The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Mid October, 1954, Saint-Nazaire, Loire-Atlantique:
Reference for this case: Mid-Oct-54-Saint-Nazaire.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
The ufology magazine Lumières Dans la Nuit (LDLN) No. 273–274 of March–April 1987 reported an observation based on an account given to an LDLN investigator in December 1978 in Rennes, which had been recorded on tape.
A Mr. T., then aged 18, after a first sighting in Saint-Nazaire, had made a second one 10 to 15 days later - thus probably in the second half of October 1954 - around 10:45 a.m., in the same city and at the same place, namely the courtyard of the Aristide-Briand school.
The sun was shining in a cloudless sky. Mr. T. was leaving the classroom, the same one as in the previous sighting, among the last students, for recess, while the students of other classes were already outside.
As soon as he arrived in the courtyard, Mr. T. saw all the students and teachers - several hundred people - looking at something in the sky to the right.
Mr. T. then saw toward the west seven horizontal luminous streaks of yellow color standing out clearly against the blue sky, following one another: four, then three.
They were visible slightly above the roof of the school’s administrative building, a single-story structure, and they were moving slowly and silently from south to north.
Mr. T. thought that they resembled airplanes seen from the side, but they were bright yellow, which he considered “rather strange!” These seven yellow streaks remained visible for about 2 minutes.
They seemed to be far away, at an indeterminate distance. A few meters from Mr. T., a group of teachers were jokingly talking about “flying saucers”...
The magazine explains that the next day, the local daily La Résistance de l'Ouest (unfortunately the magazine does not give the date) published the testimony of a motorist who had seen the phenomenon and had stopped on the Méan bridge, at the entrance to Saint-Nazaire, to watch it.
The magazine quotes this newspaper as stating that a reliable witness had told them that the previous day around 10:45 a.m., while driving from Nantes and arriving at the Méan bridge, his wife had asked him to stop so he could look at a strange phenomenon in the sky.
The witness is quoted as saying:
"- I clearly distinguished this flying object in geometric formation, six in front and the seventh about 200 meters behind. They were shiny discs three to four meters in diameter which, in my opinion, were moving at a reduced speed of 60 to 80 km/h, as far as I could judge, at an altitude of only 500 to 600 meters. They came from the direction of Saint-Nazaire and suddenly, in perfect order, changed course toward Pontchâteau. I was not mistaken and I am certain of what I say, without being able, of course, to determine the nature of these objects."
The newspaper had asked him whether he had confused them with a formation of jet aircraft which, at roughly the same time, was flying in the sky over Saint-Nazaire, but the witness replied:
"- No. I saw the aircraft later. They were indeed discs which took on a brownish tint when they turned and were no longer in the sun’s rays."
The newspaper reportedly added that the formation seen by this witness had also been observed by others, some of whom spoke of bomber-type flying wings moving at low speed and fairly low altitude, notably C.R.S. officers who alerted the gendarmes of Montoir.
[Ref. ldl1:] UFOLOGY MAGAZINE "LUMIERES DANS LA NUIT":
|
1st OBSERVATION
[see here.]
2nd OBSERVATION
Date: October 1954.
Time: around 10:45 a.m.
Location: Saint-Nazaire (L.-A.)
Duration: approximately 2 minutes.
Weather: clear weather, clear skies.
Witnesses: Mr. T. and several hundred people.
The witness is the same as in the previous observation. This observation took place 10 to 15 days after the 1st so probably in the 2nd half of October and at the same place (courtyard of the Aristide-Briand college).
It was around 10:45 a.m. and the sun was shining in a cloudless sky. Mr. T. was coming out of the classroom (the same as in the previous observation) among the last students. It was the intercourse and the students of the other classes were already out. Barely on the courtyard, T. saw all the students and teachers - several hundred people - who were looking to the right, something in the sky.
T. then saw, towards the west, seven luminous lines, of yellow color which stood out clearly against the blue sky. These yellow lines, horizontal, followed each other: four, then three.
SOUTH - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NORTH
One could see them a little above the roof of the college's administrative building (a one-story barracks) advancing slowly, and noiselessly, from south to north.
|
T. thought it looked like planes seen in profile, but they were luminous yellow, which is weird to say the least! The 7 yellow lines were visible for about 2 minutes. They seemed far, at an indefinite distance. A few meters from T., a group of teachers were talking laughingly about "flying saucers"...
The next day, the local daily "La Résistance de l'Ouest" (which has since become "PresseOcéan") published the testimony of a motorist from Nantes who had seen the phenomenon and had stopped on the Méan bridge, at the entrance to St-Nazaire, to watch.
P.S. - This sighting, like the first, was recorded by an LDLN investigator on a tape recorder in December 1978.
Mr. T. had heard of the F.S. and read about sightings in the newspapers.
It was not until 1968 that he read his first book on the topic ("Mystérieux Objets Célestes" by Aimé Michel) and learned of the existence of a large wave of FS in France, in 1954.
It should be noted that "La Résistance de l'Ouest" cites the testimony of a single person (the motorist coming from Nantes) whereas the entire Aristide-Briand college, i.e. several hundred people, sees the same phenomenon at the same time, of which the newspaper does not say a word! This tends to prove that for a given observation, a small part of the witnesses is known.
FLYING SAUCERS FORMATION
IN THE NAZAIRIAN SKY?After a quite long eclipse, are the famous flying saucers triggering a new offensive on the news front? A serious witness told us that yesterday around 10:45 a.m, when coming by car from Nantes he arrived at the Méan bridge, his wife had made him stop to allow her to look in the sky at a peculiar phenomenon.
- I then clearly distinguished, the witness of this phenomenon told us, this flying machine in geometric formation, six in front and the seventh about 200 meters behind. They were shiny discs three to four meters in diameter, which I believe were moving at a reduced speed of 60 to 80 km per hour as far as I could tell, at an altitude of 500 to 600 meters only. They were coming from the direction of St-Nazaire and suddenly, in perfect order, they moved in the direction of Pontchâteau. I didn't have a clue and I'm sure of what I'm saying, without being able to comment, of course, on the nature of these craft.
- But didn't you confuse it with a formation of jet planes which, at approximately the same time, moved in the Saint-Nazaire sky?
- No. I saw the planes later. These were indeed discs that took on a brownish hue when they turned and were out of direct sunlight.
New testimony to add to the file of the famous saucers?
It should be noted that the formation seen by the witness who told us about it was also seen by other people (some spoke of flying wing type bombers moving at reduced speed and quite low), and in particular C.R.S. who alerted the gendarmes of Montoir.
Needless to say that we report this spontaneous and indisputably sincere testimony only for documentary purposes.
"LA RESISTANCE DE L'OUEST" (October 1954)
|
This case leaves me completely undecided: what was observed resembles the passage of a formation of aircraft, and the newspaper reports that such a passage had indeed occurred. But one of the witnesses claims to have seen both the “objects” and the aircraft formation. Was he trying to save face?
I therefore leave this case as "unidentified, possible aircraft."
Also, why didn't Dominique de Tarragon give the date of the cited newspaper? It would have allowed to date the case.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Saint-Nazaire, Loire-Atlantique, Dominique de Tarragon,
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | April 26, 2026 | First published, [ldl1]. |
