When a strange aircraft was allegedly found crashed in the town of Roswell, New Mexico 75 years ago it started one of the world’s biggest hunts for alien life.
The Roswell incident on July 2 1947 made millions question whether aliens had in fact visited Earth and crashed in the desert in the United States.
Theories soon began spreading of cover ups and secret facts being hidden from the public by the government.
At the time military authorities shared a press release about the alleged crash which read: "The many rumours regarding the flying disc became a reality yesterday when the intelligence officer of the 509th Bomb Group of the Eighth Air Force, Roswell Army Air Field, was fortunate enough to gain possession of a disc."
World attention was fixed on the small town until 24 hours later when the military changed its story and theories of extra-terrestrial visitations disappeared.
They then started to claim that it was a balloon found in Roswell which had been flying as part of a secret project listening for evidence of Soviet nuclear tests.
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But in 2007 an astonishing twist to the story came to light and reignited claims that aliens did visit Earth in 1947.
Lieutenant Walter Haut worked at the military base near the town in 1947 as a public relations officer.
He was the man behind the original press release which at first announced that a flying disc had been found on the orders of the base commander Colonel William Blanchard.
Haut died in December 2005 and on his deathbed left a sworn affidavit only to be opened after he passed away.
In 2007 his message was released and has cast more doubt on whether the US government’s explanation of the Roswell incident is accurate.
The text claims that the government’s weather balloon explanation was a cover story and that the actual object found by the military was stored in the base’s hangar.
It goes on to describe what Haut had seen and he describes not just an alien aircraft but also claims to have seen alien bodies too.
When he arrived at the military base he was apparently told that a UFO had crashed and a small body recovered.
The affidavit shared after his death describes a meeting at the base with Colonel William Blanchard and General Roger Ramey.
Haut claims that at the gathering pieces of wreckage were passed around but nobody was able to identify the material it was made from
He stated the press release was put out because Roswell residents were aware of the crash site but in fact there was a second site where more debris was found.
He claimed the press release was intended to distract the public’s interest from the second and more important location.
He mentioned a clean up which happened over several months and involved military personnel searching both crash sites for any other pieces of debris left.
During this search any signs of unusual activity were erased to cover up what had really happened.
Haut recalls how he was taken into one of the hangars at Roswell called Building 84 where he saw the craft.
He describes it as a metallic egg-shaped object around 12 to 15 feet in length and around 6 feet wide.
His account described it as windowless and without wings, a tail, landing gear or any other features.
Two bodies were on the floor and partially covered, he claimed, and were around 4 feet tall with large heads.
Haut concluded his note: "I am convinced that what I personally observed was some kind of craft and its crew from outer space."
During most of Haut’s life he played down any theories about alien life being discovered.
It is not known whether he felt compelled to tell the truth on his deathbed or if he felt guilty at being part of any potential cover up.
The only thing that is known for sure is that the Roswell incident has never gone away and continues to attract attention from around the world over claims that alien life was found and hidden away.
