their surprise, the object arrived once more.

This time, though, several human-looking occupants emerged from the craft – occupants that the brothers would describe as looking almost identical to each other. According to the two boys, they were inviting onboard the craft where the aliens spoke to them telepathically. They were shown visions of the future, as well as the ominous rise of Nazi Germany.

Apparent Landing Encounters

Several weeks later, across the Atlantic Ocean in Portel, Boulogne-sur-Mer in France, a young man was returning home late one evening when he happened upon a strange figure. At first, he thought the creature was a lost child. The closer he got to it, though, the more he realized he was looking at something a little more out of the ordinary. The figure was dressed in a tight-fitting coverall and a strange helmet that completely covered its facial features. This strange entity was around three feet tall and had arms that were clearly longer than its body otherwise suggested. Then, the figure stopped and turned its head to look at the witness. After a second or so, the witness turned and ran, not even daring to turn back.

According to an account in Return To Magonia by Chris Aubeck, in March 1932, just outside of Cadiz, Andaluisia in Spain, a shepherd Manuel Gimenez Junquera, along with several other goat herders, were on the hillside when they heard a sudden loud noise that was accompanied by a sudden gust of strong wind. At the same time, all of the goats went into a sudden panic and began to scatter in all directions, while the men themselves crouched as low as they could on the grass, fearing just what was approaching.

As they looked up, they could see a “round object, made of something like glass” which “emitted strong jets of air from underneath”. Dust and vegetative debris was sent from the ground as the object passed over them, even swirling a little as it moved. The witness would later describe the object as being similar to two soup plates that had been placed together, and with several portholes or windows around the side.

As the object landed in a nearby field – the men remaining as low as they could in the ground – two humanoid figures emerged from it and began a short exploration of their surroundings. After around 15 minutes, they went back inside the object, which then rose into the air and disappeared.

One Of The Earliest UFO Pictures?

Sometime around the end of April and the beginning of May 1932, a sighting of a glowing disc with several portholes around the side was witnessed in Durham, New York passing overhead before disappearing. Around the same time, this time in St. Paris, Ohio, at around midday, George Sutton stood in front of his car to have his photograph taken. However, when the picture was examined, it appeared to show a disc-shaped object with a distinct dome on the top in the background.

You can see that picture below.

It is worth noting that the picture has undergone intense scrutiny, and it appears to be a genuine capture of a mysterious object. The suggestion that the object was nothing more than a streetlamp can be ruled out as there weren’t any street lamps in the area in 1932, and furthermore, no power poles or power lines are visible. And it is known that the picture was indeed taken in 1932 due to the car’s number plate.

According to the book UFO Occupants and Critters by John Brent Musgrave, at around 6 pm one October evening in Joliette, Quebec, Canada, five people witnessed an “eight-foot-tall man” that was dressed completely in white and moved in a bizarre slow-motion kind of way. As Musgrave points out, this is similar to how “modern astronauts (move) on the moon”. Not wanting to stop, the witnesses continued on with their journey and drove on their way.

The following month in November 1932 in Frederick, Maryland, another strange creature was spotted by a young couple who were driving near the cemetery, They described the strange “beast” as “dark and bulky”. As the couple swerved their car so as to avoid colliding with it, the monstrous figure disappeared into the woodland at the roadside.

In December 1932 over Oakland, California, according to the NICAP UFO Evidence of 1964, “seven brilliant objects” were witnessed flying in formation over the city. Around the same time in Hawthorne, Connecticut near the Byram River a local resident noticed an object making its way through the sky that appeared to move differently from an airplane. As they watched this mysterious object made a sudden turn and darted into the distance at great speed. The witnesses described the object as “cigar-shaped” with a pink glow at what they perceived as the front of it and with no evidence of any engine or means of propulsion.

UFO Landing In Saskatchewan, Canada

Although the exact date is not known, a UFO landing encounter in Saskatchewan, Canada is one of the most intriguing UFO incidents of 1933. ^[3] According to the report, the encounter unfolded in a small northern town named Nipawin, after several reports of strange lights in the sky had been circling for almost a week. One evening, two men and a woman – who wished to remain anonymous – made their way to the area around Tobin Lake, where the lights appeared to originate from. And as they approached, the lights that had been seen by the townsfolk did indeed appear.

They took their vehicle as close as they could before exiting it and carrying on, on foot. After a short time, however, they found their way blocked by a strip of muskeg, which would be especially difficult to cross given the lack of light. They were, though, close enough to make out significant detail of the source of the light.

In the middle of the clearing beyond the muskeg, was an oval-shaped craft with a distinct dome on the top side. It appeared to be resting on the ground on legs that came from its underside and a doorway of sorts was open on one side of the bottom part of the object. Even stranger, several occupants were in the vicinity of the object, some of them making their way up and down steps that stretched to the ground from the doorway. Each of the figures was dressed in a one-piece silver suit, similar to uniforms, and each had a hat or helmet on their head. It appeared to the witnesses that these figures were carrying out some kind of repair to the craft itself.

