The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 10-Sep-54-Limoges.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
Following Mr. Mazaud's encounter near Mouriéras with a pilot (very human but of strange behavior) and his "flying cigar" on September 10, 1954, the press made the connection with another observation.
Thus, the newspaper Le Courrier Picard for September 15, 1954, or the newspaper Paris-Presse for September 16, 1954, titled that the "cigar of the talkative Martian flew over Limoges", and reported that Mr. Georges Frugier, 30, Limoges resident, said he had seen on September 10, 1954, shortly after 08:30 p.m., crisscrossing the sky from East to West, a red disk that let out a bluish trail.
These newspapers newspaper pointed out that the day and the hour of this observation coincide with the strange encounter of Mr. Mazaud. It is stated that Mr. Frugier spoke of this to his family but was met with frank skepticism; it is the publication in the press of Mazaud encounter that imposed the connection as Limoges is located north-west of Bugeat, direction taken by the mysterious machine according to Mr. Mazaud.
In his 1958 book, ufologist Aimé Michel gave a different version. He first assured that the authorities would probably have put the Mazaud case to rest as a fairy tale, if it had not appeared during the investigation that the same evening, a few moments after Mr. Mazaud saw the craft moving towards Limoges, towards the west, "some" inhabitants of Limoges had indeed seen an object flying in the sky, arriving from the East and going towards the West, described as a reddish disk that let out a bluish trail. Michel assures that these testimonies were collected by the police before the Mazaud case could have been known of the inhabitants of Limoges.
Michel noted the testimony of 30-year-old Georges Frugier, who said he reported his sighting on the evening of September 10, having noted the hours with certainty: a few moments after 08:30 p.m. Michel added that Mr. Frugier's family did not take his testimony seriously until September 14, when the newspapers mentioned the observation of Mr. Mazaud.
[Ref. cpd1:] NEWSPAPER "LE COURRIER PICARD":
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LIMOGES, September 14. -- A resident of Limoges, Mr. Georges Frugier, 30 years old, declares to have seen on September 10, shortly after 8:30 p.m. furrowing the sky from East to West, a red disc letting out a bluish trail.
Indeed, the day and time of this observation coincide with the strange encounter of the farmer of Bugeat (Corrèze), Mr. Antoine Mazaud, who claims to have had an interview with the passenger of a "flying cigar".
Mr. Frugier told his family about the spectacle he had witnessed, but he encountered frank skepticism.
However, the publication in the press of the adventure that occurred to Mr. Mazaud imposed a connection: Limoges is located north-west of Bugeat, direction taken by the mysterious machine, according to the farmer's statements.
[Ref. nll1:] NEWSPAPER "NORD LITTORAL":
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Limoges, Sept. 14 -- A resident of Limoges, Mr. Georges Frugier, 30, declares having seen, on September 10, shortly after 8:30 p.m., crisscrossing the sky from East to West, a red disc letting a bluish trail escape.
However, the day and time of this observation coincide with the strange encounter of the cultivator of Bugeat (Corrèze), Mr. Antoine Mazaud, who claims to have had a discussion with the passenger of a "flying cigar".
Mr. Frugier told his family about the display he had witnessed, but he encountered frank skepticism.
However, the publication in the Press this morning of the adventure that occurred to Mr. Mazaud, imposed a connection: Limoges is located northwest of Bugeat, direction taken by the mysterious craft, according to the statements from the cultivator.
[Ref. ppe1:] NEWSPAPER "PARIS-PRESSE":
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HAMBURG, Sept. 15
According to the German astronomer Hans Haffner, flying saucers are most often fireballs produced by lightning at high altitude. He says his theory fits with all of the sightings reported so far.
"Let's put an end to the flying saucer psychosis," he writes. "It is actually a natural phenomenon that occurs in the layer of air surrounding the earth."
