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Seven - Holyhead Coastguard
Holyhead Coastguard station, Anglesey
In his earlier investigative days, Russ Kellett was very keen and pursued many lines of enquiry. Early in 2000, just months after Dodd's book was published and the new crash scenario invented, Russ was 'encouraged' to contact Holyhead Coastguard Station. Now, Russ had already been advised in his revised documentation of a naval engagement of submerged UFOs (or USOs if you prefer), close to Puffin Island.
Russ Kellett contacts Holyhead Coastguard
Armed with this knowledge he approached Holyhead Coastguard Station (HHCG) with a request for information about anything unusual recorded on the night of the 23rd of January 1974.
Below is a cropped scan of a copy of Russ Kellett's letter to Holyhead Coastguard. The copy letter was part of a FOIA response to Scott Felton from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and included copies of other people's requests that were kept on file. Note at bottom right the date stamp when the document was received - 14th February 2000.
Peculiarly, Russ doesn't seem to have contacted other coastguard stations around the Irish Sea or even the Irish Navy which, at the time, doubled as the coastguard in the Republic of Ireland. He seemed to concentrate solely on Holyhead. He has said this is because it was the nearest to the alleged naval operation near Puffin Island. However, I don't believe that was the reason. I believe he was 'led' to HHCG.He has claimed he first approached HHCG station using a friend's name and address and didn't mention UFOs, but this latter, in part judging by correspondence still held officially, is seemingly untrue.
The MCA letter
In due course Russ receives back a letter from HHCG station which he has promoted ever since and which he claims 'proves' that a naval exercise was taking place in the Irish Sea that night. The HHCG even gave the exercise a name, photoflash.
The letter itself has been under intensive examination by several people and whilst it was genuinely written and indeed signed by a member of the HHCG staff, the content within was apparently false. This is still ongoing but, of course, subject to change as new information emerges.
The letter dated April 2nd 2000 proves nothing and seems to be based on information the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's own record-keeping protocols states it couldn't possibly have. (The MCA oversees the UK Coastguard). So, if the information in that letter couldn't have been accessed as claimed, then the content is a lie. Yet, for fifteen years, the HHCG put this very same letter out to enquirers of this alleged photoflash exercise event, actively promoting the lie as a real event. Russ has promoted the naval engagement/UFO crash etc. as a real event. But why do that? Why do that indeed? Below left: The letter sent to Russ Kellett from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. This document was part of a FOIA response to Scott Felton from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and included copies of other people's requests that were kept on file. Below right: The letter sent to Russ Kellett from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency as it appears in Steven Lumley's book.
The letter itself has been under intensive examination by several people and whilst it was genuinely written and indeed signed by a member of the HHCG staff, the content within was apparently false. This is still ongoing but, of course, subject to change as new information emerges.
The letter dated April 2nd 2000 proves nothing and seems to be based on information the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's own record-keeping protocols states it couldn't possibly have. (The MCA oversees the UK Coastguard). So, if the information in that letter couldn't have been accessed as claimed, then the content is a lie. Yet, for fifteen years, the HHCG put this very same letter out to enquirers of this alleged photoflash exercise event, actively promoting the lie as a real event. Russ has promoted the naval engagement/UFO crash etc. as a real event. But why do that? Why do that indeed? Below left: The letter sent to Russ Kellett from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. This document was part of a FOIA response to Scott Felton from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and included copies of other people's requests that were kept on file. Below right: The letter sent to Russ Kellett from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency as it appears in Steven Lumley's book.
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Above: our copy of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's letter to Russ Kellett.
The scan has been cropped to better fit into this page.
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MCA letter as it appears in Steven Lumley's book
The Berwyn Mountains Incident: Revealed
Photoflash Exercise and Coastguard Log Books
Only HHCG ever produced any document alluding to the so-called photoflash exercise in the Irish Sea. In 1974, there were coastguard stations at Holyhead, Liverpool, Formby, the Isle of Man and right up almost to the Scottish border.They all kept logs and newspaper articles from the time which referred to communications between Police and coastguards discussing the meteor light show and earth tremor that night. Strangely, correspondence from HHCG to enquirers never includes any reference to such geological and celestial events even though it is inconceivable they weren't recorded in log books on the night.