Rear Adm. Knowles

Rear Admiral Herbert Knowles was a U.S. Navy officer whose career included high-level positions, serving as a neighbor to UFO contactee Frances Swan in the 1950s. Swan, receiving messages via automatic writing from an entity named 'Affa,' approached Knowles for assistance in relaying them to the Secretary of Defense, drawing him into early UFO contactee lore. According to Nick Redfern's 'Final Events,' this incident alarmed the 'Collins Elite,' a purported government group viewing UFOs as demonic, who saw it as a satanic ploy targeting Knowles' influence. Knowles later endorsed UFO reality by accepting a position on the NICAP Board of Governors, stating he was glad to be listed as a 'believer' in UFOs and support scientific investigation against government secrecy. Birth and death years are not specified in available records; his primary role was in naval command amid tangential UAP involvement through testimony facilitation and public advocacy.