FBI-UAP-D012: Newark Field Office, 1952-1967

A 27 August 1952 Air Force OSI letter transmitted to the FBI Newark office a restricted memorandum, a Herald-News letter, and seven photographs alleged to show unidentified aerial objects.

Transmitted herewith are copies of a restricted memorandum dated 12 August 1952 ... a letter, with inclosure, dated 2 August 1952 ... and seven (7) photographs allegedly of unidentified aerial objects.

The Air Technical Intelligence Center asked that John H. Riley and George J. Stock be investigated for reliability and that evidence relevant to the photographs’ authenticity be collected.

The Air Technical Intelligence Center has requested that the background of subject civilian photographer, JOHN H. RILEY ... and of known witness GEORGE J. STOCK ... be investigated in an attempt to determine their reliability.

An ATIC memorandum said Riley submitted seven photographs that he claimed were authentic images of an unidentified aerial object and was attempting to sell them to East Coast newspapers.

Attached are several photographs taken by Mr. John H. Riley ... He claims that these are authentic photos of an unidentified aerial object and is apparently attempting to sell them to East Coast newspapers.

ATIC’s memorandum said it did not consider the photographs authentic, citing the reported seven-minute visibility over a populated area without other observers.

ATIC does not believe these photos are authentic because ... they were apparently taken in a populated area at 10:45 a.m. and the object was supposedly visible for seven minutes. Yet, no one else apparently seeing it.

International News Photos sent seven photographs and a copy of its flying-object article to ATIC after a telephone conversation.

Enclosing seven photographs of flying objects, together with copy of article we ran and all pertinent data as per our telephone conversation yesterday.

An FBI report described Riley as a self-employed Paterson photographic finisher and printer with knowledge of processing exposed film.

JOHN H. RILEY is self-employed at the Belmont Photograph Service ... as a photograph finisher and printer. His business does not include the taking of photographs on a commercial basis.

The FBI reported that police and county record checks concerning Riley produced no negative information.

AU : er —SSCPEN | | oneck vas made relative to JOHN H. RILEY with the | | Paterson, N. Ji Police Depertaent fRegord Bawtu and the Tasecic | : | mdBeresn County Greait Bureau. Both oheols proved negative con

The FBI report recorded that George J. Stock worked for the City of Passaic Parks and Recreation Department and that Thomas Cavanaugh had known him for ten to fifteen years.

STOCK was employed … as grounds keeper and had been with the City of Passaic a number of years. CAVANAUGH stated that he had known STOCK personally for ten to fifteen years.

The record attributed to Cavanaugh the account that Stock, rather than Riley, took the photographs and gave the exposed film to Riley for developing and printing.

STOCK had taken the photographs rather than RILEY. STOCK related to CAVANAUGH that he had given the exposed film to RILEY for developing and printing.

Cavanaugh told investigators that he examined the recovered negatives and they did not appear to have been altered.

Mr. CAVANAUGH stated that STOCK finally recovered his negatives and that he had examined the negatives closely and they did not appear to be touched up.

Mrs. J. J. Henry Muller III reported that on 5 November 1957 she and her family saw a long, dark-silver cylindrical object with rear fins moving northeast over Glen Ridge.

They observed a long, cylindrical, dark silver object with no wings but fins on the rear, moving along toward the northeast.

Air Force Reserve Captain Leonard Schey reported seeing an object west of Clifton on 27 August 1957, shaped like an underwater demolition bomb with a cross-shaped light and diamond-shaped openings.

The object had a shape resembling that of an underwater demolition bomb and light, in the shape of a cross, was coming from within this UFO ... diamond-shaped holes in the UFO from which the light emitted.

The FBI memorandum records that OSI duty officer George Wertz was notified of Schey’s report at 8:51 p.m. on 27 August 1957.

Agent GEORGE WERTZ, OSI Duty Officer, was telephonically contacted at his home at 8:51 p.m., 8/27/57, and advised of the above.