The 1954 French flap:

FLYING SAUCERS
in the sky of Paris
... and elsewhere

Paris, 6. -- Several Parisians have seen flying saucers moving in the sky of the capital. Passers-by claimed to have seen one near the Porte Dorée.

Mr. Pierre Allouis, a cardboard representative, was on his way to his business by taxi when the vehicle was stopped by a red traffic light. Hearing, he said, a shrill whistling sound, he looked out of the door and saw a flying object escaping high, leaving in its wake a plume of smoke.

Mr. Allouis describes the saucer as a disc larger than a normal plane and silver in color.

The same testimony is given by Mr. Gilbert Bacon, living at 25, faubourg St-Antoine, and by Mr. Paul Julien, house painter who lives at 3, rue de la Pompe. The latter, however, believes that it is not a saucer but a flying wing that takes the shape of a triangle with rounded edges.

At Le Bourget, it is explained that, given the intensity of air traffic, it is impossible to confirm by radar the passage of the craft at an insufficiently specified hour. Also, the radar can only record the passage of a heavier-than-air by a luminous spot regardless of the nature of the craft.

Clermont - Ferrand. -- Two saucers were seen in the Clermont sky. The first 10 kms from Beaumont. It was moving West-East. The witnesses declared that the object approached them and became less and less brilliant. When it was only 150 meters away, they felt a "curious feeling" and were like

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'Flying saucers'

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nailed on the spot. At that moment there was a smell of nitro-benzine. Soon the craft moved away, the discomfort ceased and the saucer disappeared.

The other saucer was seen above the hills of Chanturgues near Clermont. It moved vertically and was bright white.

A saucer also appeared in Billom to a group of 30 people. The craft was flying above the city. It was moving horizontally. It was visible for 3 or 4 minutes before disappearing. A bright light was emitted from the craft.

Saint - Brieuc. -- Several residents of Saint-Brieuc saw a flying saucer which took the shape of a cigar before disappearing. They were able to observe it for over an hour.

The same phenomenon was observed in Trégueux where a cyclist went home frightened by what he had seen.

La Rochelle. -- Several people from Thouare-sur-Vie (Vendée) saw in the sky ten luminous objects having an elongated shape and which passed at very high speed and high altitude.

La Rochelle. -- Mr. and Mrs. Guillemoteau were in front of their farm when they saw, about a meter from the ground, a spherical saucer which might have measured 2 to 3 meters in height and with a diameter of 5 meters. The craft, which produced no noise, stopped for a few minutes, then climbed vertically. Mr. Guillemoteau, the next day, went to the place where he had seen the craft and was able to find oily traces on the grass.

Finally, saucers, discs, cigars, spheres and other flying objects were seen in Quend (Somme), Grandvilliers (territory of Belfort), in Magnac-Laval (Haute-Vienne), in Saint-Jean-d'Angély (Charente-Maritime), in Forges (Corrèze), Perros-Guirec (Côtes du Nord), etc., etc.

Saucers
Italian style

Mantua, 6. -- Traffic was interrupted for more than an hour in central Mantua by groups of people gathered to observe a strange "white object" which, at a high height, was clearly visible on the blue sky background.

After having carried out extremely rapid moves, the craft, of spherical shape - and which according to certain witnesses, was part of "a formation of flying saucers" - remained for some time motionless in the sky, before disappearing on the horizon.

Also, the "Martians" seem to also want to visit Italy. Indeed, a Roverbella fisherman in the province of Mantua, said that he had been approached by a "mysterious individual", dressed in red, who reportedly talked to him in "unintelligible words" and who reportedly quickly moved away before the fisherman had time to call his wife.

Finally! Paris had his saucers too!

A few days ago, a French radio broadcaster complained bitterly of the disdain that the "Uranids" and their heavenly vehicles were showing towards the capital. Only the inhabitants of the countryside seemed to interest the interplanetary travelers who approached them willingly and even tried to enter into conversation with them. Well, it was not an arbitrary privilege. Injustice is repaired. Paris, the big city, had its flying saucers!

Several Parisians have indeed said they saw, Tuesday afternoon, a craft moving in the sky. Passersby claimed to have seen one around 04:30 p.m., near the Porte Dorée.

