French ufologist Alain Gamard noted in his file, without providing a source, that in August 1954, in Galfingue in the Haut-Rhin, a man who remains anonymous had seen in a cut wheat field a luminous sphere posed on the ground, and small beings around this object.
He fled.
This was published in the ufology magazine Lumières Dans La Nuit in 1983. In 2006, Christian Valentin, former journalist who investigates UFO sightings in Alsace made a short investigation and found no confirmation of the story.
It was only in 2023 that the primary source of this case appeared: a record from the archive of the LDLN ufology group written by their archivist Mrs. Gueudelot in the 1970s.
The record gave no additional information on the sighting, but gave the source: Mr. Nueffer, ufologist in Alsace, LDLN correspondent, who heard the story personally.
| Case number: | URECAT-001535 |
|---|---|
| Date of event: | August 1954 |
| Earliest report of event: | 1969 |
| Delay of report: | 15 years. |
| Witness reported via: | Not known. |
| First alleged record by: | Ufology catalogue Alain Gamard. |
| First certain record by: | Ufology catalogue Raoul Robé. |
| First alleged record type: | Ufology catalogue . |
| First certain record type: | Ufology catalogue. |
| This file created on: | February 6, 2015 |
| This file last updated on: | February 6, 2019 |
| Country of event: | France |
| State/Department: | Haut-Rhin |
| Type of location: | Outside in cut wheat field. |
| Lighting conditions: | Not reported. |
| UFO observed: | Yes |
| UFO arrival observed: | Not reported. |
| UFO departure observed: | Not reported. |
| UFO/Entity Relation: | Certain |
| Witnesses numbers: | 1 |
| Witnesses ages: | Not reported. |
| Witnesses types: | Not reported. Man. |
| Photograph(s): | No. |
| Witnesses drawing: | No. |
| Witnesses-approved drawing: | No. |
| Number of entities: | 2 or more. |
|---|---|
| Type of entities: | Not reported. |
| Entities height: | Small |
| Entities outfit type: | Not reported. |
| Entities outfit color: | Not reported. |
| Entities skin color: | Not reported. |
| Entities body: | Not reported. |
| Entities head: | Not reported. |
| Entities eyes: | Not reported. |
| Entities mouth: | Not reported. |
| Entities nose: | Not reported. |
| Entities feet: | Not reported. |
| Entities arms: | Not reported. |
| Entities fingers: | Not reported. |
| Entities fingers number: | Not reported. |
| Entities hair: | Not reported. |
| Entities voice: | None reported. |
| Entities actions: | Were near UFO. |
| Entities/witness interactions: | None reported. |
| Witness(es) reactions: | Fled. |
| Witness(es) feelings: | Frightened. |
| Witness(es) interpretation: | Not reported. |
| Explanation category: | Insufficient information, unknown credibility. |
| Explanation certainty: | High. |
[Ref. aldl:] MRS. GUEUDELOT, "LUMIERES DANS LA NUIT" ARCHIVE:
|
AUGUST 1954.-
GALFINGUE. - (68)
In a field of cut wheat, Mr. X... would have seen a luminous sphere posed on the ground.
Mr. X... was frightened and fled; he saw among other things small beings around the object.
(Personal, communicated by Mr. NUEFER)
[Ref. fle1:] FERNAND LAGARDE:
|
| Numbering | Dictionnary page | Departement Nr | Nam of locations | Faults | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Just above | at 2 km 500 | Up to 5 km | ||||
| 132 | 302 | 68 | GALFINGUE | 1 | ||
[Note: this ufologist thought (essentially wrongly) that there is a connection between UFO sighting spots and geological faults.]
[Ref. mft1:] MICHEL FIGUET:
This ufologist noted:
| CASE Nr | CLASSIFICATION | DATE | HOUR | PLACE | ZIP CODE | CREDIBILITY SOURCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56 | CE3 | .. 08 1954 | 22 h - 23 h | Galfingue | 68500 C5 | RS, LDLN file |
[Ref. rre1:] RAOUL ROBE:
|
Case #13
In August 1954 in Galfingue (68) - (CP: T2)
In a field of cut wheat, Mr. X sees a luminous sphere posed on the ground. He sees small beings around the object and flees. (Ref.: A. Gamard, LDLN file, LDLN).
[Ref. rre2:] RAOUL ROBE:
Cas n° 6:
En août 1954, A Galfingue(68), dans un champ de blé coupé, M.X... aperçoit une sphère lumineuse posée au sol.
Il voit de petits êtres autour de l'objet et s'enfuit.
Source: fichier LDLN d'après A Gamard; aucune allusion dans la presse locale.
[Ref. jsr1:] JEAN SIDER:
Ufologist and author Jean Sider indicates that in Galfingue in the Haut-Rhin, in August 1954, a witness who asked for the respect of his anonymity saw a luminous sphere posed on the ground in a field. He noticed that two small beings were busy nearby. He was frightened and fled without trying to know more of it.
Sider gives the ufology magazine "Lumières Dans La Nuit" page 40, #267-268 as source.
[Ref. rre3:] RAOUL ROBE:
|
The case of Galfingue (68), which occurred in August and quoted in our catalog with the only source of the LDLN file according to A. Gamard, is reproduced as such by J. Sider who quotes LDLN #267-268, actually editing... our own CNEGU catalog (!). We would have appreciated that this "great collaborator" of the said magazine tells us a little more about this case, because we will never have access to this LDLN file, because of the hostility of its editor against us.
[Note: Raoul Robé reacts to Sider's 1997 book about the French saucer flap of 1954 [jsr1]. Sider vehemently alluded to "debunkers of the East" (of France), that is, CNEGU members such as Raoul Robé, indeed "skeptical" ufologists. So, Robé replies that Sider copied CNEGU's information on the case and accuses that access to the original data is not allowed to them because of the hostiliy of LDLN editor Joël Mesnard against CNEGU. The mystery here is, where did Robé get the data, if not from LDLN?]
