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October 3, 1954, Grandvillars, Territoire de Belfort:

Reference for this case: 3-Oct-54-Grandvillars.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.

Summary:

In his 1958 book on the French wave of 1954, ufologist Aimé Michel reported that on October 3, 1954, a few minutes after 9 p.m., an object was observed in the sky at Grandvillars, shortly before the similar sightings in Château-Chinon and Montbéliard.

He said that several people had seen a luminous object described as an orange ball that quickly passed over the village of Grandvillars, and was lost from sight to the east before 09:15 p.m.

Reports:

[Ref. jps1:] NEWSPAPER "LE JOURNAL DU PAS-DE-CALAIS ET DE LA SOMME":

Scan.

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

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

Scan.

'Flying saucers'

(Continued from the first page)

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.

[Ref. ads1:] NEWSPAPER "L'ARDENNAIS":

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!

(Continued from the first page.)

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 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."

[Ref. aml1:] AIME MICHEL:

French ufologist Aimé Michel reports that on October 3, 1954, a few minutes after 9 p.m., an object similar to the one observed in Château-Chinon and Montbéliard this same day shortly before was seen also in Grandvillars.

Several people saw a luminous object described as an orange ball which quickly flew above the village of Grandvillars, at 14 km in the east-north-east of Montbeliard, and was lost from sight in the direction of the east before 09:15 p.m.

Aimé Michel decided that the cases of La Chapelle Hugon, Château-Chinon, Montbéliard et Grandvillars were on a straight line.

[Ref. gqy1:] GUY QUINCY:

October 3 [, 1954]

[... other cases...]

09;15 p.m.: Grandvillars (13 km ENE Montbéliard--Territ.de Belfort): l.sph.

[... other cases...]

[Ref. jve5:] JACQUES VALLEE:

218 -006.97617 47.53800 03 10 1954 21 05 105 GRANVILLARS [sic] F 301 C** 214

[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN:

Luc Chastan indicates that in the Territory of Belfort in "Grandvillards" [sic] on October 3, 1954 at 21:05 hours, several people saw luminous object described as an orange ball which quickly passed above the village of Grandvillars and was lost from sight in the direction of the east before 21:15.

Luc Chastan indicates that the source is "M.O.C. by Michel Aimé ** Arthaud 1958".

[Ref. dcn1] DOMINIQUE CAUDRON:

Dominique Caudron indicates that the catalogue of 800 cases published in 1970 by Maurice Santos, is a good example of what one should not do; he indicates to extract from it the list of the cases of October 3, 1954; which he knows well as he had investigated into these cases of his area of Nord. For each case, below the text of the Santos catalogue, he states what should have been written, and the explanation after analysis, when there is one.

Santos wrote that for this case #540 of October 3, 1954, of "Various Forms" there had been in Grandvillars a luminous Unknown Flying Object.

Dominique Caudron says that it was on October 3, 1954, before 09:15 p.m., in Grandvillars, 90, an orange ball which passed quickly and disappeared towards the east. He says that there are no other sources than Aimé Michel, and that the newspaper L'Alsace mentions another observation on the 4th at 06:45 p.m.

He notes that the numbering of the cases by Santos seemed a good idea, but that it prevents the evolution of the catalogue, whose numbering becomes incoherent at the first update: "For example, this catalogue contains only 10 cases for the area of the Nord, whereas we know 48 of them. How to place the 38 others?"

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

This database recorded this case three times:

Case Nr. New case Nr. Investigator Date of observation Zip Place of observation Country of observation Hour of observation Classification Comments Identification
19541003 03.10.1954 Grandvillars France
19541003 03.10.1954 Grandvillars France 21.15 NL
19541003 03.10.1954 Grandvillars France 21.15 NL

Explanations:

Map.

About the straight line indicated by Aimé Michel:

Aimé Michel estimated that the cases of La Chapelle Hugon, Château-Chinon, Montbéliard and Grandvillars were on the same straight line.

It is true these four cities are on a straight line. But these are only 4 sightings on a straight line, whereas I counted no less than 94 sighting reports for October 3, 1954, not counting the 40 sighting reports dated "beginning of October" for lack of a more precise date, and of course not counting those that I do not know of yet.

Taking only those of October 3, 1954, at about 9 p.m., there are still 36 left.

Moreover, the date of the case in Grandvillars is not bulletproof.

This makes this straight line quite statististically insignificant, explainable by chance alone. The straight line would also be explainable if these sightings were sightings of a meteor, an idea rejected by Michel by explaining that the witnesses in Montbéliard had enough time to fetch binoculars and pass them from one to another during their observation.

About this sighting:

The information is very sparse; it might have been a plane or a meteor, or maybe even the planet Mars or the red Moon if the witness report was distorted by the Press or by Michel or mixed with other ones.

Keywords:

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

Grandvillars, Territoire-de-Belfort, object, sky, nocturnal, night, orange, ball

Sources:

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

Document history:

Version: Created/Changed by: Date: Change Description:
0.1 Patrick Gross June 28, 2004 First published.
1.0 Patrick Gross January 9, 2009 Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Additions [lcn1].
1.1 Patrick Gross June 21, 2010 Addition [jve5].
1.2 Patrick Gross October 14, 2016 Addition [dcn1].
1.3 Patrick Gross February 13, 2017 Addition [ubk1].
1.4 Patrick Gross June 8, 2019 Additions [ads1], Summary. Explanations changed, were "Not looked for yet."
1.5 Patrick Gross July 7, 2020 Addition [jps1].
1.6 Patrick Gross April 22, 2022 Addition [gqy1].

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