It was as they were watching that they noticed just how quiet everything was – not just quiet, completely silent. They recalled that the light from the craft was so bright that it lit up the entire area, allowing the witnesses to see the scene in front of them clearly. They also recalled that this light had an “unearthly quality” that none of them had seen previously. They watched the scene for around 30 minutes before returning to their truck with the intention of finding a way to get closer to the bizarre scene. However, just when they thought they had found such a route, they realized they were running low on fuel. So much so that if they drove on any further, they wouldn’t have enough fuel to get them back to town. With this in mind, they turned around with the intention of returning another evening.

Two nights later, the three got together once more and returned to the spot where they had witnessed the bizarre events. However, when they arrived, they found no strange lights, no large objects, and none of the occupants. When they managed to negotiate their way to where the object had stood, they discovered several large “impressions” on the ground. The witnesses suspected that these would have been from the legs that the object rested on. The witnesses managed to capture photographs of these impressions, as well as several burn marks on the ground in the same area. However, despite making these photographs available to many publications, they were viewed as nothing but hoaxes, and the case by and large slipped through the cracks of time.

Could it have been that the lights witnessed for that week in the summer of 1933 were due to an extraterrestrial craft that landed in the region in order to carry out repairs before taking off once more and disappearing? That would certainly be one of the most likely explanations.

Unknown Planes And Shiny Uniforms

Of course, there were many other equally strange and intriguing encounters throughout 1933. One of the earliest of the year occurred near Sao Paulo in Brazil when two fishermen reported seeing a disc-shaped vehicle flying through the air before exploding sending flaming debris down to the ground.

Several months later, closer to the summer in Pitea in Sweden, according to a report by Jean Sider in the July/August 1970 edition of Flying Saucer Review, reports of “unknown airplanes” being seen flying overhead came from several witnesses. What’s more, these mysterious aircraft were witnessed on multiple occasions over a period of several months (with more random sightings going back several years).

These aircraft not only moved unlike any other aerial vehicle the residents of the town had previously witnessed, but they were seemingly unaffected by any adverse weather conditions, often seen flying in heavy lightning storms. On some occasions, these curious crafts flew so low that the witnesses could clearly see occupants inside them.

Another intriguing encounter from the summer of 1933 unfolded over Chrysville, Pennsylvania at around 2:30 am one morning. ^[4] According to the account, the witness – referred to only as “Y” – was driving to the town of Nazareth when he realized his vehicle had a flat tire. He brought the car to a stop and went about changing it. It was as he was doing so that he noticed a strange glow coming from a field at the side of the road.

After a moment or two, he stopped what he was doing and made his way to the source of the light. He soon found himself looking at a “ball-shaped craft” that was approximately six feet high and 10 feet across. He could that the source of the light was a slight opening in the side of the object. Cautiously, he approached the object until he was directly in front of it. He placed his hands on the opening and pushed in an attempt to open it. Much to his surprise, the gap widened, so much so, that he could put his head inside.

He looked on at walls made of a substance that appeared similar to marble, with multiple tubes and dials coming from these surfaces. He noticed that inside of the object was particularly cold and that there was a distinct odor of ammonia. He then walked around the outside of the craft, remaining next to it for around 10 minutes. After this, he returned to his car, repaired the tire, and then went on his way.

Around the same time near Cudworth, Saskatchewan in Canada, a lone witness was in a field near the farm where she lived when she suddenly noticed several strange “men”, each standing around four feet tall, each with greenish colored skin, and each wearing a shiny, silver suit. The next thing the witness realized, a considerable amount of time had passed, and the strange men were no longer there. Whereas there is little other detail about the incidents, what is known is suggestive of an alien abduction encounter.

On the evening of 5^th July in Sussex, England, four Hawker Fury fighters were taking part in a night cross-country training mission when they reported seeing a “huge circular light” that “dropped down from above their formation” and positioned itself right in the middle of them. A short time after the appearance of the mystery object, the planes were forced to land the plane due to their engine failing. Even more alarming, one of the pilots was discovered to have significant burn markings on his face. The sighting remains a complete mystery.

A Cosmic Toy Swap In Puerto Rico

In early 1934 in Mayaguez in Puerto Rico, Juan Rivera Feliberti was flying his kite in a field when he noticed the sudden feeling of something “pulling” on it. He instinctively looked up to where his kite was and immediately saw a round, silver sphere approximately 20 feet across hovering directly overhead. Then, before he realized what was happening, a “beam of light” came from the sphere and connected to Juan, lifting him up from the ground and pulling him toward the sphere.

The next thing he realized he was taken inside the object through an open hatch at the top of it. Once inside, he noticed a strange man dressed in a tight-fitting dark green suit who was sitting in front of what appeared to be a control panel. On this panel was a large green crystal that appeared very similar to an emerald. It was then that he noticed another person in the room, this time a younger female, dressed very similarly, only she was wearing a silver suit. In her hands, she carried Juan’s kite.