[Ref. lhh1] LARRY HATCH - "*U* COMPUTER DATABASE":
3677: 1954/08/00 00:00 1 7:13:00 E 47:42:00 N 3311 WEU FRN HRH 8:6
GALFINGUE,FR:LUMn SPHERE/CUT WHEATFIELD:2 OIDS BUSY OUTSIDE:obs runs:/LDLN#267
Ref#217 Jean SIDER: Le DOSSIER 1954 (2 vol.) Page No. 163 : FARMLANDS
[Ref. ard1:] ALBERT ROSALES:
Albert Rosales indicates in his catalogue that in "Galfinque" [sic], Haut-Rhin, France, in August 1954, in the evening, "A witness who asked to remain anonymous saw a luminous sphere posed on the ground in a field. He noticed that two small beings were busy nearby. He was frightened and fled without further investigating."
The source is noted "Jean Sider quoting “Lumieres Dans La Nuit” # 267-268". Another version of the file has the source "Source: Les Ovnis vus de pres."
[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that in August 1954 in Galfingue, France, "Luminous sphere in cut wheat field. two humanoids busy outside object. Witness flees." And: "Close encounter with a an unidentified craft and its occupants. One luminous sphere was observed by one witness in a field for over one minute. Two dwarves were seen."
The source is indicated as "Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002."
[Ref. uda2:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that in 1954 at 21:00 in "Galfinque" [sic], France, "A large luminous sphere was seen landing on a field. The witness's vehicle engine stalled as two short humanoids approached the car. No other information."
The source is a link to a missing web page.
[Ref. isu1:] "ISUNDGAU" BLOG:
That blog presents several cases in Alsace they fished on the web, including this one:
1954: In Galfingue, a luminous sphere lands in a field. The witness flees because there are "little beings" who are busy around the machine.
There is no source reference for this case, cited among other cases. There is simply, at the end of the article, a series of links to several ufology websites and web pages, including a link to the old URL of the home page of my own website.
[Ref. cvn2:] CHRISTIAN VALENTIN:
Former journalist Christian Valentin published in 2012 a very interesting book telling the story of UFO sightings, flying saucers sightings, in Alsace, from the beginning to 1980.
In this book, he gives this summary of a case in Galfingue in August 1954:
"In a field of cut wheat, the witness, who requested anonymity, sees a luminous sphere posed on the ground. He sees small beings around the object and flees."
He indicates that the sources are given as "A. Gamard, LDLN file, LDLN", "Lumières dans la Nuit # 267/268 page 40."
He comments that LDLN refers to the LDLN file of ufologist Alain Gamard; which does not gives us the source of the information and thus there is a major reliability issue.
He adds that the short investigation he made in 2006 to some residents did not allow for a confirmation of the information.
[Ref. prn1:] PETER ROGERSON:
August 1954.
GALFINGUE (HAUT-RHIN : FRANCE)
A man saw a luminous sphere with little beings around it in a field of cut corn, and ran away.
Alain Gamard citing LDLN files.
[Ref. tai1:] "THINK ABOUT IT" WEBSITE:
Location: Galfinque [sic], Haut-Rhin, France
Date: August 1954
Time: evening
A witness who asked to remain anonymous saw a luminous sphere posed on the ground in a field. He noticed that two small beings were busy nearby. He was frightened and fled without further investigating.
Source: Jean Sider quoting “Lumieres Dans La Nuit” # 267-268
[Ref. jgz1:] JULIEN GONZALEZ:
The author indicates that there was a close encounter of the third kind in Galfingue, the Haut-Rhin, on an undetermined day in August 1954, at an unknown hour, with an anonymous witness:
In a field of cut wheat, the witness saw a luminous sphere posed on the ground, and he noticed two small beings busy around the object. The frightened witness fled without trying to find out more.
Julien Gonzalez indicates that the source is Lumières dans la Nuit, #267-268, page 40.
[Ref. prn2:] PETER ROGERSON - "INTCAT":
August 1954.
GALFINGUE (HAUT-RHIN : FRANCE)
A man saw a luminous sphere with little beings around it in a field of cut corn, and ran away.
Alain Gamard citing Lumieres dans le [sic] Nuit files
No precise date, no hour, no decent description of the object and the beings, an unidentified witness, no source, no trace in the regional Press, and Christian Valentin finding nothing about it.
This hardly makes it a convincing case: unknown credibility, insufficient data.
| Id: | Topic: | Severity: | Date noted: | Raised by: | Noted by: | Description: | Proposal: | Status: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Data | Severe | February 6, 2015. | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | Insufficient information: no price date, no hour, no description, no distance, etc. | Help needed. | Opened. |
| 2 | Data | Severe | February 6, 2015. | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | Primary source unknown. | Closed. | |
| 3 | Data | Severe | February 6, 2015. | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | No sign of investigation or checking, late attempt to check facts gave no result. | Help needed. | Opened. |
Unknown credibility.
* = Source I checked.
? = Source I am told about but could not check yet. Help appreciated.
| Main Author: | Patrick Gross |
|---|---|
| Contributors: | None |
| Reviewers: | None |
| Editor: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Created/Changed By: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | February 6, 2015 | Creation, [rre1], [jsr1], [ard1], [uda1], [cvn2], [uda2], [prn1], [tai1], [jgz1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | February 6, 2015 | First published. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | February 6, 2019 | Additions [fle1], [mft1], [rre2], [rre3], [lhh1], [prn2]. |
| 2.0 | Patrick Gross | August 6, 2023 | Addition [ald1]. In the Summary, addition of "It was only in 2023..." and what follows. |
