On the morning of 9th November 1979, Robert (Bob) Taylor, previously a tank driver at Dunkirk during WWII, now a foreman forester, was walking through Dechmont Woods with his dog. His job that morning was to look out for any stray sheep that might have wandered into the area. As he turned a corner, there was a clearing. Robert froze to the spot and stared at what he was faced with. A large dome-shaped object hovered above the grass. He reported that it “was dark grey all over and was roughly textured, and it was also completely silent. It had a flange going around its circumference of which sticking up from this flange, were several spikes.” He also saw several dark circular spaces, but he was not sure if they were windows. As he continued to stare in shock and disbelief, parts of the object began to disappear so that he could actually see the trees behind it. It then began to materialise again. His dog by now was barking furiously at the strange sight, just as several smaller round, spiked objects, which looked similar to WWII sea mines, dropped out of the object and rushed towards him. He reported that they made a strange sound, like suction, on the ground. The next thing Bob knew, the objects were either side of him and the spikes had attached themselves to each side of his trousers. They began pulling him towards the large UFO. Bob began to smell a strong burning odour and heard a whooshing sound. Terrified, he passed out.

When he came round, approximately twenty minutes later, he could barely move or speak. He had an excruciating migraine and he was nauseous. He crawled to his van, but couldn’t speak on his radio. He backed into a ditch and now couldn’t get out again! Poor Bob staggered through the woods, thankfully knowing a short cut home. He got there about 11.15am. When she saw him, his wife thought he had been assaulted. Distraught and clothes torn, Bob uttered the immortal words “I’ve been attacked…by a spaceship.” His boss and doctor, who arrived on the scene soon afterwards, said that Bob was not the type to tell stories for a joke. The medical examination revealed no head injury or neurological condition. His blood pressure was normal.

On examination of the scene where the incident took place, physical evidence was discovered. Forty holes were found that were about ten cm across and no more than the same deep. The Livingston Police also investigated the scene and had it forensically analysed. The police were baffled, but did believe Bob, and took the case very seriously indeed.

The incident was investigated by Malcolm Robinson, whose group Strange Phenomena Investigations (SPI) was born that very day. This case was to fuel his appetite for many more future investigations, and a life-long commitment to UFO and paranormal research. Congratulations to Malcolm on the 35th anniversary of SPI. The full story of the Bob Taylor Livingston Incident can be read in Malcolm’s book “UFO Case Files of Scotland”.

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Blog dedicated to Malcolm Robinson and the late Robert Taylor.