The 1954 French flap:

Rain of flying saucers over France

Reports of flying saucers seem to be becoming more and more precise. Several people in the same region report the same phenomenon, and it can be said that in recent days there has been a true "rain" of flying saucers, cigars, or disks over the entire country.

A farmer from Chaleix (Dordogne), Mr. Garreau, solemnly declared that he had seen a "flying soup tureen" land on his property. Mr. Garreau stated that two perfectly normal men, wearing khaki suits, came out of it, shook his hand, and spoke to him in an unknown language. Stunned, Mr. Garreau did not respond. The two men petted his dog and climbed back into their craft, which took off silently at a dizzying speed.

A luminous sphere, 12 meters in diameter, was seen on the Ile de Ré by a mason, Mr. Simonetin. "The sphere," he said, "turned red; after hovering 50 meters above the ground, it changed to blue and rose very quickly vertically."

The craft was also observed by two other residents of the island, as well as by two Parisians on vacation.

Ms. Thérèse Fourmeret, 23, living in Poncey-sur-l'Ignon (Côte-d'Or), saw on Monday evening a craft land in a meadow not far from her home. She stated that, frightened, she refrained from observing the phenomenon any longer and took refuge at her neighbors' house.

The gendarmerie noted very clear marks on the ground at the indicated spot. Clods of turf had been uprooted and scattered within a radius of four meters.

In Duclair (Seine-Inférieure), Mr. Landrin, a water inspector, walking with his wife, was blinded by a beam of light. When he opened his eyes, he saw a sphere that disappeared a few minutes later.

A road worker from Mertrud (Haute-Marne), Mr. André Narcy, claimed to have approached to less than 100 meters a flying saucer resting in a field near Voillecomte. He saw nearby a small being, about 1.2 meters tall, wearing a hairy cloak. Mr. Narcy called to the strange figure, which did not respond, and it rushed into its craft, which took off vertically.

According to Mr. Narcy, the craft was spherical, about ten meters in diameter. Beneath the sphere was a sort of spindle, and the porthole through which the being entered was located between the spindle and the body of the craft. At the craft's departure, a sort of flame emerged from the spindle, while a large vaporous swirl occurred beneath the craft.

Mr. Narcy immediately went to work, where he recounted his adventure to his colleagues. With two of them, Messrs. Riel and Henry, he returned to the site, where they observed that the dew had disappeared from a certain area. The grass had a slightly milky tint and was flattened over a square of about three meters per side. In addition, twelve parallel marks resembling footprints were spread over a certain distance, suggesting that the craft had landed by a series of small jolts.

Finally, saucers, cigars, disks, crowns, spheres, glows, and luminous trails of various colors, as well as all other flying objects, were seen in Saint-Etienne, in several villages of Eure-et-Loir, at Heyrieux, Dieulanvollon> (Côtes-du-Nord), at Jort (Calvados), and at Biarritz.

Martians are normal men:
they pet dogs...

Limoges, 7. -- A farmer from Chaleix (Dordogne), Mr. Garreau said on honor that he had seen a "flying soup tureen" land on his property. Mr. Garreau stated that two perfectly normal men, dressed in khaki overalls, got out, shook his hand, and spoke to him in an unknown language. Mr. Garreau, amazed, did not respond. The two men petted his dog and climbed back into their craft; which flew away silently at a dizzying pace.

At the place indicated by Mr. Garreau, it was found that the grass had been trampled.

... and have fun swinging...

La Rochelle, 7. -- A mason living on the Ile de Ré, Mr. Simonetti, said he saw a luminous sphere of 12 meters in diameter approximately which oscillated at about fifty meters from the ground.

The sphere, he said, turned red, turned blue, and rose vertically very quickly.

Two other residents of the Ré Island said they had witnessed the same phenomenon.

Two Parisians on vacation in the town of Mouchamps Mr. and Mrs Laroche, claimed to have seen, at nightfall, a incandescent sphere.

... and tear off the lawn

Dijon, 7. -- Mrs. Thérèse Fourneret, 23 years old, living in Poncey-sur-l'Ignon (Côte d'Or), saw, Monday evening, a craft land in a meadow not far from her home. She said that she was frightened and had been careful not to observe this phenomenon any longer and had taken refuge with neighbors. The gendarmerie revealed very clear traces on the ground at the indicated place. Clods of earth were allegedly torn off and thrown off on a four-meter radius.

Fantastic ray

Rouen, 7. -- Mr. Landrin, a water attendant in Duclair (Seine-Inférieur) who was walking with his wife, was blinded by a beam of light. When he opened his eyes, he said, he saw a ball that disappeared a few minutes later.

Things are flying...

Finally, saucers, cigars, discs, crowns, balls, lights, luminous streaks of various colors and all other objects were seen in Saint-Etienne, in several villages of the Eure et Loir, in Heyrieux (Isère), Dieulanvallon (Côtes du Nord), Ajort (Calvados) and in Biarritz.

A denial for
some observers
official

The flying saucer is not (always) a weather balloon

Melun, 7. -- Mr. E. Farnier, member of the Society of Civilian Engineers of France declares to have seen, above his property in Jouy-sur-Morin, a large disc of 8 to 10 meters in diameter "rotating on the spot letting red-purple gleams escape, with a hissing sound reminding a bit of the arrival of a jet plane. The craft was about 400 meters high and hovered more than 20 minutes above me, said Mr. Farnier, so I had the opportunity to examine it carefully. The craft then disappeared in the direction of Coulommier."

Mr. Farnier specifies: "Former commissioner of the Aero-Club of France, having served in aviation, I was not the victim of a hallucination and this machine was not a sounding balloon but a thick circular wing hovering on the spot and moving at very high speed gradually increasing its height."

October 4 [,1954]

08:30 p.m.: Lanvollon(C.-du-Nord:lum.obj. moving towards the W.

"Lanvollon, October 4, 1954, at 08:30 p.m."

"A large number of people observe a luminous disc in the sky, which disappeared in the direction of the West."