1 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:14,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to Unexplained Extra with me Richard McClane Smith, where 2 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: for the weeks in between episodes, we look at stories 3 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: and ideas that, for one reason or other, didn't make 4 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 1: it into the previous show. In last week's episode, in 5 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:26,120 Speaker 1: the Shadow of the Mountain, we roamed the Berwin Mountains 6 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 1: in North Wales in search of a mysterious object that 7 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: some believed crashed there one rainy night back in nineteen 8 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:38,199 Speaker 1: seventy four. The incident has become known rather unimaginatively as 9 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: the Welsh Roswell. However, this isn't only because it dovetails 10 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 1: as a supposed UFO event. There are some who say 11 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 1: that not only did an alien spacecraft to crash into 12 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: the Berwin Mountains, but similar to what some believed occurred 13 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:56,040 Speaker 1: at Roswell, the craft was recovered by the British military 14 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: and remains in their custody to this day. It's a 15 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: far fetched story, perhaps, but does lead us to some 16 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:07,280 Speaker 1: very interesting and enigmatic military installations to point towards some 17 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:12,360 Speaker 1: very mysterious goings on. Indeed, perhaps none are more enigmatic 18 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:16,319 Speaker 1: than r F. Rudlow Manner, considered by some to be 19 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 1: Britain's answer to area fifty one. At some point following 20 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:29,959 Speaker 1: the incident on the Berwin Mountains, a rumor began to 21 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 1: spread in ufologist circles that a mysterious craft had been 22 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: taken from the mountain and transported under cover of night 23 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 1: to a secret underground military facility. A similar claim had 24 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:44,760 Speaker 1: been made as far back as nineteen fifty five, when 25 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 1: journalist Dorothy Kilgallen alleged that a British government official revealed 26 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 1: to her that the British government had recovered a downed 27 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: alien spacecraft during World War Two and were in the 28 00:01:56,360 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 1: process of examining it by the nineteen ninety perhaps owing 29 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: to it being situated in the mystical county of Wiltshire, 30 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 1: but also its proximity to porton Down, the Ministry of 31 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:12,959 Speaker 1: Defenses top secret Defense Science and Technology Laboratory, only thirty 32 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: miles away. The rumors had begun to center on r 33 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 1: F Rudlow Manor as a possible location. At the time, 34 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 1: Like most top secret military facilities, little was known about 35 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 1: what actually took place at Rudlow and the wider facility 36 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: of mod Caution of which it was a part. Despite 37 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 1: not much appearing to happen there, The high Chain link 38 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,920 Speaker 1: defencing surrounding the site and its heavy security presence, not 39 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 1: to mention the peculiar artificial mounds dotted about the place, 40 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 1: complete with small doorways that disappeared into them, suggested otherwise. 41 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 1: The fact that the facility was known to be sitting 42 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: above a vast network of underground tunnels only added to 43 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: the mystery. But what really gave R. F. Rudlow an 44 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 1: air of almost cinematic intrigue was the beautiful seventeenth century 45 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 1: manor house around which it was built. With its imposing 46 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 1: facade and grand stone pillared entrance gate overlooking the gentle, 47 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:17,920 Speaker 1: rolling hills of the Wiltshire countryside, it was hard not 48 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:22,640 Speaker 1: to wander just what secrets were being kept and discussed inside. 49 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: What was known was that the facility had been set 50 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 1: up sometime in the nineteen thirties after the British War 51 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:33,959 Speaker 1: Department commandeered the nearby tunnels for use as ammunition storage 52 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 1: and later for weapons manufacturing. The tunnels, some of which 53 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 1: dated back to eighteen forty nine, were originally part of 54 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: a quarry network from which a distinct yellow colored limestone 55 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:51,000 Speaker 1: known as bath stone had been extracted. The stone has 56 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 1: been used in buildings throughout the country, most notably in 57 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 1: the town of Bath during the Second World War. The 58 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 1: site also housed an ground operations room responsible for directing 59 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:07,559 Speaker 1: RAF aircraft on their missions, as well as a filter room. 60 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: Staff assigned to the filter room were responsible for filtering 61 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:16,000 Speaker 1: whatever intelligence they came across regarding the movements of opposition forces. 