Mr. Haffner, professor of astronomy at the University of Hamburg and head of the astronomy section of Hamburg-Bevgedof, says that all of the flying saucers that have been seen so far can be classified into four groups:
1° Hallucinations (more common than is generally believed).
2° Optical illusions even deceiving the lenses of the camera. The alleged photographs of flying saucers are only reflections analogous to those which appear on certain shots taken against the light.
3° Weather balloons.
4° Unknown flying objects.
"All the objects in the fourth category can be explained by what is known about fireballs produced by lightning. This phenomenon occurs rarely and we only have two or three photographs of it. Size, shape, speed, color, brightness, duration, electrical composition and mode of dissolution of these fireballs are "remarkably similar" to descriptions of flying saucers, Professor Haffner writes.
Most fireballs produced by lightning are seen less than 200 meters high and have a diameter of 20 to 100 centimeters. But a greater amount of energy is released when the lightning strikes at high altitude, and of course the higher the fireballs, the larger they are. We saw some that were 260 meters in diameter at ten kilometers above sea level. Pr. Haffner adds that due to their rotation the fireballs are often flattened. However, the descriptions of flying saucers speak of objects which have the shape of discs or cigars and specify that they rotate on themselves.
Fireballs often emit very bright rays of light, which still corresponds to the reports of people who say they saw saucers. Likewise they can change shape and direction in less than a second, just like saucers. Their changes of direction are easily explained by the influence of magnetic fields and by the faster cooling of one side of the ball. Finally the fireballs always disintegrate suddenly, sometimes silently, sometimes with a loud detonation. This could explain the mysterious disappearance of an American fighter pilot, Captain T. Mantell, on January 7, 1948, who disappeared with his aircraft after chasing a flying saucer. Professor Haffner suggests that Captain Mantell may have collided with an exploding fireball.
LIMOGES, September 15. -- A resident of Limoges, Mr. Georges Frugier, 30, said he saw on September 10, shortly after 8:30 p.m., crisscrossing the sky from East to West, a red disc that let out a bluish trail.
However, the day and the hour of this observation coincide with the strange encounter of the farmer of Bugeat (Corrèze), Mr. Antoine Mazaud, who claims to have had a discussion with the passenger of a "flying cigar".
Mr. Frugier told his family about the display he had witnessed, but he encountered frank skepticism.
However, the publication in the press this morning of the adventure that occurred to Mr. Mazaud imposed a connection: Limoges is located northwest of Bugeat, direction taken by the mysterious machine, according to the statements of the farmer.
[Ref. lcx1:] NEWSPAPER "LA CROIX":
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That's the way it is, all these stories about saucers [unreadable] What if Mr. Mazaud, from Bugeat (the Corrèze) really did receive the kiss of a Martian?... Our incredulities would look pretty silly...
Moreover, there is another witness, in the person of Me. Frugier, of Limoges, who saw, at the very same day and time when the affectionate and interplanetary encounter of Bugeat was ending, saw a red disc furrowing the sky from the East to the West. Now, Limoges is in the North-West of Bugeat, the direction taken by the mysterious apparatus according to statements made by the Correzian farmer.
This is more than just a coincidence here...
[*] the French title "Mars, ou rêve" really translates as "Mars, or dream", a not very smart play of word with the expression "Marche ou crève" which means "do what you are told, else, die."
[Ref. las1:] "L'ARDENNAIS" NEWSPAPER:
TULLE. -- It is no longer this time about flying saucer or strange being appearing to belong to another world. The encounter, which we reported yesterday, made by Mr. Mazaud, a strong peasant of Bugeat (Corrèze) in his fifties is quite different. He is very certain. In his declarations there is an indisputable accent of sincerity. He has not, far from it, the reputation of a joker or an illuminated, and the investigators did not identify the slightest flaw or the slightest contradiction in his statement.
