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Beg. November 1954, Fréjus, Var, France, Christophe De Devi and Zopina:

Brief summary of the event and follow-up:

Local ufologist Maurice Malvillan told the case to UFO book author Guy Tarade, from statements by one of the two witnesses.

At 06:00 a.m. in the beginning of November 1954, while it rained fine drops, soldiers Christophe De Devi and Zopina were going to get some milk in a grocery in Fréjus, when they heard, coming from a ravine close to hospital 294, a light humming resembling the noise of a moped, which drew their attention.

They then saw a spherical machine, "all white, as made out of chromium-plated metal" with a luminous band of orange color shining at its circumference. The craft had a tail similar by its shape to a plane's rudder.

Curious, the two soldiers approached at less than ten meters of the craft, where they distinguished two men of normal sizes.

The first was in a sort of circular passage located in the bottom of the apparatus, he was dressed of a pilot's suit and had curly hair and a suntanned skin.

Eventually a door opened in the craft, a second man jumped to ground, who strangely resembled the first man and spoke to him in a language unknown to the two witnesses. Both then moved towards the soldiers.

They feared these men would attack or abduct them and fled, stopping only in front of the hospital's chapel. There they found two of their comrades, soldier Roch and paramedic Issoujon, who were returning from the kitchens where they had gone to drink a coffee. All four then saw the craft taking altitude at a "tremendous" speed and getting out of their sight in the distance.

The story was later picked up by authors and webmasters, none realizing that this must simply have been some NATO helicopter and its foreign crew.

In 1987, ufologist Michel Figuet briefly told that the case would be a "phony" story told at the nearby bar by soldiers Zopina and De Devi.

Another version is given by Jean Sider in 1997. The facts are the same, but there would never have been a ufologist hearing the story, never any story at a "nearby bar", because everything only came from a letter of the alleged witness Christophe De Devi published in the sensation magazine Radar on page 2 on November 7, 1954, telling that it had happened "this morning", and giving the names and addresses of the four witnesses.

Basic information table:

Narratives:

[Ref. ld1:] "LUMIERES DANS LA NUIT" MAGAZINE:

Note: the magazine gives no source.

[Ref. gq1:] GENEVIEVE VANQUELEF:

[Ref. gt1:] GUY TARADE:

The author and ufologist Guy Tarade reports in one his book what was learned by his friend Maurice Malvillan, of Frejus, ufologist who studied UFO reports for twenty years. Maurice Malvillan obtained the account by one of the witnesses of the event.

At 6 o'clock one morning of the beginning of November 1954, whereas it rained fine drops, the soldiers Christophe De Devi and Zopina were going to fetch milk in a grocery in Fréjus when they witnessed a strange event which took place in a ravine close to hospital 294.

The account given by Maurice Malvillan was:

"It was a light humming resembling the noise of a Solex moped which drew the attention of the two soldiers. They then saw a spherical machine all white, as made out of chromium-plated metal. And its circumference shone a luminous band of orange color."

"The apparatus had a tail similar by its shape to the rudder of a plane. Taken by curiosity, the two soldiers approached at less than ten meters of the object. At this point in time they distinguished two men of normal size. The first was in a sort of circular passage located in the bottom of the apparatus. He wore a pilot's suit and had curly hair and a tanned complexion."

"The two soldiers contemplated this curious appearance when a door opened in the machine. A second man jumped to ground. He strangely resembled the first man and communicated to him in a language unknown to the two witnesses. Both "Uranians" then moved towards the soldiers. Fearing to be attacked or even abducted, they fled away and stopped only in front of the hospital's chapel. There they found two of their comrades, soldier Roch and paramedic Issoujon, who were returning from the kitchens where they had gone to get the coffee. All four saw the U.F.O. which took altitude with a striking speed and disappeared in the distance."

[Ref. fr1:] MICHEL FIGUET AND JEAN-LOUIS RUCHON:

The two authors refers to "Lumières Dans La Nuit" #87 to indicate that in the beginning of November 1954, at 6 a.m., near Frejus, under a rain with fine drops, the soldiers Christophe de Devi and Zopina went to get milk at a grocery and found themselves in a ravine close to the military hospital 294, when they heard a humming which resembled that of a "Solex" motorcycle, and then saw a craft posed on the ground.

