The events of the story bear a very striking semblance to the events that have been dubbed “The Berwyn (or Welsh) Roswell Incident”, which occurred near to the village of Llandrillo, just north of Bala. Though Caru never mentions the story’s village name there can be little doubt that he had Llandrillo in mind. On evening of January 26th, 1974, seven years after Caru was last seen, the inhabitants of the village witnessed a minor earthquake and a boleid meteorite passing overhead. This was indeed a rare coincidence, but august geographical and astronomical bodies will confirm that these occurrences did take place that evening, albeit an hour apart. For about fifteen years the events were only of import to those who could remember them, but around 1989 stories began to circulate that the events were linked and involved the crash of a UFO into the west facing side of Cadair Berwyn, the highest peak of the Berwyn range. Villagers were interviewed and quoted by ufologists and a story of a MOD cover-up emerged. Not only was a space craft supposedly recovered, but there rumours of alien bodies being found; one even reportedly alive.

Against this is the official data of a quake and reported meteorite sightings that night, together with no evidence of anything having crashed into the hillside. The reports of military activity a couple of hours after the events are said to be a result of confusion over an RAF plane crash two years previously. Lights on the hillside were more likely to be poachers with powerful lamps, as described in Caru’s story. Several so-called eye witnesses to the mysterious events could not be traced later. Rumours of Men in Black arriving a couple of days after the incidents can easily be explained by the presence of data collectors for the British Geological Society. This was pre-internet days, and information from the databases was best collected by this method. It would all seem to be entirely natural. However, there is one official letter in existence, on MOD paper and bearing £1 MOD stamps, which alludes to something different to the official reports. At least it has spawned a tourist souvenir stamp, something Caru would have been so proud of despite it not referencing him at all.

Nevertheless, this all detracts from the similarities between actual events, the later conspiracy-style theories, and Caru’s tale. When did Caru write the story – forgery or bogus has been discounted by scientific analysis? And why was this story one of the few not to have been found with all his other works after his disappearance? We cannot entirely rule out the possibility that Caru did indeed live on after 1967. His dislike of anything official would ensure that he would in all likelihood be untraceable should he have decided to move on  …. Even at the age of 93!
The foundation though is convinced that Caru wrote the story in the early 1960s when UFO had peaked. It may have been written in order wipe clean a bar slate. Perhaps even at a pub run by an ex-military gentleman. Over the next two decades it remained hidden, or forgotten. But the re-discovery of it could well have sparked the Welsh Roswell rumours. Of course, those behind the rumours would not wish to let it be known that their theories came from a short work of fiction, so hurriedly went back to the area and asked questions; and heard only what they wanted to hear. If the interviewees had read the story previously, that may have influenced their recollections of January 1974.

Don’t forget to look for the wordplays in the story. Caru does appear to be hinting at something.