The 1954 French flap:

Passing through Lessard-le-National

A Châlons merchant testifies

HAVING SEEN

A "Flying Cigar"

A few days ago, around 7:15 p.m., while making deliveries, Mr. René Beaufort, director of the Commercial Counter of Saône-et-Loire in Châlons, was driving a truck on the road to Demigny. As he reached the exit of the woods of Lessard-le-National, his attention was caught by the presence of a dark mass, which he initially took for a stationary vehicle.

Suddenly stopping, the Châlons merchant leaped out of his vehicle, as he had distinctly seen in his headlights the silhouette of a metallic object with an elongated shape, similar to the "flying cigar" already described multiple times by other witnesses in newspapers.

He barely had time to take a few steps before the mysterious craft disappeared before his eyes, moving vertically, propelled by a combustion system strangely reminiscent of that produced by a blowtorch.

Two truck drivers from Mores-Saint-Denis, who were closely following Mr. Beaufort's vehicle, confirmed his account. He remained extremely reserved about the event until the following day when, passing through Lessard-le-National again, he noticed that the mysterious craft had left a large imprint on the embankment.

FLYING SAUCERS SEEN IN SANTENAY-LES-BAINS AND SURROUNDING AREAS

Several residents of Côte-d'Or reported seeing a spherical luminous object emitting a bright green glow in the sky on Sunday evening around 8:45 p.m., moving southward. This statement seems to align with those of several people from Santenay-les-Bains, including Mr. Bernard Legros, 25 years old, manager of the Docks Bourguignons.

Returning from Epinac-les-Mines around 8:45 p.m. with his wife, his mother-in-law Mrs. Rizet, and his aunt Mrs. Réty, Mr. Legros, while between La Garenne and Saisy-la-Forêt, saw a luminous ball moving rather slowly and silently in his direction, losing altitude. Mr. Legros immediately stopped, as did several other motorists, and all watched (not without fear) for about five minutes as the luminous craft maneuvered before suddenly disappearing in the direction of Le Creusot.

The craft, they stated, was orange in color and seemed to be topped with a kind of dome with a dark greenish glow.

Flying saucers

[Photo caption:] The witnesses from Saturday evening are certain, "We saw a cylinder" (Photo B.P.)

Continued from the first page

And Mrs. Gainait concludes: "You know, before, I didn't believe in these craft, but today I have no choice—because I saw one!"

"I SAW AN ORANGE DISC AS BIG AS MY STOVE!"

Obviously... But there's something even more disturbing. Two days later, on Monday, the cylinder returned to Poncey—this time transformed into a classic flying disc.

It was 7:30 p.m. A young woman, Mrs. Fourneret, née Thérèse Thieblot, 23 years old, was about to close the shutters of her bedroom in the small house she shares with her husband next to the asbestos factory. Suddenly, through the open window, just fifty meters away, she saw a disc emitting a soft orange glow, flattened at both ends—"as big as a stove," said Mrs. Fourneret—which appeared to be hovering above a plum tree in the nearby meadow.

Panic-stricken, Mrs. Fourneret ran to her neighbor's house. The two terrified women locked themselves in and waited an hour for their husbands to return.

Armed with rifles (just in case!), and equipped with flashlights, the men went out to "have a look."

INEXPLICABLE TRACES

At the spot where the saucer had "landed" in the meadow, they found fresh traces.

We saw these traces. What did they look like?

A rectangular area measuring 1.5 meters by 0.6 meters had been cleared of weeds and the soil leveled, as if compacted. Around the area, in a circle about ten meters wide, uprooted clumps of soil were scattered. Curiously, perennial plants like dandelions and couch grass remained rooted, which suggests that this wasn't done with any common tool. A farmer, Mr. Cazet, the mayor of Poncey, stated firmly: "These are not tool marks... It's too perfectly done," he declared.

