ith 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”.