The man he met on a desert plateau on September 10, around 8:30 p.m., was not abnormal in his clothes or appearance, except for the rather peculiar shape of the helmet he wore on his head. When he found himself face to face with the Correze peasant, he nodded several times to greet him, held out his hand and gave him a hug.
He did not reply otherwise to M. Mazaud's good-night, and did not utter a syllable, so much so that the farmer took him for some simple-minded person, and would certainly soon have forgotten this encounter. But a few seconds after the disappearance of the unknown, Mr. Mazaud, who continued on his way, heard a slight rustle. He turned around and it was at that moment that he saw a craft that was rising from the ground obliquely in the same way as a plane takes off. The machine quickly took the shape of a cigar (that of a jet plane seen in profile approximately). It was flying west very fast, gaining height. The noise was very light. One could not see any smoke or light.
Mr. Mazaud was careful not to speak of this phenomenon in the neighborhood, fearing that they would make fun of him. Only, as we have said, the indiscretion of his wife allowed the gendarmes to be informed. They heard him at home and went to the place, but two days had passed and it had rained a lot. There was not trace of anything on the ground.
(See more in the 6th page.)
(Continued from the first page)
Tulle's general information commissioner also heard Mr. Mazaud at length and went with the farmer to the encounter place. He was struck as everyone by the seriousness of the one who was the involuntary witness of this strange phenomenon.
It seems that Mr. Mazaud was not the only one. An inhabitant of Limoges, Mr. Georges Frugier, 30, said yesterday, to have seen on September 10, shortly after 08:30 p.m., crisscrossing the sky from east to west, a red disc letting out a bluish trail.
Now, the day and the hour of this observation coincide with Mr. Mazaud's strange encounter.
Mr. Frugier told his family of the display he had witnessed, but he was met with outright skepticism. However, the publication in the press yesterday morning of the adventure that occurred to Mr. Mazaud, brought a connection: Limoges is located north-west of Bugeat, direction taken by the mysterious machine, according to the statements of the farmer.
[Photos of Marius Dewilde, with the caption:]
Mr. Marius Dewilde, squatting, shows traces on a railway track passing near his house, at Quarouble, where a cigar-shaped craft reportedly landed recently. From this craft, says Mr. Dewilde, two human-looking beings, dressed in diving suits, had come out, while a ray emanating from the apparatus paralyzed him. When he found, he said, the use of his limbs, the craft was already rising in the sky and the two beings had disappeared (AP photo) ("L'Ardennais" photo)
[Ref. gqy1:] GUY QUINCY:
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September 10 [1954]
08:32 p.m.: Limoges (Hte. Vienne)
[Ref. jgu1:] JIMMY GUIEU:
Science fiction writer and French ufology pioneer Jimmy Guieu indicated that on September 10, 1954 at 08:30 p.m., Mr. Georges Frugier, aged 30, inhabitant of Limoges, saw a red "disc" flying by in the sky from East to West, leaving a bluish trail.
[Ref. aml1:] AIME MICHEL:
Michel indicates that the authorities would undoubtedly have filed the close encounter by Mr. Mazaud that same day as cock-and-bull story, if it had not appeared during the investigation that the very same evening, a few moment after Mr. Mazaud saw the machine leaving for Limoges, towards the West, that the inhabitants of Limoges actually saw an object darting in the sky, coming from the East and going Westward, described as a reddish disc which let escape a bluish trail. These testimonies were collected by the police force before the meeting of Mr. Mazaud was even known of the inhabitants of Limoges. Michel notes amongst other the testimony of Mr. Georges Frugier, thirty years old, who reported his observation as of the evening of September 10, having noted the time with certainty: a few moments after 20:30. Michel adds that of Mr. Frugier's family did not take his testimony with serious before September 14, date at which the newspapers mentioned Mr. Mazaud's sighting.
