July of 1947 was a banner month for the practical jokers.  A Seattle, Wash., woman excitedly reported to police that a flaming flying disc had landed on her roof.   The object, which was quickly extinguished, was turned over to the Federal agents and examined by Navy bomb and electronics experts.   It consisted of a 28 inch circular piece of plywood cupped up on two sides and held in position by a wire stretched across the center.   The letters "USSR" and "EYR" and a hammer and sickle were painted on the disc in white.   Two radio tubes and a quart cylindrical shaped oil can were mounted on pieces of bakelite inside the object and a cloth saturated  with a turpentine-like substance and charred from burning was attached to it. Final consensus was that the disc could not fly and was undoubtedly the work of practical jokers.

FBI FILE on Seattle Retrieval
 
THE "USSR" RETRIEVAL
FBI Teletype
July 16, 1947

Federal Bureau of Investigations
U.S. Department of Justice
COMMUNICATIONS SECTION

Director ... URGENT
RE: FLYING DISKS.

A source in Seattle "reported flying disk had landed on her roof about nine forty two PM last night, that it was burning" but "immediately extinguished.  She also advised ONI [Office of Naval Intelligence], and disk fell short distance from their offices."  Agents were "immediately dispatched to scene," taking the disk to ONI offices where it was examined by Navy and Air electronics experts.  The object measured about 28 inches.

"Mounted on pieces of bakelite in the center of the inside of the disk were two radio tubes, which were wired up and also so mounted was about a quart type of cylindrical shaped oil can to which was fitted a short piece of rubber tubing running from can to entrance to a piece of one inch [word obliterated by stamp mark] about fourteen inches long.  The pipe extended through the disk and at the outer end of the pipe was about a six inch piece of cloth which was wound about and stuck into the end of the pipe."

Observing the hammer and sickle plus the odd words, analysts suggested that "EYR" was actually "RYE printed backward".

"Consensus of all present" was that "disk could not fly.  Disk presently in possession of ONI Seattle and so investigation being conducted.  No publicity thus far and no comment being made in event press inquiries are received."

[Entry in right-hand corner appears to name the author as "MAYNOR"]

"END"

"2-22 PM OK FBI WA   NM"