Montgomery, AL: WWII Air Intel Records Transfer
In 1952, records of air intelligence from World War II were moved from the Pentagon to Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. This relocation likely prevented Capt. Edward J. Ruppelt of Project Blue Book from accessing foo fighter reports during his USAF intelligence visits.
Background
Background
In 1952, Second World War air intelligence documents were transferred from the Pentagon to Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. These files contained sensitive information on unidentified aerial phenomena such as foo fighters observed during the war.
Key Persons and Event
Capt. Edward J. Ruppelt, head of Project Blue Book, later searched for these records in vain. On his visits to the USAF Intelligence office he found no reports that had not been passed on to the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC). The transfer accounts for this lack of available data.
Significance
This administrative move had consequences for UFO investigations in the 1950s. It illustrates the difficulties of archiving and accessing historical UAP documents, which produced gaps in official reporting. Source: Jan Aldrich.