Trench, (William) Brinsley Le Poer (1911-1995)

Distinguished British authority on UFOs. He is the 8th Earl of Clancarty and a member of the House of Lords, where he introduced a serious debate on UFOs January 18, 1979. This was a historic occasion—the first on which this subject had been discussed by the British Parliament.

Born September 18, 1911, Trench is the fifth son of the fifth Earl of Clancarty and of Mary Gwatkin. He was educated at Nautical College, Pangbourne. His interest in UFOs extends over thirty years. After World War II, he noticed many reports of UFO sightings and began to collect press cuttings on the subject. Through a meeting with Desmond Leslie, he was encouraged to attend a lecture on flying saucers at Battersea Polytechnic, London.

Trench, Derek Dempster (aviation correspondent of the British newspaper Daily Express ), and other interested individuals founded a company named Flying Saucer Service Ltd. and commenced publication of a magazine Flying Saucer Review. The first edition appeared in spring 1955 with Derek Dempster as editor, followed by Trench in September 1956, then in September 1959 by Waveney Girvan. When Girvan died, the magazine was edited by Charles Bowen. After 25 years of publication, this remains the first authoritative British publication on the subject of UFOs. It is now included in the House of Lords library.

In 1967, Trench founded Contact International, a worldwide UFO organization with members in 37 different countries. His interest led to his writing a variety of books including some which moved from ufology to a consideration of the ancient astronaut hypothesis.

He died May 18, 1995.

Sources:

Trench, Brinsley Le Poer. The Eternal Subject. London: Souvenir, 1973.

——. The Flying Saucer Story. London: Neville Spearman, 1966.

——. Forgotten Heritage. London: Neville Spearman, 1964.

——. Men Among Mankind. London: Neville Spearman, 1962.

——. Operation Earth. London: Neville Spearman, 1969.

——. Secret of the Ages: UFOs From Inside the Earth. London: Souvenir Press, 1974.

——. The Sky People. London: Neville Spearman, 1960.

Who's Who 1996. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1996.