Cedric Allingham

The Hoax

Cedric Allingham is not a real person but a fictional character created by British astronomer Patrick Moore and his friend Peter Davies as an elaborate practical joke and satirical critique of the UFO research community. Published under the pseudonym Cedric Allingham, Flying Saucer from Mars became a bestseller in 1954–1955 and remained one of the most famous early contactee narratives until the hoax was definitively exposed in 1986.

The Lossiemouth Encounter

The book recounted an alleged meeting on 18 February 1954 between "Cedric Allingham" and an extraterrestrial pilot near Lossiemouth, Scotland, while on holiday in a caravan. According to the account, Allingham encountered a landed spacecraft and communicated telepathically with its humanoid occupant, who identified himself as a Martian explorer. The alien reportedly indicated visits to Venus and the Moon. Allingham claimed to have captured several blurry photographs of both the craft and the alien's figure (photographed from behind), presented as photographic proof of the encounter.

Evidence and Witnesses

To lend credibility to his account, Allingham included a signed statement from "James Duncan," a local fisherman who allegedly witnessed the event from a nearby hill. This supporting witness testimony was reproduced in the published book—but Duncan was entirely fictitious, a testament to the hoax's deliberate construction.

The photographs themselves were deliberately blurry, anticipating and predating the low-quality imagery that would become standard in UFO photography. The rear-view photograph of the alleged Martian was later revealed to show Peter Davies wearing an outfit complete with suspenders, photographed from behind.

Satire and Context

Moore's hoax was partly a parody of George Adamski's earlier and highly credulous 1953 bestseller Flying Saucers Have Landed, which had launched the modern contactee movement. Moore, a prolific author and television personality known for his wit and humor, designed the Allingham hoax to expose methodological flaws and uncritical reasoning in ufology research. The timing coincided with peak public interest in UFO sightings following the wave of sightings across the UK in the early 1950s.

Exposure and Legacy

For over three decades, Cedric Allingham remained a canonical reference in UFO literature, cited in serious works and widely believed to be genuine. Moore initially denied authorship and even threatened legal action against anyone claiming he had created the hoax—a tactic that added layers of obfuscation.

In 1986, journalists Christopher Allan and Steuart Campbell definitively revealed the hoax through their research, exposing the fabricated witness, the identity of the "Martian," and Moore's involvement. This revelation was a watershed moment in UFO historiography, demonstrating how easily even well-documented-seeming cases could deceive the research community when critical vetting was absent.

Historical Significance

The Allingham hoax remains one of the most instructive cases in UFO research, illustrating the dangers of uncritical acceptance of eyewitness testimony and photographic evidence without rigorous investigation. It exposed real gaps in the methodology and skepticism of 1950s ufology and continues to serve as a cautionary tale for researchers evaluating extraordinary claims.