That's where things stand today. Chief Clément of the Sainte-Seine-l'Abbaye gendarmerie visited the site. Captain Millet from the Semur division has opened an investigation. Is this a well-orchestrated hoax? If so, kudos to the clever prankster—and no hard feelings!

On that note, we should mention that in the days before the sighting, Mrs. Fourneret had been the target of "friendly jokes" from local residents. In fact, the infamous group of pranksters had planned to trick her into believing a saucer had landed... But they were too late—"the real one" had already landed in the meantime... So, what now?

A LUMINOUS BALL IN SANTENAY-LES-BAINS

Several residents of Côte-d'Or saw a spherical luminous object emitting a bright green glow, moving through the sky toward the south. This account matches reports from several people in Santenay-les-Bains, including Mr. Bernard Legros, 25, manager of the Docks Bourguignons.

On Sunday evening, October 2, around 8:45 p.m., Mr. Legros was between La Garenne and Saisy-la-Forêt when he saw a glowing ball moving slowly and silently toward him, losing altitude. Mr. Legros immediately stopped, as did several other motorists, and all watched (not without fear) for about five minutes as the luminous craft maneuvered, then suddenly disappeared in the direction of Le Creusot.

The craft, he said, was orange in color and appeared to have a kind of dome on top, glowing with a greenish-black light.

A MOTORIST FROM CHALON COMES FACE-TO-FACE WITH A "CIGAR" THAT IMMEDIATELY TAKES OFF

On Monday, around 7:15 p.m., Mr. Beaufort, director of the Commercial Counter in Chalon-sur-Saône, was driving on the road to Demigny when, at the edge of the woods of Lessard-le-National, he spotted in his headlights the silver fuselage of one of those infamous "cigars" resting on the embankment. He didn't have time to get out of his car before the craft took off vertically, accompanied by flame jets resembling a blowtorch. Truck drivers from Mores-Saint-Denis, who were following Mr. Beaufort, also saw the craft.

The next day, passing again by the spot where the "cigar" had landed, Mr. Beaufort noticed deep tracks on the embankment.

THURSDAY 7 OCTOBER: A CHALON REISDENT AUTOMOBILIST COMES FACE TO FACE WITH A CIGAR -

On Monday, around 7:15 p.m., Mr. Beaufort, director of the Comptoir commercial in Châlon sur Saône, drove by car on the road of Domigny when, on the edge of the wood of Léssard National, he saw in the glow of his headlights, posed on the sloped edge of the road, the silver fuselage of one of these famous "cigars". He had no time to get off the car as the craft took off vertically with flames like a "welding lamp". Truckers from Morey St Denis, who were following Mr. Beaufort, also saw the craft. Finally, going back to the place where the "cigar" had landed the next day, Mr. Beaufort noticed the presence of deep marks on the embankment.

SIMILARITIES WITH HELICOPTERS:

04/10/54 Lessard-le-Nationnal (71) à 1 9h 1 S un cigare argenté posé au sol décolle verticalement, une trace est trouvée.

3967: 1954/10/04 19:20 1 4:50:20 E 46:52:20 N 3333 WEU FRN S&L 7:6

LESSARD-le-NATIONAL,FR:1/CAR:SLVR CGR STOPS VERTICAL WHEN HIT/HEADLITES:TRACES

Ref#194 LUMIERES dans la NUIT.(LDLN France) Issue No. 319 : ROAD+RAILS

On this Day

October 4

[...]

1954 - On a road in Lessard-le-National, France at 7:20 p.m., a silver cigar-shaped object stopped in a vertical position when illuminated by car headlights. Landing traces found nearby. (Source: Lumieres dans la Nuit, issue no. 319).

[...]

*Oct. 4, 1954 - On a road in Lessard-le-National, France at 7:20 p.m., a silver cigar-shaped object stopped in a vertical position when illuminated by car headlights. Landing traces found nearby. (Source: Lumieres dans la Nuit, issue no. 319).