62 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:20,799 Speaker 1: In two thousand, though the wider site surrounding it remained 63 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:26,840 Speaker 1: in operation, RAF Rudlow Manor was officially closed down. As such, 64 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 1: what exactly had gone on there was destined to disappear 65 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 1: into the midst of history, along with the echoes of 66 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:36,599 Speaker 1: all the many women and men who'd worked there over 67 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:41,479 Speaker 1: the years. But then in twenty ten, thanks to the 68 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: arrival of the full provisions of the Freedom of Information 69 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:48,360 Speaker 1: Act in two thousand and five, came a startling revelation. 70 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:57,240 Speaker 1: Are you a proud cat person? You love your cat, 71 00:04:57,480 --> 00:04:59,479 Speaker 1: but there doesn't mean you love having a litter box 72 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 1: in your home. Kitty Poo Club takes care of the 73 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 1: more unpleasant parts of kat ownership so you can get 74 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 1: back to loving your furry friend. Kitty Poo Club is 75 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 1: an all in one litter box solution designed to be 76 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 1: convenient for you every month, Kitty Poo Club delivers an affordable, 77 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 1: high quality, recyclable litter box that's pre filled with the 78 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 1: litter of your choice. The box is a leakproof, eco 79 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:23,839 Speaker 1: friendly and have a fun design for every season. And 80 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:26,600 Speaker 1: when the month is up, just recycle the box and 81 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:29,479 Speaker 1: Kitty Poo Club will automatically deliver a new one to you. 82 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 1: No changing used litter and no more cleaning the box. 83 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:35,279 Speaker 1: So give yourself the gift that keeps on giving the 84 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:38,800 Speaker 1: whole year a Kitty Poo Club subscription. Right now, Kitty 85 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:41,159 Speaker 1: Poo Club is offering you twenty percent off your first 86 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 1: order when you set up autoship by going to kittypooclub 87 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 1: dot com and entering promo code unexplained. Just go to 88 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:52,039 Speaker 1: kittiepooclub dot com and enter promo code unexplained to get 89 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 1: twenty percent off when you set up autoship that's k 90 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 1: I T t y p ooclub dot com and enter 91 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:08,039 Speaker 1: promo code unexplained a checkout. According to journalist doctor David Clark, 92 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 1: since the Freedom of Information Act was ratified in two 93 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:15,119 Speaker 1: thousand before coming fully into force in two thousand and five, 94 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:19,599 Speaker 1: the subject of UFOs were the third most popular subject 95 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:23,599 Speaker 1: of inquiry to the Ministry of Defense. In two thousand 96 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:27,400 Speaker 1: and eight, under the sheer weight of FOI requests, the 97 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 1: mod made the startling decision to release every last UFO 98 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 1: file it had ever collated over the years to the 99 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:38,680 Speaker 1: National Archive. With the release of the files staggered over 100 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 1: the next few years, one set made public in twenty 101 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:47,560 Speaker 1: ten immediately caught the eye. One report detailed the story 102 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 1: of a scientist whose grandfather had worked as one of 103 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:55,600 Speaker 1: Winston Churchill's bodyguards during the Second World War. After the war, 104 00:06:56,000 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 1: the man's grandfather claimed that he'd witnessed Winston Churchill and 105 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:04,200 Speaker 1: U S President Dwight D. Eisenhower agreeing to cover up 106 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:08,920 Speaker 1: a u FO sighting. A mysterious craft had apparently been 107 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 1: seen by an entire ra F crew on their way 108 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 1: back to the UK from a bombing raid in Germany. 