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October 18, 1954, Ferrière-la-Grande, Nord:

Reference for this case: 18-Oct-54-Ferrière-la-Grande.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.

Summary:

The local newspaper Liberté, in the Avesnes and Maubeuge issue for October 20, 1954, reported among other local observations, that "Monday", therefore on October 18, 1954, between 8:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., in Ferrière, several people from this commune witnessed "a rare and dazzling spectacle that can be likened to an atmospheric phenomenon":

Mr. Maxime Liénard, guard-apparitor, accompanied by his neighbors MM. Decruck father and son, saw as he was leaving his home a large luminous ball "moving above the city."

The regional newspaper Nord-Matin, in their local issue of Avesnes, reported on page 3 for October 20, 1954, that "Monday", therefore on October 18, 1954, many people from Ferrière-la-Grande had seen a "curious ball of fire which some claim to be a flying saucer" pass in the sky

Around 8:30 p.m., Mr. Maxime Liénard, the city council's guard, went to the center of the village with Messrs. Decrucq, father and son, and saw a luminous ball "pass in the sky."

At the same time at a place called "La Digue", Mr. R. Maufroid, accompanied by his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Pierre Sauvage, Gisèle and Solange Sauvage, etc..., also saw this.

The newspaper specifies that, contrary to the rumors that circulated, none of the witnesses had seen this ball land.

Finally, the newspaper recalls that from October 16 to 18 there had been "an exceptional temperature", but that this evening of October 18, the weather changed strongly, with a violent wind, and that in their "humble opinion", the case could be explained as "an atmospheric phenomenon due to a 'cold thunderstorm'", while ensuring that "the mystery remains."

Reports:

[Ref. lib1:] NEWSPAPER "LIBERTE":

Scan.

The round of saucers
now flies
in the sky of the Basin
of the Sambre

Saucers and other flying cigars hitherto had seemed to ignore the often obscured sky of the Sambre Basin.

Did they take advantage of the nice days that this early Autumn gave us? We cannot say, but dozens of people in turn claim to have seen craft moving. The most curious story was told to us by Mr. Gilbert Mozin, butcher in Louvroil, who is known throughout the region.

A saucer
on the road to Avesnes

"I was coming back from Avesnes, last Saturday, around 11 p.m., said the popular butcher when, a little beyond the cafe run by Mr. Rina, my wife, who accompanied me, pointed out to me that something abnormal was happening far ahead of us. "It was an accident," I replied, and I slowed down. I was going very slowly," continues Mr. Mozin. "About ten meters from where something was actually happening, my headlights went low. In the passing, my wife and I had time to detail this something: in this case, a bizarre apparatus posed on the grass between the ditch and the road. It had no wheels and had no headlights. Inside a dazzling clarity reigned. In front of this craft, it seemed to us, was a man not very tall, but wide. My headlights turned on normally "au Violin." Mr. Mozin added: "Last Sunday, accompanied by a supporter of the soccer team, and passing on this same road, I stopped at this place. We noticed several small holes forming a circle inside which the grass was flattened. I believe, concludes the butcher, in secret craft."

Saturday, a bit everywhere

A trustworthy person, living on rue Anatole-France, in Boussois, saw on Saturday around 9 p.m. in his garden, a silent craft moving at a very fast speed and accompanied by sparks. Several people from the region, notably from Ferrière-la-Grande, from Louvroil, saw a saucer, the same evening and at the same hour.

Monday evening at Ferrière

Monday evening, between 8:30 p.m. and 9 p.m., several people from Ferrière witnessed a rare and dazzling spectacle that could be compared to an atmospheric phenomenon. Mr. Maxime Liénard, a guard-apparitor, accompanied by two neighbors, MM. Decruck father and son, saw, leaving his home, a large luminous ball moving above the city. Shortly after, several people passing by La Digue: Mr. Roneid Maufry, who was accompanied by his sisters-in-law, Solange and Gisèle Sauvage; of her brother-in-law, Pierre Sauvage, and of a neighbor, Mrs. Mireille Buivestre, were dazzled by a ball which gave them the impression that it was bursting, causing a reddish gleam seen by other people circulating at the same time in the streets of the town.

All of this, of course, cannot keep us from thinking about the more down-to-earth problem that plagues us and that it is up to us to fix to get a better life. Saucer or not saucer, the wages have to be increased and the rearmament of Germany not to be accepted.

[Ref. nmn1:] NEWSPAPER "NORD-MATIN":

Scan.

A weird ball of fire
in the sky of Ferrière

Monday evening, many people from Ferrière-la-Grande witnessed the passage through the sky of a weird ball of fire that some claim to be a flying saucer.

Indeed, around 8:30 p.m., Mr. Maxime Liénard, guardsman of the town hall, went to the center of the village with MM. Decrucq, father and son. They saw passing in the sky a luminous ball at a dizzying pace. At the same time other people in the place called "La Digue" also saw this phenomenon. It is Mr. R. Maufroid, who was accompanied by his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Pierre Sauvage, Gisèle and Solange Sauvage, etc...

Contrary to the rumors circulating, none of the witnesses saw this ball land.

But it is still useful to clarify this: we experienced, from Saturday to Monday, an exceptional temperature. However, Monday evening, the weather changed strongly, a violent wind blew, and in our humble opinion, it is an atmospheric phenomenon due to a "cold" thunderstorm. But whatever the case, a flying saucer or an "atmospheric phenomenon", the mystery remains.

[Ref. vdn1:] NEWSPAPER "LA VOIX DU NORD":

Scan.

THE SAUCERS

Monday evening, many people of Ferrière-la-Grande witnessed the passage in the sky of a curious "ball of fire" that some claim to be a flying saucer.

Indeed, around 8:30 p.m., Mr. Maxime Liénard, guard apparitor of the town hall, went to the center of the village, with Mssrs. Decrucq father and son. They saw a luminous ball pass, at high speed, in the sky. At the same time, other people in a place called "La Digue" also saw this phenomenon. This is Mr. R. Maufroy who was accompanied by his brother-in-law and sisters-in-law: Pierre Sauvage, Gisèle and Solange Sauvage.

Contrary to rumors circulating, none of these witnesses saw this "ball" land.

Explanations:

Map.

The meteor of 08:45 p.m.

Keywords:

(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)

Ferrière-la-Grande, Nord, Maxime Liénard, guard-apparitor, Decruck, large, luminous, ball, moving, night, multiple

Sources:

[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.

Document history:

Version: Created/Changed by: Date: Change Description:
1.0 Patrick Gross April 1, 2020 First published.
1.1 Patrick Gross May 12, 2020 Addition [nmn1].
1.2 Patrick Gross October 9, 2021 Addition [vdn1].

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