[Ref. ous1:] UFOLOGY MAGAZINE "OURANOS":
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On the same day [September 10, 1954], but at 8:30 p.m., a third observation was made in Mouriéras, municipality of Bugeat (Corrèze): meeting of an uranian and departure of a discoid CRAFT, recalling one and the other the description made by Marius Dewilde. This is the famous Mazaud affair, famous in the annals of "ouranology".
The object disappears in the direction of Limoges. A few seconds later, a red disc followed by a bluish trail, moving from east to west, appears above this city; several witnesses describe it.
[Ref. gal1:] CHARLES GARREAU AND RAYMOND LAVIER:
The authors indicate that the investigation opened by the gendarmerie of Ussel made it possible to establish that this evening of September 10, 1954, little after 08:30 p.m., residents of Limoges had seen in the sky, flying from West to East, a reddish disc which let escape a bluish trail. The report of these witnesses had been collected before Antoine Mazaud's adventure was published in the press.
[Ref. fru1] MICHEL FIGUET ET JEAN-LOUIS RUCHON:
The two authors indicate that in Limoges in Haute-Vienne, on September 10, 1954, at 08:30 p.m., Mr. Frugier and other inhabitants of the city saw a reddish disc passing in the sky.
[Ref. rmy1:] ROGER-LUC MARY:
In the book he wrote more or less with famous witness Marius Dewilde (See Quarouble for the same day), author Jean-Luc Mary reports, to add about the sighting in Mouriéras on the same day:
In addition, thus coming to confirm the presence of an "unknown" machine in the area, Mr. Georges Frugier, thirty years old, inhabitant of Limoges, precisely towards 20:30 affirmed to have seen a red "disc" furrowing the sky from the East to the West and letting a bluish trail escape. Limoges is precisely located at the North-West of Mourieras (community of Bugeat) from where the cigar took off, its powerful luminosity in flight could have taken the aspect of a luminous sphere hiding the real shape of the apparatus which was then taken for a "disc".
[Ref. rmy2:] ROGER-LUC MARY:
Chronology of the events that occurred in France, in Quarouble and its area, on September 10, 1954
[... other cases ...]
2nd witness, a little after 08:30 p.m. Limoges, Haute-Vienne, several witnesses watch pass over the city (east to west) a red disk followed by a bluish trail.
[... other cases ...]
[Ref. lgs1:] LOREN GROSS:
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Limoges.
Within minutes of M. Mazaud's experience, a strange aerial body was reported passing over Limoges, having come out of the east. East, where on the Millevaches Plateau the French peasant claimed to have encountered his "strange being" on a path near the hamlet of Mourieras, so one wonders if the vague report of an overflight at Limoges confirms the weird assertion of M. Mazaud.
[Ref. djn1:] DONALD JOHNSON:
On this Day
September 10
[...]
1954 - Mourieras, France. A farmer, Mr. Mazaud was walking home when he was suddenly confronted with a helmeted being of average height who made friendly gestures, then went back into the brush, entered a cigar-shaped object about four meters long, which took off toward Limoges. A few minutes later witnesses in Limoges reported a disc-shaped, red object leaving a bluish trail. (Sources: Le Parisien, September 14, 1954; Aime Michel, Flying Saucers and the Straight Line Mystery, p. 40; Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia, p. 209).
[Ref. lgo1:] GUY QUINCY:
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- 10 Septiembre 1954 - Mouriéras
20:30. Un campesino, Msr. Mazaud, regresaba a su casa cuando se tropezó de pronto con un hombre de estatura normal y tocado con un casco, que le hizo gestos amistosos, se adentró después en la espesura, y entró en un objeto ahusado de unos 4 m de largo, que despegó en dirección a Limoges. Unos minutos después, varios habitantes de esta última ciudad vieron pasar un objeto rojo y discoidal, que dejaba una estela azulada.
Fuentes:
- Catálogo MAGONIA nº142 -> Le Populaire du Centre (Limoges), 15 de septiembre de 1954.