The craft was spherical with a chromium-plated metallic aspect. The soldiers were curious and approached within less than 10 meters, and they then saw a normal man of normal size in clothing of pilot, with curly hair and a southerner skin complexion.

This pilot had jumped off a hole at the base of the machine, and another pilot jumped to the ground and spoke with the first one in an unknown language. These two pilots advanced towards the witnesses who became frightened and run away. Arrived in front of a vault, the two witnesses felt safe, and turned back to observe the departure of the craft, in company of two other soldiers, Roche and Issonjon, service paramedic.

The authors indicate as source LDLN 87 page 4.

[Ref. ld2:] MAGAZINE "LUMIERES DANS LA NUIT":

[Ref. js1:] JEAN SIDER:

This author indicates that at the beginning of November 1954, around 06:00 a.m., in Fréjus, in the Var, Messrs. Christophe de Devi, Zopina, Roch and Issoujou (and not Roche and Issonjon, according to other sources), all soldiers with the 294th Military Hospital in Fréjus were involved in a close encounter of the third kind:

De Devi and Zopina went to get milk from the nearby grocery store, when suddenly a buzzing sound of Solex engine kind resounded, then a white craft like chrome metal landed in a nearby ravine. The two soldiers approached within five meters of the object; which appeared to them now as an orange-colored sphere.

Suddenly, they distinguished a man of normal size in pilot's clothing, with curly hair and the color of a metis person, who came out of a hole at the bottom of the apparatus. Then a second individual jumped to the ground and spoke to the first one in an unknown language. He amazingly looked like the first one.

It was then that the two occupants went to the witnesses, who took fright and fled. When they arrived at the height of the chapel of the hospital, they had the idea to attract the attention of Private Roch and nurse Issoujou who are on coffee duty, and the four men saw the object taking altitude at a tremendous speed before disappearing.

Jean Sider indicates that the source is actually a letter from Private Christophe de Devi sent to the Paris weekly Radar which published it on page 2 on November 7, 1954.

Jean Sider indicates that Michel Figuet, in LDLN #265-266, page 20, says that it is the story of the soldiers in a bar repeated by a client to an investigator whom he does not name, and Jean Sider considers that "obviously, Figuet invented this version, a behavior that says a lot about the harmful influence of 'socio-psychologists' Figuet befriended since he changed his mind [becoming "skeptical" about UFOs]. There has never been an investigator nor a bar-client who told him this story. The letter of Christophe de Devi was sent to Radar the very day of the observation. He indeed specifies: "This morning." It was accompanied by a sketch of the observed object, but unfortunately it was not reproduced.

Jean Sider goes on to say that this does not mean that the story must be true. But he points out that the witnesses, however, give their names and addresses, that they were soldiers and that the Army is known to have a heavy hand with those who do not walk straight. Jean Sider concludes: "These elements do not validate the hypothesis of a hoax, far from it!"

[Ref. go1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:

The Belgian ufologist indicates that at the beginning of November 1954, in France, in Fréjus, at 6 a.m., it rained, the soldiers Christophe De Devi and Zopina were going to get some milk when they heard a light humming resembling that of a "solex". A white spherical object, as of chromium-plated metal, was posed on the ground close to a ravine. At its circumference was a luminous band of orange color shone. It had a tail similar by its form to a plane's rudder. The soldiers approached within less than 10 meters. A man was in a kind of circular passage located in the bottom of the apparatus. He was wearing a pilot's suit, had curly hair and tanned dye. A door opened and a second man jumped to ground, he oddly resembled the first and talked to him in language unknown of the two witnesses. These two "men" moved then towards the soldiers who fled, stopping only in front of the vault of the hospital. There they found their comrades, soldier Roch and male nurse Issoujon who were returning from the kitchens. All four saw the UFO take off, it took altitude at a tremendous speed.

Godelieve Van Overmeire indicates the source is Guy TARADE: "S.V. et civilisations d'outre-espace", J'Ai Lu, 1969, pages 176, 177.