109 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 1: The metallic, unidentified object had reportedly approached their plane as 110 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:22,560 Speaker 1: they drew near to the English coast, with some of 111 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:25,280 Speaker 1: the crew believed to have even taken photos of it. 112 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 1: Churchill had allegedly insisted on covering the story up due 113 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:32,800 Speaker 1: to his concerns over mass panic and the effect it 114 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:37,680 Speaker 1: might have on people's religious beliefs. For what really drew 115 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:41,600 Speaker 1: the attention of uthologists and other conspiracy theorists was the 116 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 1: document revealing that not only had there long been a 117 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 1: government department set up to investigate UFO sightings, a fact 118 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 1: long denied by the British Ministry of Defense, but that 119 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:55,720 Speaker 1: the department had been based at none other than ra 120 00:07:55,960 --> 00:08:06,800 Speaker 1: F Rudlow Manor. The department, known as the Flying Complaints 121 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:10,560 Speaker 1: Flight or FCF, was a unit of the RF Police 122 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:15,080 Speaker 1: that formed part of Provost and Security Services, whose principal 123 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:19,880 Speaker 1: responsibilities were to provide security vetting for numerous government departments. 124 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 1: Although the FCF was primarily involved in dealing with complaints 125 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:28,360 Speaker 1: of low flying aircraft or reports of possible aviation accidents, 126 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:34,760 Speaker 1: its remit inevitably strayed into UFO sightings. Things only became 127 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:38,920 Speaker 1: even more intriguing when in two thousand and four, Burlington Bunker, 128 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:43,200 Speaker 1: a vast thirty five acre complex located one hundred and 129 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:47,680 Speaker 1: twenty feet under Rudlow Manor and MO Decaution, was declassified, 130 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:51,680 Speaker 1: revealing that the supposed tunnel network under the site was 131 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 1: far more substantial than previously thought, comprising roughly sixty miles 132 00:08:57,480 --> 00:09:01,240 Speaker 1: of tunnels and two point two million square feet of space. 133 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 1: The bunker, virtually a town in itself, had been built 134 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:07,840 Speaker 1: to accommodate up to four thousand people for up to 135 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:11,800 Speaker 1: three months in the event of nuclear fallout in what 136 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:15,320 Speaker 1: would have comprised an emergency headquarters for the British government. 137 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:19,520 Speaker 1: The bunker also included a fully operational hospital, as well 138 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:24,440 Speaker 1: as a BBC broadcasting studio. To date, the Ministry of 139 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:27,680 Speaker 1: Defense claimed to have released most, if not all, their 140 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:32,760 Speaker 1: UFO files to the National Archive. However, as many have noted, 141 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 1: a large number of files from the nineteen fifties and 142 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:41,280 Speaker 1: sixties have apparently been destroyed. When eighteen files relating to 143 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 1: the Rerendelsham Forest incident, one of the UK's most well 144 00:09:44,559 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 1: known apparent UFO encounters, were discovered to be missing from 145 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:53,160 Speaker 1: the National Archive, the MOD promised to locate them. Although 146 00:09:53,240 --> 00:09:56,200 Speaker 1: the files were later added, some were said by the 147 00:09:56,360 --> 00:10:02,600 Speaker 1: MOD to have been inadvertently destroyed. Today, although r F 148 00:10:02,720 --> 00:10:07,760 Speaker 1: Rudlow Manor is no longer in operation, Modcuum remains fully active, 149 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:11,240 Speaker 1: with a large part of its underground network now home 150 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:16,200 Speaker 1: to the intriguingly blandly titled Cautionum Computer Center, which is 151 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:20,160 Speaker 1: described rather vaguely as a center for processing data in 152 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:24,040 Speaker 1: support of the Royal Navy. The Rudlow Manor House was 153 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:27,040 Speaker 1: put on the market for two million pounds and has 154 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:31,320 Speaker 1: since been sold off. It isn't known who bought it. 155 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 1: If you enjoy Unexplained and would like to help supporters, 156 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:42,360 Speaker 1: you can now do so via Patreon. 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All elements of Unexplained, including 166 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:18,960 Speaker 1: the show's music, are produced by me Richard McClain smith. 167 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:22,480 Speaker 1: Please subscribe and rate the show wherever you listen to podcasts, 168 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:24,960 Speaker 1: and feel free to get in touch with any thoughts 169 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:27,600 Speaker 1: or ideas regarding the stories you've heard on the show. 170 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:30,320 Speaker 1: Perhaps you have an explanation of your own you'd like 171 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:33,760 Speaker 1: to share. You can reach us online at Unexplained podcast 172 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:38,640 Speaker 1: dot com, or Twitter at Unexplained Pod and Facebook at 173 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:42,480 Speaker 1: Facebook dot com. Forward Slash Unexplained Podcast