Felixstowe: RAF Mosquito chases radar ghost plane
An RAF Mosquito pursued a radar-detected target over the North Sea at supersonic speed, descending evasively from 38,000 to 17,000 feet. The 40-minute chase ended over Norfolk without visual contact.
Background
Event
On January 16, 1947 at 23:30, the RAF station Trimley Heath near Felixstowe, Suffolk, reported an unidentified target on radar over the North Sea, about 50 miles north of the Dutch coast. The object was moving faster than sound at an altitude of 38,000 feet and was referred to as a "ghost aircraft" or "Charlie".
Pursuit
An RAF Mosquito fighter took off in pursuit. The target descended in a controlled manner to 17,000 feet and carried out evasive manoeuvres. The pilot followed it for 40 minutes, although he never saw it visually, until it disappeared over the Norfolk coast.
Evidence and Witnesses
Radar records from the Chain Home station at Trimley Heath (now closed) documented the track. There were no visual sightings, but precise radar data. Later analyses confirm the unusual behaviour.
Significance
The case marks early RAF encounters with anomalous radar targets in 1947, before the major wave. It points to radar as a key technology in UAP detection and led to "Operation Charlie".