The 1954 French flap:

10°) CASE Nr F/98/88540808 {02)

REMIREMONT - SUNDAY AUGUST 8, 1954

03:00 P.M.

Witnesses: 2 (EPINAL resident)

Sources: La Liberté de l'Est article, August 11, 1984

"THE FLYING CIGAR WAS ALSO SIGHTED AT REMIREMONT

EPINAL: We reported in our Monday issue that a cigar-shaped, horizontally circulating "meteor" was observed overnight from Saturday to Sunday above CONTREXEVILLE and VITTEL by several trustworthy people. On this matter, one of our Epinal readers sends us a letter confirming our information. Our occasional correspondent was returning from the night party in REMIREMONT, when on leaving this town, he was, with his comrade, immobilized by a motorcycle breakdown. At this moment, he wrote to us, my attention was suddenly drawn to a luminous phenomenon in the sky. I had time to share it with my companion who, like me, witnessed it. It was exactly 3 o'clock in the morning. This thing was moving horizontally, at a fairly high altitude, in a northeasterly direction, and was visible for eight to ten seconds. She then disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared. "It seemed to us like a cigar, or if you will, a disc seen in perspective. The object was white incandescent in front, followed by a spot apparently of orange-red flame, terminated by a whitish luminous zone". About a minute later we heard a faint, distant, dull bang. Was it related to this phenomenon, I don't know. "This phenomenon must be the one you relate in your issue today, observed at

CONTREXEVILLE". This confirms the information we gave with all the more confidence that it was the result of several concordant testimonies".

(Full article).

NOTE: La Liberté de l'Est for August 12, 1954 reports:

"EPINAL district: HE SAW THE MYSTERIOUS CIGAR!

One of our friends from LAVAL, Mr. PERRIN, a farmer, had had to get up over the past few nights to go and calm his dogs, who kept barking. Great was his surprise to see in the sky a luminous crsft having the shape of a big cigar, which left behind a shower of sparks. This mysterious craft was going rapidly in the direction of BRUYERES".

(Full article).

Comments:

• Possibility of the same phenomenon in REMIREMONT, EPINAL, CONTREXEVILLE VITTEL.
• Note that the directions match.
• On one side a meteor with a trail and explosion, on the other one that may stall the bike and scare the dogs!
• This case is partially cited by J. VALLEE in "Unusual Space Phenomena" page 176/177 but dated the 11th which seems false. On the other hand, a slight doubt remains for the exact date which could be August 1st and not August 8th for this multiple observation.
• Also note this article from La Liberté de l'Est which on Wednesday August 11, 1954 reports a power failure on the evening of August 9 around 9 p.m. a tree fell on the BRUYERES/LAVELINE line, but specifies that number of people had noticed at this hour a big blue gleam in the sky in the direction of LAVELINE. Could the tree falling on the line be the cause?