Mr. Pierre Allouis, salesman in cardboard, went to his business by taxi, when the vehicle was stopped by a red light; Hearing, he said, a shrill whistling sound, he looked out of the door and saw a flying craft escaping high, leaving a plume of smoke in its wake.

Mr. Allouis describes the saucer as a disc bigger than a normal plane and silver. The same testimony is given by Mr. Gilbert Bacon and Mr. Paul Julien, a house painter. The latter, however, believe that it is not a saucer but a flying wing that affects the shape of a triangle with rounded edges.

At Le Bourget, it is explained that given the intensity of the air traffic, it is impossible to confirm by radar the passage of the craft at the insufficiently specified time. On the other hand, the radar cannot record the passage of a heavier than air more than by a bright spot regardless of the nature of the craft.

Finally! Paris had his saucers too!

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LEZIGNAN. -- Two inhabitants of Lezignan, Messrs. André Garcia and André Darzens, who were driving in a truck on the departmental road D3, claimed to have seen a disc-shaped machine land in a field between the village of Lagrasse and the hamlet of Villemagne (Aude).

The craft, they said, was about ten meters in diameter. Before they could get close, it surrounded them in a bright glow and disappeared.

BERGERAC. -- Mr. Jean Defix, firefighter at Bergerac, and Mr. Jean Labonne, said that they saw a luminous disk about 3 meters in diameter, supported by three crutches, in the garden of the latter.

DINAN. -- In Megrit (Côtes du Nord), a young farmer, Mr. Henri Leherissé, said he saw in the yard of his farm a craft with a diameter of about 1 meter, around which appeared two human forms, immobile and the size of a child.

NEVERS. -- In Nevers, five residents of Château-Chinon said they saw Monday evening, at very high altitude, a kind of bright spot that split into two discs. These, they say, began to turn by changing color several times.

DUNKIRK. -- A Dunkirk merchant had, several days ago, said to have seen strange luminous objects in the sky of Bray-Dunes. An investigation had been opened. It concluded that they were two military planes whose metal coating had been misleading.

CLERMONT-FERRAND. -- Two saucers were seen Tuesday in the sky of Clermont. The first 10 kilometers from Beaumont at 03:45 p.m. It was moving west-east. Witnesses testified that the craft got closer to them and became less and less brilliant.

When they were only 150 meters away, they felt a "curious sensation" and were nailed to the spot. At that moment there was a smell of nitro-benzene. Soon the machine moved away, the discomfort ceased, and the saucer disappeared.

The other saucer was sighted over the hills of Chanturgue, near Clermont. It was moving vertically and was bright white.

A saucer was also sighted in Billom by a group of 30 people. The craft was moving over the city. It was moving horizontally. It was visible for 3 to 4 minutes before disappearing. An intense light emanated from the craft.

SAINT-BRIEUC. -- Several residents of Saint-Brieuc saw, during the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, a flying saucer that took the shape of a cigar before disappearing. They could watch it for over an hour.

The same phenomenon was noted in Trégueux where a cyclist returned home frightened by what he had seen.

LA ROCHELLE. -- In the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, several people from Thouare-sur-Vie (Vendée) saw in the sky a dozen luminous objects having an elongated shape and passing at a very high speed and high altitude.

LA ROCHELLE. -- Mr. and Mrs. Guillemoteau were standing in front of their farm when they saw about one meter from the ground, a spherical saucer measuring 2 to 3 meters in height and 5 meters in diameter.

The machine, which produced no noise, stopped for a few minutes, then climbed vertically. Mr. Guillemoteau went to the place where he had seen the machine the next day and was able to note oily traces on the grass.

QUIMPER. -- Around 4 o'clock Tuesday morning, Mr. Pierre Lucas, baker worker in Loctudy (Finistère), who was busy drawing water from the bakery yard, suddenly saw in the night a craft of the shape of a saucer 2 m 50 to 3 m in diameter. He saw an individual about 1m20 come out of it and hit him on the shoulder while uttering unintelligible words.