- September 10, 1954 - Mouriéras
08:30 p.m. A peasant, Mr. Mazaud, was on his way home when he suddenly passed a man of normal height and wearing a helmet, who made friendly gestures to him, then he entered the thicket, and entered a tapered object about 4 m long, which took off in the direction of Limoges. A few minutes later, several inhabitants of the latter city saw a red discoidal object pass, leaving a bluish mark.
Sources:
- Catalogue MAGONIA nr142 -> Le Populaire du Centre (Limoges), September 15, 1954.
[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN:
Luc Chastan indicates that in the Haute Vienne in Limoges on September 10, 1954 at 20:30, "Several residents of the city see a reddish disc passing in the sky."
The source is noted "Ovni, Premier dossier complet... by Figuet M./ Ruchon J.L. ** Alain Lefeuvre pub. 1979".
[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on 10 September 1954 at 20:30 in Limoges, France, "Reddish disc emitting a blue tail. east to west." And: "A flying disc was observed. One red disc was observed by more than two male witnesses, typical age 30 (Frugier)."
The sources are noted as "Guieu, Jimmy, Flying Saucers Come from Another World, Citadel, New York, 1956; Michel, Aime, Flying Saucers and the Straight-Line Mystery, S. G. Phillips, New York, 1958; Vallee, Jacques, Computerized Catalog (N = 3073)".
[Ref. jgz1:] JULIEN GONZALEZ:
The author indicates that the Ussel gendarmerie established that on the evening of September 10, 1954, shortly after 8:30 p.m., Mr. Georges Frugier and other residents of Limoges had seen in the sky, flying from west to east, a reddish disc that let out a bluish trail, and that the report of these witnesses had been collected before Antoine Mazaud's adventure was published in the press.
[Ref. ubk1:] "UFO-DATENBANK":
This database recorded this case four times instead of one:
| Case Nr. | New case Nr. | Investigator | Date of observation | Zip | Place of observation | Country of observation | Hour of observation | Classification | Comments | Identification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19540910 | 10.09.1954 | Limoges | France | 20.30 | NL | |||||
| 19540910 | 10.09.1954 | Limoges | France | CE III | ||||||
| 19540910 | 10.09.1954 | Limoges | France | 20.30 | NL | |||||
| 19540910 | 10.09.1954 | Limoges | France | 20.30 | NL |
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Limoges is 56 km in straight line west-north-west of Mouriéras. Mr. Mazaud had indicated that the craft he had seen had gone west.
Aimé Michel's version poses a problem for me: I found absolutely no trace of other witnesses from Limoges than Mr. Frugier. Nothing assures me either that it was the official investigators who "found" Mr. Frugier's testimony. Nothing shows me either that Mr. Frugier had reported his sighting publicly before the one in Mouriéras appeared in the press (no later than September 14, 1954). And Michel did not indicate any source for the information he brought.
As for Mr. Frugier's observation, if nothing formally allows us to exclude that it is the craft Mr. Mazaud would have seen taking off, there is also nothing to exclude that it was a meteor, for example.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Limoges, Haute-Vienne, Georges Frugier, disc, red, trail, blue, bluish
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | August 8, 2004 | First published. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | March 12, 2010 | Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Additions [lcn1], [uda1]. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | October 26, 2011 | Addition [gal1]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | October 11, 2014 | Addition [rmy2]. |
| 1.3 | Patrick Gross | November 29, 2016 | Additions [djn1], [ubk1]. |
| 1.4 | Patrick Gross | July 31, 2019 | Additions [las1], Summary. Explanations changed, were "Not looked for yet." |
| 1.5 | Patrick Gross | January 27, 2020 | Addition [cpd1]. In the Summary, addition of "the newspaper Le Courrier Picard for September 15, 1954, or ". |
| 1.6 | Patrick Gross | June 14, 2020 | Addition [nll1]. |
| 1.7 | Patrick Gross | February 22, 2021 | Additions [gqy1], [ous1], [lgo1], [jgz1]. |