Before he could react any further, he was taken into another room inside the craft. In this room was a small box from which images were projected (although the witness could not recall what specific images these were). Following this, the female entity produced another small box covered with different colored buttons. Although he couldn’t understand why he understood that this device was some kind of toy. Furthermore, he stated that the young girl asked if he would like to play with it.

When he pressed one of the buttons, a “cloud of spiraling smoke” came out of it and quickly took on the form of something similar to a monkey. After several moments there were several of these monkey-like creatures in front of him. The girl then asked him if he wished to trade his kite for the box which he agreed.

The next thing he realized he was back in the ground and the craft was rising into the air and disappearing. Although he couldn’t remember how he had done so, he had seemingly twisted his ankle on the return journey from the spherical object. He did have some intriguing recollections of the strange box, though, which he kept for many years after the incident, even amusing some of his friends with the strange monkeys that he could summon up from it. He also found, interestingly, that when he attempted to show adults the monkeys that formed from the smoke inside the box they couldn’t see them, even though he could. Also strangely, as he himself grew older, he could no longer keep control of these strange monkeys, and, ultimately, he buried the box near a nearby mountain.

Many Sightings With Multiple Witnesses

Later in the year in Catamarca, Argentina, a group of girls were playing in a field when they noticed a small person that they described as being similar to a gnome watching them from the woodland nearby. Immediately frightened, the group turned and ran away as fast as they could. There were several other reports of strange gnome-like creatures over the following weeks. Around the same time in Singapore, a young girl was walking along a country road when a “short, large-headed dwarf” appeared in front of her out of nowhere. She would claim to have seen the same creature on several other occasions over the years.

According to an account from Peter Rogerson, on 23^rd January 1934, the crew of the freighter Tordenskiold, including the captain, witnessed a “large gray-colored object” moving across the sky at low altitude. The object then projected a beam of light toward the ship before heading off into the distance. As it did so, the crew could see an occupant inside the object, that was humanoid and appeared to be wearing some kind of “anorak”.

The following month in Dollis Hill, London, England, a married couple witnessed a “metallic cylindrical object” resting on the ground outside their home. Next to the object they could see two human-looking figures seemingly searching the ground around the craft. The couple went outside and began to approach the scene. However, before they could do so, the two occupants ran back inside the craft, as if scared, which then took off back into the sky and disappeared.

According to the research files of John Keel, on the evening of 5^th February in Malselv, Norway, several witnesses reported seeing a strange type of airplane that appeared to make a crash landing on Fager Mountain. When residents returned to view the area the following morning, they were amazed to see a crippled craft on the mountainside, as well as two human-looking figures appearing to clear away the snow around it. They looked on as the figures returned inside the craft and made several attempts to take it, all of which failed. A small group went off up the mountainside, eventually reaching the craft later that evening. There was, though, no sign of the crew. Several hours later, residents witnessed another strange aerial vehicle pass over the mountain, with footprints and markings discovered in the snow the following day. Whether this was some kind of alien rescue mission is uncertain.

Much later in the year, during the afternoon of 1^st October in Garganta La Olla Caceres in Spain, an elderly lady was busy working in a field when she noticed a short humanoid figure dressed in a “brilliant outfit” a short distance away. She made her way toward the figure, hearing a strange voice appear in her head that her grandson had just been born. Before she could reach the figure, it turned and ran into the distance. A little confused, the lady returned home. Upon arriving, she was informed that her grandson had just been born.

Likely More Activity Than The Records Will Show!

As we can see, then, sightings of strange objects in the sky not only increased steadily during the first half of the 1930s, but more and more people were witnessing and reporting them. As much as strange aerial vehicles, there were multiple encounters with strange creatures on the ground, usually in the quiet countryside. These meetings were seemingly more coincidental more often than not, perhaps suggesting that while there was very likely an alien presence on the planet during this time, it was one that didn’t appear to be going out of its way to make itself known. Indeed, we might imagine that at a time when there were still more open spaces, generally speaking, around the world than there are now, it was probably much easier for any alien explorers to discreetly land and explore in these regions than it is now.

Of course, there are a plethora of other possibilities other than alien visitors for these sightings and encounters. That many of the same kinds of incidents that would be reported on from the late 1940s onwards was happening decades previously, regardless of what might prove to be behind them, is without a doubt. Indeed, while many people look to the Roswell crash and the Kenneth Arnold sighting as announcements to the world that aliens were here, the fact is, they had seemingly already been here for decades before that, at the very least. And once more, it is worth reminding ourselves of the real possibility that many more sightings from this era went unreported and are now lost to history.

As we will explore next time, as the second half of the 1930s unfolded, as Europe and the rest of the world counted down to what is perhaps the bloodiest war in recent human history, these sightings and reports would only increase.

The video below looks at some of the best UFO and alien encounters on record.