The Rendlesham Forest UFO incident, also known as Britain’s Roswell, refers to a series of reported UFO sightings that occurred in late December 1980 near Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk, England. It involves the encounter of United States Air Force (USAF) personnel stationed at the nearby RAF Woodbridge base with unidentified aerial phenomena.

The incident began in the early morning hours of December 26, 1980, when multiple USAF personnel, including Deputy Base Commander Lieutenant Colonel Charles Halt, witnessed strange lights descending into the forest. The lights were described as colored, pulsating, and moving erratically. Upon investigation, the military personnel discovered impressions on the ground and damage to nearby vegetation.

Over the next few days, additional sightings occurred, including the famous incident on the night of December 28, 1980, when a security patrol encountered a metallic, triangular-shaped craft with bright lights. Some witnesses reported seeing hieroglyphic-like symbols on the craft’s surface. The object was observed at close range before it silently lifted off and disappeared into the sky.

Lieutenant Colonel Halt, who was present during the December 28 sighting, documented the events in an official memorandum and audio recording. The Halt Memo, as it became known, described the sighting and subsequent investigations, including radiation readings taken at the landing site.