Description of Object

The object itself was clearly visible as a massive chunk of rock tumbling over and over as it slowly crossed the sky. It emitted flames at the front, which wrapped around it and trailed behind, leaving a 2-degree-wide dense trail of black smoke from horizon to horizon.

Date

I did not record the exact date but it happened about the beginning of  November 1944.[NOTE:WE NOW HAVE TWO (RECENTLY DISCOVERED) NEWSPAPER REPORTS THAT PUT THE DATE AS NOV 1 1944--PNA]

Time of Day

It was early morning, probably 9 to 10am.[NEWSPAPER REPORTS INDICATE TIME OF DAY AS BETWEEN 3pm and 4pm-PNA]

Place of Sighting

I was serving in the British Royal Air Force , on an air-crew training scheme, at the RAF Hillside Camp, Bulawayo, and was on Guard duty at the Camp Main Gate.
I was based at this camp from 23 October to January 4 1944, and from memory I had been there for about 2 to 3 weeks when the sighting was made.

Direction of Trajectory

Not known, but probably the object was traveling towards the NW horizon as the sun was behind me.[SINCE IT IS NOW LIKELY THAT THE OBJECT WAS SEEN IN THE AFTERNOON-BASED ON NEWSPAPER REPORTS-THE DIRECTION IT WAS TRAVELING WAS DUE SOUTH NOT NORTH--MORE INFORMATION WILL BE GIVEN WHEN REPORTS HAVE BEEN FURTHER INVESTIGATED-Phil Appleton]
(Note added by P. Appleton: My father indicated that the object was maintaining the same altitude as it passed over head. It was not falling or rising --despite the appearance in the picture which is a perspective effect).

Height of Object
I guess at about 50,000 feet.

Size of Object

Massive. I can compare its size with the wing profile of the 747's we see over here flying at 35,000 ft, and say categorically that the meteorite was not less than twice the size of the 747, i. e. about 400 to 500 ft across.
(Note added by P. Appleton: Of course the size would depend on the assumed altitude--but if this is correct the object could have exceeded 100 m in size).

Weather Conditions

Full daylight, clear blue sky, with scattered small cumulus and small amounts of haze near ground level. Cloud base was about 4000 ft. Little or no wind.

Angles of sighting

The object appeared from out of the clouds to the left of me, at an angle of about 40 degrees above the horizon, passing me with a maximum angle of subtention of about 60 degrees, then disappearing into the haze and clouds to my right, at approximately 400 degrees above the horizon.

Time Meteor was in View

Between four and five minutes

Sounds and Assumed Speed

As there was no sonic bang, the object was traveling below Mach one. No sound was emitted by the meteorite until it was well past it's zenith and disappearing into the clouds. When the sound arrived, it was a very loud continuous roar similar to that of thunder.[NEWSPAPER REPORTS INDICATE A SHARP "Crack" ASSOCIATED WITH THE EVENT--IT MAY HAVE BEEN A SONIC BOOM--MORE LATER--It is interesting to note that supersonic aircraft were not yet a reality and so the sound of a sonic boom was not commonly recognizable at that time]

Note: This event occurred over 50 years ago, but I can still remember almost every visual detail. It is only a pity that I had not made a note of the date, exact time and direction of the object. Although I was aware that I was seeing something unusual, I regret that I did not at the time realize it's significance.

Norman Appleton
Malton, North Yorkshire
11th September 2000

apple@ipac.caltech.edu