The baker's worker managed to keep his cool and returned to the bakehouse where the stranger followed him. In the light, Mr. Lucas could stare at the visitor. His face was hairy and his eyes were the size of a raven's egg. The young man called his boss, but before he had time to go down, the stranger had disappeared as well as his saucer of which no trace was found.

A Concarneau beer merchant, for his part, said he saw in the sky two luminous discs of the shape of round tables prolonged by a kind of tail. One of the disks was motionless while the other was moving nearby. Both disks disappeared after ten minutes after having launching a rocket.

Italy does not stay on the sidelines of this invasion

MANTUA. -- The traffic was interrupted for more than an hour in the center of Mantua by groups of people gathered to observe a strange "white object" which, at a high height stood out clearly on the background of the blue sky.

After making extremely rapid maneuvers, the spherical machine - which according to some witnesses, was part of "a flying saucer formation" - remained motionless for some time in the sky, before disappear on the horizon.

On the other hand, the "Uranids" seem to want to visit the whole peninsula. Indeed, a fisherman from Roverbella, in the province of Mantua, said he was approached during the night by a mysterious individual, dressed in red, who would have told him "unintelligible words" and who would have moved away quickly before the fisherman had time to call his wife.

Finally, a host of testimonials of saucers, disks, cigars, spheres and other flying objects having been seen in Quend (Somme), in Grandvillars (Belfort territory), in Magnac-Laval (Haute-Vienne), in Saint-Jean-d'Angely (Charente-Maritime), in Forges (Corrèze), in Perros-Guirrec (Côtes-du-Nord).

Finally, to a host of testimonials that may be doubted can be added some information such as the one we produce below, the indisputable seriousness of which leaves the most skeptical speechless.

MELUN. -- The Coulommiers newspaper, "Le Pays Briard", publishes a letter sent by one of their readers, Mr. Eugène Farnier, a member of the Society of Civil Engineers of France, about a flying saucer.

In this letter, Mr. Farnier states that he saw above his property, in Jouy-sur-Morin, a big disc of 8 to 10 meters in diameter "turning on itself", letting out red-violet gleams, with a tail reminding a little of the arrival of a jet plane. "The craft was about 400 meters above the ground and it was more above me for than 20 minutes," said Mr. Farnier, "so I had the opportunity to examine it well." The craft then disappeared in the direction of Coulommiers."

In his letter Mr. Farnier said: "Former Commissioner of the French Flying Club, having been in the aviation, I could not be a victim of hallucination. This machine was not a balloon but a thick wing hovering on the spot and moving at a very high speed while gradually taking height."

France at the Hour of the Saucers

MARTIANS (NOW HAIRY) CONVERSE WITH EARTHLINGS

But scientists are questioning these phenomena

[Photo caption:] With these pocket hot-air balloons that he manufactured in series using paper and tow, a middle-aged prankster, Mr. Jean d'Oliveira, a retired miner (in the inset), was having tremendous fun. These flying saucers greatly intrigued the people of the North, and Mr. d'Oliveira was hugely amused reading the accounts given by those who had seen his devices drifting with the winds, surrounded by yellow and orange reflections.

PARIS. - The file on the "flying saucers" is growing thicker. The mystery as well. Luminous craft - among them cigars, cigarillos, discs, spheres, etc. - appear suddenly before the eyes (increasingly less astonished) of witnesses who are for the most part considered reliable. But it appears that the Martians have a particular fondness for our country.

From these objects there sometimes emerge beings, most often frightening, who do not hesitate from time to time to converse with a few Earthlings before returning to their celestial homelands.

Thus, on Monday morning around 4 a.m., Mr. Pierre Lucas, a bakery worker in Loctudy (Finistère), who was drawing water in the bakery courtyard, suddenly saw in the night a craft shaped like a saucer measuring 2.5 to 3 meters in diameter. He saw an individual about 1.20 meters tall come out of it, approach him, and tap him on the shoulder while uttering unintelligible words.

The worker managed to keep his composure and went back into the bakehouse, where the stranger followed him. In the light, Mr. Lucas was able to examine the visitor: he had an oval face, completely covered with hair, and eyes the size of a crow's egg. The young man called his employer, but before the latter had time to come down, the stranger had disappeared along with his saucer, of which no trace was found.

