Canadian Radio-Engineer and UFO-Researcher (1910-1962)
Wilbert
Brockhouse
Smith
was born in Lethbridge. in the providence of Alberta - Canada, on the 17th of February, 1910.
Early in life his he displayed an eager interest in the nature of things and at the age of 15 he wrote a treatise
on the concept of perpetual motion. He was also the author of several scientific novels.
After having obtained his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of
British Columbia, he joined the staff of radio stacion C.J.O.R., Vancouver, in 1935, where he remained
for four years and became chief engineer.
In 1939 he joined the Department of Transport of Canada,
where he continued his work in the broadcasting field and deserved much credit in advancing the technical
aspects of broadcasting in Canada. He participated in the development of Frequency Modulation and television
broadcasting agreements between Canada and the United States.
In June 1942 Wilbert married Murl James. They took up residence at 10 Lotta Street, City View, on the outskirts of
Ottawa in 1950. During World War II he was responsible for the establishment of a network of ionosoheric
measurement stations throughout Canada. In December 1950, following his request to the Department of
Transport, Project Magnet was authorized and permission granted to make use of the Departments
laboratory and field facilities, in a study of Unidentified Flying Objects and the physical principles which might be
involved.
Smith established the world's first
flying sauccer sighting station" at Shirley bay, outside Ottawa in November 1953.
This station consisted of a small wooden DRB building, containing some highly sophisticated instrumentation
specially adapted to detect flying saucers. These instruments were: a gamma-ray counter, a magnetometer, a
radio receiver, and a recording gravimeter. These four instruments produced traces on a multiplepen graphical
recorder which was checked periodically to note any disturbances.
At 3:01 p.m , August 8, 1954, the station registered a definite disturbance, quite different from disturbances
registered by passing aircraft. Smith and his
colleagues were alerted by a built-in alarm system. Regrettably,
heavy fog prevailed and it was impossible to see anything overhead. The recorded evidence, however,
indicated that something strange had flown within feet of the station.
Unfortunately Project Magnet was plagued by well-meaning but misguided
journalists, to an extent where those who were involved in the project, and the Department, found themselves in
an embarresing position. Project Magnet was therefore officially dropped on August 10, 1954 and
continued to operate strictly as a private venture.
In 1952, the Canadian Government set up a special committee representing various departments, to consider
the UFO problem and to recommend government action.
Wilbert Smith was a member of this group, which was identified as Project Second Storey.
Smith's work on UFOs made him Canada's leading authority on the subject.
In 1957 he was appointed superintendent of Radio Regulations Engineering, responsible for the engineering
aspects of all matters concerning the use of radio in Canada, including equipment standards, radio relay systems,
broadcast facilities and inferference studies.
On January 11, 1959 while speaking at an local conference in Ottawa,
Smith stated: "Various items of (UFO)
hardware are known to exist, but are slapped into security and are not avaible to the general public."
In 1961 Smith wrote the following words to Mr Fitch.. "You seem to be most interested in UFO
'hardware' There is a great deal of this around, most of it in U.S. official (Not USAF!) hands; but there is quite
a bit in private hands as well."
It discovered in May of 1962 that Wilbert Smith was afflicted with cancer and after a
valiant struggle, he died on December 27, 1962. at the age of 52.
Wilbert Smith's (WBS) world famous meeting with Robert I Sarbacher (RIS) at the
Canadian Embassy on
September 15, 1950
WBS: I am doing some work on the collapse of the earth's magnetic field as a source of energy, and I
think our work may have a bearing on flying saucers.
RIS: What do you want to know?
WBS: I have read (Frank) Scully's book on the saucers and I would like to know how much of it is true.
RIS: the facts reported in the book are substantially correct.
WBS: Then the saucers exist?
RIS: Yes, they exist.
WBS: Do they operate as Scully suggests on magnetic principle?
RIS: We have not been able to duplicate their performance.
WBS: So they come from some other planet?
RIS: All we know is, that we didn't make them, and it's pretty certain they didn't originate on the earth.
WBS: I understand the whole subject of saucers is classified.
RIS: Yes, it is classified two points higher than the H-bomb. In fact. it is the most highly classified subject
in the U.S. government at the present time.
WBS: May I ask the reason for this classification?
RIS: You may ask. but I can't tell you.
WBS: Is there any way in which I can get some information, particularly as it might fit in with our own
work?
RIS: I suppose you could be cleared through your own Defense Department and I am pretty sure
arrangements could be made to exchange information. If you have anything to contribute we would be glad to
talk it over, but I can't give you any more at the present time.
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