On 24 September 1947, a memo from FBI Assistant Director D M Ladd to FBI Director J Edgar Hoover summarises, and attaches, the 3 September 1947 memo from Colonel R H Smith (Assistant Chief of Staff Intelligence) which stated the FBI had been asked to assist the Air Force in UFO investigations “to relieve the numbered Air Forces of the task of tracking down all the many instances which turned out to be ash can covers, toilet seats and whatnot”. Mr Ladd recommended that the FBI “protest vigorously” and that the FBI discontinue all activity in this field.
Complete images of relevant memo available online at pages 20-21 (of 77) in Part 4 (of 16 parts) of the UFO material on the FBI’s FOIA website at the link below:
