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The 1954 French flap:

The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.

January 26, 1954, Dijon, Côte-d'Or:

Reference for this case: 26-jan-54-Dijon.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.

Summary:

Around 5:40 a.m. on January 26, 1954, what was obviously a meteor had passed over northeastern France.

In the regional newspaper La Bourgogne Républicaine, from Dijon, for January 27, 1954, on page 5, one wondered if there had been a "Luminous phenomenon in the Dijon sky?"

The journalist, obviously flying saucers buff Charles Garreau, indicated that the day before around 4:50 a.m., several inhabitants of Dijon reportedly saw "a sudden luminous trail, seeming to follow an elongated body, of orange color."

Garreau believed that it was neither a meteor nor a shooting star, on the grounds that it seemed that the phenomenon occurred under the clouds which were about 1.500 meters high.

He launched a call for witnesses; which will allow collecting other testimonies in the region, with a geographical extent typical of that of the passage of a meteor, as were the descriptions.

In the regional newspaper La Gazette Provençale for February 1st, 1954, one assured that it were "Luminous Celestial craft", "flying saucers", that several people had witnessed the passage of a celestial body of great luminous intensity, in the east of France, last week, when it "was barely 5 o'clock", and the sky was quite overcast. The newspaper added without realizing the contradiction:

"A meteor suddenly emerged from the southeast, rushing northeast, radiating an intense purple light."

The newspaper indicated that the first to report it were two policemen from Dijon.

In his late 1954 book on flying saucers, the science fiction writer and pioneering ufologist in France Jimmy Guieu indicated that on January 26, 1954, in the sky of the Dijon area, around 04:50 a.m., a luminous object, orange, elongated, followed by a luminous trail had appeared.

It was going to the north-west, casting a blinding glow over the countryside. Guieu says it was moving very low, less than 1400 meters; which was the altitude of the cloud layer that day at 4:45 a.m.

He indicates that the object had "suddenly projected a powerful purple ray that then quickly disappeared to make room for intense light." Witnesses were panicked, he said, because of its low altitude.

Reports:

[Ref. lbr1:] NEWSPAPER "LA BOURGOGNE REPUBLICAINE":

Scan.

Luminous phenomenon
in the Dijon sky?

Yesterday morning, around 4:50 a.m., several Dijon residents reportedly saw a sudden luminous trail, seeming to follow an elongated body, orange in color.

It seems that the phenomenon occurred under the clouds, relatively low (around 1,500 m.), which would rule out the meteor or shooting star hypothesis.

Did some of our readers also see it?

[Ref. lgp1:] NEWSPAPER "LA GAZETTE PROVENCALE":

Scan.

In the east of France

a hundred kilometers away
Witnesses worthy of faith
saw
Celestial Luminous Craft

DIJON. -- The "flying saucers" are more than ever on the agenda. Several people have witnessed the passage of a celestial body of great luminous intensity, in eastern France.

The phenomenon happened last week. It was barely 5 o'clock. The sky was quite overcast. A meteor suddenly emerged from the southeast, rushing northeast, radiating an intense purple light.

The first to report it were two policemen from Dijon. But the information soon poured in and for the first time in the already long history of the "flying saucers" five witnesses were afraid.

In Heuilles-sur-Saône, a lady schoolteacher made the following statement.

- It was almost as fast as a lightning bolt. I did not dare to look at the craft for more than a second, so much that impressed me."

Two other very characteristic statements were made by witnesses one residing in Til Châtel the other in Liffol le Grand who declared that they had the impression that the sky was split in two. They also felt a burn in their eyes and ears.

[Ref. lbr2:] NEWSPAPER "LA BOURGOGNE REPUBLICAINE":

Scan.

The chronicle
of the "flying saucers"

On August 17, several hundred of our readers witnessed an unprecedented phenomenon. For 12 hours, an aerial object remained motionless at a dizzying height.

On January 26, around 5 a.m., an incandescent ball of fire was causing panic among the witnesses of its appearance.

These two observations will be the topic of two Radio Monte Carlo broadcasts on Wednesday 24 at 4:30 p.m., and Thursday 25, at the same hours, during the variety show "Zig-zags."

Recommended listening: on the 43 m band on shortwave.

[Ref. jgu1:] JIMMY GUIEU:

Science-fiction writer and pioneer ufologist in France Jimmy Guieu indicates that on January 26, 1954 in the sky around Dijon, at approximately 04:50 of the morning, a luminous, orange, elongated object, followed by a luminous trail, appeared.

It moved in the direction of the North-West by projecting a dazzling light on all the countryside. Guieu indicates that it moved very low, at less than 1400 meters, which was the altitude of the cloudy ceiling there at this day at 04:45 of the morning.

The object suddenly projected a powerful purple ray; which then disappeared quickly to be replaced with an intense luminosity. Witnesses were afraid because of its low altitude.

A witness of Nuit-Saint-George, Mr. Guyennot, told Jimmy Guieu:

"I was not very reassured and I wondered whether I have been dreaming."

Jimmy Guieu evokes two other witnesses:

Mr. Monnet, of Tilchatel, riding his bicycle, was blinded when the object passed.

Mr. Louis Jacquot, of Liffole-Grand in the Vosges at 100 kilometers of Tilchattel, who made these remarks in his report to the gendarmes:

"I had the impression that the sky split in two. I felt at the same time like a burn in the eyes and the ears."

Jimmy Guieu adds that the Investigation Committee of the ufology group Ouranos, of which he was a member, had tens of relations of the event showing that the witnesses were worried and frightened by the phenomenon, "one of them did not dare anymore to look at the enormous spacecraft which approached," another perceiving heat and a whistling sound, a third being dazzled by the thing although being behind his shutters, and another running away in panic.

[Ref. cpr1:] CLAUDE POHER:

In 1968-1969, before the official GEPAN ufology effort started, its future head Dr Claude Poher was a member of the unofficial GEPA ufology group, and gathered a computer coded listing of more than 700 UFO reports on which multiple factors statistical computation could be run. In the file were a number of 1954 French UFO reports, among those this one.

For readability, a decoded interpretation of the data is provided here under the original 80 character encoded string. Decoding was done according to the original indications, the code number and its generic meaning is given. Please not that the generic meaning of each code is a predefined category, not the real specific details of the case. For example, if the main witness' age was 33, the coding would result in a number "3" which corresponds to a category "Adult from 21 to 59 years."

Original code:2646592601195404501JAB100003051013ZZZZ034000100000000000000000001000010000000000
Location:Dijon - France
Case number:2646
Source code:59
Nature of the source:J. Guieu : Les soucoupes volantes viennent d'un autre monde
Day:26
Month:01
Year:54
Hours:04
Minutes:50
Type of Time:1 = local time
Number of witnesses:B = several tens
Main witness named:1 = name (s) indicated
Main witness age:0 = no indication
Main witness occupation:0 = no indication
Official investigation:0 = no indication
Weather:3 = sky covered at high altitude
Duration:0 = no indication
Minimal distance witness - phenomenon:5 = from 1 to 3 km
Method of observation:1 = naked eye
Number of "objects" observed simultaneously:01 = 1
Shape of the "object" (terminology of witness(es)):3 = cigar, cylinder, rocket
Dimensions of the phenomenon:ZZZZ = no indication
Color of the observed phenomenon:03 = orange, fire color
Luminosity of the phenomenon:4 = intense, dazzling, shiny
Lights or projectors on the phenomenon:0 = no indication
Moving speed of the phenomenon:0 = no indication
Acceleration of the phenomenon:0 = no indication
Trajectory of the phenomenon:1 = straignt line or very wide curve
Sounds perceived during observation:0 = no indication
Maximum angular height of observation (horizon = 0°):0 = no indication
Nature of the landing place:0 = no indication
Number of contact points with ground:0 = no indication
Traces of landing:0 = no indication
Observation of "occupants"0 = no indication
Height of the occupants observed:00 = no indication
Garment of the occupants:00 = no indication
Garment:0 = no indication
General behavior of "occupants":0 = no indication
Interaction of "occupants" with witness:0 = no indication
Head, hair:0 = no indication
Voice, breathing, chin:0 = no indication
Skin:0 = no indication
Eyes:0 = no indication
Mouth:0 = no indication
Various details:0 = no indication
Thermal effects:1 = thermal effect fet by witness
Luminous effects:0 = no indication
Magnetic effect (or electromagnetic):0 = no indication
Odor perceived by witness:0 = no indication
Physiological effects on the witness(es):0 = no indication
Psychological effect on the witness(es):1 = fear, state of shock, escape
Effects on animals:0 = no indication
Other effects reported:0 = no indication
Nebulosity:0 = no indication
Oscillations, emission of matter:0 = no indication
Spin, formation flight:0 = no indication
Immediate disappearance:0 = no indication
Halo surrounding the phenomenon:0 = no indication
Interaction witness / phenomenon (complement to the other rubrics):0 = no indication
Drawing or photo:0 = no indication
Structural details observed:0 = no indication

[Ref. gep1:] UFOLOGY GROUP "GEPO":

01 26 54 (05) Dijon/vosges SE NO ? 306V2 T

[Ref. via3:] UFOLOGY BULLETIN "VIMANA 21" - ADRUP:

This magazine listed this case:

54 01 26 4H50 LN Dijon

[Ref. via2:] UFOLOGY BULLETIN "VIMANA 21" - ADRUP:

Scan.

54 01 26 / DIJON / 4H50 / NL / P /

Around 4:50, several people saw in the sky a lightning trail that moved noiselessly over the city.

Duration: a few seconds and low altitude. Observed in numerous places in the Côte d'Or: Pontailler, Saulon la Chapelle, Til Châtel, St Maurice sur Vingeanne and Nuits st Georges.

(Source: Alerte dans le ciel, Ch. Garreau, p. 104 to 106, Bien Public, 1/27/54)

[Ref. lgs1:] LOREN GROSS:

[... Other cases...]

January 26th.

"I felt rather disturbed at first."

Yet another "meteor-like" phenomenon swept over France terrorizing people. At 4:50 a.m. on January 26th a strange thing appeared above Dijon moving northwest, a giant orange oval spewing a dazzling stream of vapor behind it. The thing gave off considerable light, a part of which was a momentary violet ray. It's unlikely the object was a meteor if there was any truth to reports that place its passage at an altitude less then 4,000 feet. We know that a cloud ceiling was at 4,000 feet so unless the layer was very broken it seems evident the object was below that level given its brilliance. Although it may not have been a "saucer," its effects were nonetheless unnerving. At Nuits-Saint-Georges, a M. Guyennot was quoted as saying: "I felt rather disturbed at first and asked myself if I were dreaming." 58. Another fellow became blinded momentarily, and still another, a M. Louis Jacquot of the town of Liffol-le-Grand, told police: "It looked as though the sky was splitting in two. I had a sharp burning sensation in my eyes and ears." 59. Some people covered their eyes in fear, while others ran away seeking safety in fright. 60.

The sources "58". "59" and "60" refers to "Guieu, Jimmy. Flying Saucers Come Worn Another World, p.148."

[Ref. rbt1:] NEWSPAPER "LA GAZETTE DE COTE-D'OR":

[... Other cases ...]

Intense light - January 26, 1954, Dijon

4h50, the city is asleep. A luminous object tears the sky of Dijon. It moves at very low altitude in direction of the North-West. The light it releases is dazzling, intense. Before disappearing the object projects a powerful purple ray which did not fail to frighten some unhappy people. "I was not very reassured and I wondered whether I had been dreaming?" said Mr Guyennot of Nuits-Saint-Georges. Various witnesses residing at several tens of kilometers from each other said they saw the same phenomenon. Louis Jacquot in particular, a Vosgean of Liffole-Grand, states to the gendarmes "to have had the impression that the sky split in two and to have felt a burn at the eyes and the ears".

[... Other cases ...]

[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN:

Luc Chastan indicates that in the "Côte d'or" in Dijon on January 26, 1954 at 04:50 hours "Tens of witnesses observed whereas the sky was covered at high altitude, an object in the shape of an orange cigar followed by a luminous trail. t projected dazzling gleams on all the countryside and moved in straight line in direction of the Northwest. It was very low at less than 1400 meters altitude of the clouds this day there. It suddenly projected a powerful purple ray which disappeared quickly and made place to an intense luminosity Some witnesses would have felt a heat, others took fear in front of the phenomenon."

The sources are noted as "Les Universons by Poher Claude ** http://www.premiumwanadoo.com/universons/" and "Les soucoupes volantes viennent d'un autre monde by Guieu Jimmy ** Fleuve Noir 1954".

[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:

The website indicates that on 26 January 1954 at 04:50 in Dijon, France, "One object was observed by 11 witnesses (Guyennot)."

The sources are indicated as "Poher, Claude, Etudes Statistiques Portant sur 1000 Temoignag, Author, undated; Schoenherr, Luis, Computerized Catalog (N = 3173)."

[Ref. ubk1:] "UFO-DATENBANK":

Case Nr. New case Nr. Investigator Date of observation Zip Place of observation Country of observation Hour of observation Classification Comments Identification
19540126 26.01.1954 Dijon France
19540126 26.01.1954 Lorraine France 05.00 NL
19540129 29.01.1954 Dijon France

Explanations:

Map.

The meteor of January 26, 1954, at 04:50 a.m.

Keywords:

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

Dijon, Côte-d'Or, night, luminous, purple, orange, elongated, trail, ray, clouds, multiple, burn, effects, whistling sound, low, dazzled, frightened, bicycle

Sources:

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

Document history:

Version: Created/Changed by: Date: Change Description:
0.1 Patrick Gross March 24, 2005 First published.
1.0 Patrick Gross February 24, 2010 Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Additions [lcn1], [uda1].
1.1 Patrick Gross June 25, 2010 Addition [cpr1].
1.2 Patrick Gross July 22, 2010 Addition [cg1].
1.3 Patrick Gross October 31, 2016 Additions [lgs1], [ubk1].
1.4 Patrick Gross January 31, 2019 Additions [via2], Summary.
1.5 Patrick Gross January 11, 2021 Addition [lgp1]. In the Summary, addition of the information from [lgp1].
1.6 Patrick Gross January 29, 2021 Addition [lbr1]. In the Summary, addition of the information from [lbr1].
1.7 Patrick Gross March 7, 2021 Addition [lbr2].
1.8 Patrick Gross April 5, 2022 Addition [gep1].

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