This was also the adventure that happened yesterday morning to a good road worker from the Wassy region, who found himself in the presence of a craft beside which stood a small hairy man. The details of this report are given elsewhere.

While saucers are multiplying, scientists are examining these mysterious phenomena, but we are still far from being able to provide a reasonable explanation.

It is certain that several witnesses have been mistaken, but statements by qualified persons are often troubling.

The newspaper of Coulommiers publishes a letter sent by one of its readers, Mr. E. Farnier, a member of the Society of Civil Engineers of France, concerning a flying saucer.

In this letter, Mr. Farnier states that he saw above his property at Jouy-sur-Morin a large disc 8 to 10 meters in diameter, "turning in place while emitting reddish-violet glows, with a whistling sound somewhat like the arrival of a jet aircraft. The craft was about 400 meters high and hovered above me for more than 20 minutes. I therefore had," says Mr. Farnier, "ample time to examine it carefully. The craft then disappeared in the direction of Coulommiers."

In his letter Mr. Farnier specifies: "Former commissioner with the Aéro-Club de France and having served in aviation, I was not the victim of a hallucination, and this craft was not a weather balloon but a thick circular wing hovering in place and moving at very high speed while gradually gaining altitude."

Our planet - and France in particular - has undergone a veritable assault during the past twenty-four hours. Judge for yourself:

A PROPELLERED CIGAR was seen over Forges, 20 kilometers from Tulle, moving at low altitude without noise or smoke.

SEVERAL PARISIANS declared they saw yesterday around 4:30 p.m. saucers maneuvering in the sky over the capital. But air traffic was heavy, and mistakes are possible.

OIL TRACES were discovered at Nessier, in the Poitevin marshes, at the exact place where the day before Mr. and Mrs. Guillemoteau had seen a red saucer.

A CIGAR was seen near Berck-Plage by Mr. Georges Galand, a butcher from Rue, who was driving his car. The mysterious craft flew at low altitude and followed the national road for eight kilometers.

A TOP-SHAPED OBJECT emitting red and green rays was seen in Marseille by four people.

TWO DISCS, sometimes transforming into a cigar, were seen near Arles by several motorists.

TWO "FLYING TAILS" were seen by a beer merchant from Concarneau. They disappeared after ten minutes after launching a rocket.

A FOUL-SMELLING SAUCER (it smelled of nitrobenzene) was seen by Messrs. Bron and Marteauron of Clermont-Ferrand, who were "paralyzed" for a few seconds. Many similar craft were seen in the region, notably at Le Puy.

A THREE-LEGGED SAUCER reportedly landed in the garden of Mr. Montagne, an S.N.C.F. employee living at 13 Rue Ernest-Lavisse in Limoges.

FINALLY, DISCS, CIGARS, SPHERES, ETC., were seen at Quend (Somme), Grandvillars (Territoire de Belfort), Magnac-Laval (Haute-Vienne), Saint-Jean-d'Angély (Charente-Maritime), Perros-Guirec (Côtes-du-Nord), Nazin (Corrèze), Lézignan (Aude), Bergerac (Dordogne), Nevers, St-Etienne, Aurec-sur-Loire (Loire), Montbrison, and finally at La Rochelle and several neighboring localities.

1954, October 3

FRANCE, Marcoing, Quend, Hérissart, elsewhere in the Nord

Between 8 p.m. and 8:45 p.m., about forty witnesses saw two motionless fireballs in the sky at an altitude of 500 m, moving vertically at times. Suddenly they transformed into a sort of cigar then flying horizontally almost as far as the eye could see to return to the initial place in the form of a spinning top. Long enough after their final disappearance a bright glow lingered in the sky. (Jimmy GUIEU: Black-out sur les S.V." - FLEUVE NOIR 1956 - p. 182) IN REALITY: At 9:30 p.m. the Moon was setting crescent to the southwest. Optical illusion caused by a barrage of stratus. (M. FIGUET/ J.L. RUCHON: "Ovni, Premier dossier complet..." ed. Alain Lefeuvre 1979, p. 657 to 660)

1954/10/03 CHERENG + MARCOING + QUEND + LIEVIN ++, FRANCE: Close Encounters with the Moon!