Sergeant James W Penniston says a code was downloaded into his mind after touching a UFO in Suffolk 40 years ago – and it allegedly contains coordinates to ancient sites with a cryptic message
08:00, 05 Jan 2026Updated 08:13, 05 Jan 2026
The encounter baffled the USAF(Image: Michael Ver Sprill via Getty Images)
Four decades ago, a Suffolk forest became the epicentre of an infamous UFO sighting that would not only mystify scientists for years to come but also send shockwaves through the United States Air Force (USAF).
However, the secret code linked to this event would remain under wraps for many years. On 26 and 28 December, 1980, USAF security personnel reported witnessing an unusual orange light descending into the forest. Subsequently, RAF Woodbridge deputy base commander Lt Col Charles Halt penned a memo to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), detailing an encounter with what seemed to be a UFO in Rendlesham forest, as per BBC reports. One serviceman, Sergeant James W Penniston, alleged he came face-to-face with the mysterious craft in the forest. In his revealing book ‘The Rendlesham Enigma: Book 1: Timeline’, Penniston claims that after touching the unidentified object, a code was telepathically implanted into his mind.
A number of books have been published by witnesses(Image: Getty Images)
Nearly four decades post the incident, Penniston made the code public. The cryptic sequence purportedly includes coordinates leading to ancient sites and a message that some Reddit users interpret as a communication from future humans, reports the Daily Star.
Penniston alleges his message read:
Exploration of Humanity 666 8100.
52.0942532N 13.131269W (Note: This coordinate might be inaccurately transcribed due to its pointing to the Atlantic Ocean, suggesting a possible error in the original message or its interpretation. ).
Continuous For Planetary ADVAN?
?
?
Fourth Coordinate Continuout UQS CbPR BEFORE.
16.763177N 89.117768W.
34.800272N 111.843567W.
29.977836N 31.131649E.
14.701505S 75.167043W.
36.256845N 117.100632E.
37.110195N 25.372281E.
Eyes of Your Eyes.
Origin 52.0942532N 13.131269W.
Origin Year 8100.
USAF security policeman John Burroughs, who ventured out to examine the sighting, claimed he spotted a beacon deep within the woodland, flickering with green, red, orange and white lights before a brilliant white flash erupted and a crimson, oval, sun-like craft materialised in the clearing. The object soared above the treeline before shooting off at lightning speed. Burroughs, who dedicated 27 years to the US military, revealed: “It’s been a crazy 40 years [since the encounter]. Just when you think the story is over, another thing happens.”
Some say the sighting remains unexplained(Image: Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF)
Journalist and scholar Dr David Clarke, whose freedom of information requests resulted in the MoD releasing their Rendlesham files, insisted the initial encounter witnessed by USAF security personnel remains unexplained. “There is still an element of mystery. What happened to those three guys on the first night I still find baffling. Maybe they did see something that was inexplicable,” he said. Ministry of Defence (MoD) official Simon Weeden declared the Rendlesham allegations were deemed to hold “no defence significance”.
Weeden, who departed the MoD in 1988, was the initial investigator of Lt Col Halt’s memo. Weeden stated: “Nearly always the reports we got were from ordinary members of the public. This one was very unusual in that it came from a military source. Once we had been through all the basic checks and found there was nothing seen on radar – no obvious explanation, no obvious threat to air defence – we decided no further action was needed.”