William Booth Gill

William Booth Gill was an Australian Anglican missionary stationed at the Boianai Mission on the southeast coast of what was then the Australian Territory of Papua and New Guinea. He had served there for several years before the famous events of June 1959.

By all contemporary accounts:

He was regarded as educated, calm, and trustworthy.
He was not known for sensational claims.
Before the incident, he was actually skeptical of UFO reports from local residents, preferring conventional explanations whenever possible. In a letter written just before the main sighting, he expressed caution about interpreting strange lights as extraterrestrial craft.

This skepticism is one reason the case has remained significant among researchers.

The Boianai Incident

On the evening of June 26, 1959, Gill noticed a bright object approaching the mission around sunset.

Over the next several hours:

Approximately 38 witnesses observed the object.
Gill later prepared a written report.
Twenty-five witnesses signed the statement, confirming what they had seen.

The object was described as:

Disc-shaped
Brightly illuminated
Hovering silently
Equipped with several "legs" or protrusions beneath it

The most unusual aspect was what appeared to be human-like figures standing on top of the craft.

The famous "waving" incident

One detail has made this case especially famous.

Gill reported that the figures seemed to be working or moving about on the upper surface of the object.

To attract their attention:

Gill and others waved.
The figures appeared to wave back.
A flashlight was later used to signal toward the object.
According to Gill, the craft responded by rocking or changing position.

Whether one interprets this as genuine interaction or misinterpretation, it remains one of the very few historical mass sightings that included an apparent exchange of gestures.

Multiple nights

The sightings were not limited to a single evening.

Objects reportedly returned on June 27 and were seen again by numerous witnesses. Gill documented multiple observations over consecutive nights, describing both a larger craft and several smaller luminous objects nearby.

Why researchers consider Gill important

The case is frequently cited because it includes several unusual strengths:

A highly credible primary witness.
Many independent eyewitnesses.
A report written immediately after the events.
Multiple signed statements.
Observations lasting several hours rather than a few seconds.
Follow-up investigations years later that found several witnesses still gave consistent accounts.