[Ref. ar1:] ALBERT ROSALES:

[Ref. lh1] LARRY HATCH - "*U* COMPUTER DATABASE":

[Ref. lc1:] LUC CHASTAN:

The website records the case as having taken place in November 1954 in Fréjus in the Var in France at 6 o'clock under a continuous weak rain, with 4 witnesses, without object on the ground, without official investigation, with a UFO in the shape of a sphere, two entities of normal size having black faces and black clothes, and a buzzing sound as physical effect.

The summary indicates that two soldiers went to get milk at a grocery and were in a ravine close to the military hospital 294, when they heard a gentle humming resembling that of a solex and then observed a white spherical object seemingly of chromium-plated metal posed on the ground. The two men approached within ten meters and then saw a being of metis type and of the normal human size wearing a pilot's suit, with curly hair. It emerged from a hole on the bottom of the object, a second being came out of the same opening and both started to speak between themselves in a language unknown of the two witnesses. These two entities then advanced towards the witnesses who fled. On the level of the vault of the hospital, they observed with two other soldiers the departure of the object which took altitude at a tremendous speed and disappeared.

The source is indicates as "Ovni, Premier dossier complet... by Figuet M./ Ruchon J.L., Alain Lefeuvre publisher, 1979."

[Ref. ud1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:

The website reproduces the [ar1] source.

[Ref. ud2:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:

The website indicates that in November 1954 at 06:00 in Frejus, France, "Close encounter with an unidentified craft and its occupants. An unidentifiable object and its occupants were observed at close range (De Devi)".

The source is noted as "Delaire, J. Bernard. UFO Register Volume 7 (1976), Data Research, Oxford, 1976".

[Ref. gz1:] JULIEN GONZALEZ:

The author indicates that there was a close encounter of the third kind near Fréjus, the Var, at the beginning of November 1954, at 06:00 a.m. with witnesses Messrs Zopina, Christophe de Devi, Roche and Issonjon, soldiers at the Military Hospital 294 in Fréjus.

Soldiers Christophe de Devi and Zopina fetched the milk from a grocery store and found themselves in a ravine near the military hospital.

They heard a slight whirring sound resembling that of a "Solex" [moped], then saw a spherical white craft placed on the ground. By curiosity they approached at 10 meters, and then saw a man of normal size wearing pilot's clothes, with curly hair, and a metis complexion.

This pilot emerged from a hole at the bottom of the craft, another being jumped to the ground and talked to the first in an unknown dialect. Then they both began to advance towards the dumbfounded observers, who for fear of being attacked or abducted, fled.

Arriving in front of the hospital chapel, they felt safe and observed the departure of the craft in the company of Private Roche and the service nurse, Private Issonjon.

The aircraft took altitude with tremendous rapidity, then disappeared.

Julien Gonzalez points out that this was a letter sent by Private Christophe de Devi to the weekly Radar which published it its readers letter section.

The sources are indicated as Radar for 7 November 1954; Lumières dans la Nuit, #87, page 4; Jean Sider, Le dossier 1954 et l'imposture rationaliste, pages 222-223.

[Ref. ta1:] "THINK ABOUT IT" WEBSITE:

[Ref. ub1:] "UFO-DATENBANK":

[Ref. ud3:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:

The website says that on 2 November 1954 at 06:00 in Frejus, Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur, France, "Unintelligible language. Metallic sphere in ravine. four soldiers encounter human looking occupant, wore pilot suit."

And: "Close encounter with a an unidentified craft and humanoid occupants. One metallic sphere was observed by four male military witnesses at a military facility for five minutes."

And: "During a rainy morning, two soldiers, Christophe De Devi and A Zopina were on their way to town to obtain some milk when they perceived a humming sound resembling that of a "solex". They then saw a white metallic spherical object on the ground close to a nearby ravine. Around its circumference it had a luminous band of an orange-red tone. It had a tail similar to that of a rudder of a plane. The soldiers approached to within 10 meters of the object. They saw a man standing on what appeared to be a circular platform on the base of the object. He wore a combination suit, similar to a pilot; he had curly dark hair, and had bronzed skin. A door opened a second man jumped to the ground; he resembled the first one, and spoke to him in an unknown language. These two men then moved towards the soldiers, which ran from the area. In town they found two additional soldiers. All four watched the UFO gaining altitude at very high speed and disappearing from sight."

The sources are given as "Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002"; "Rosales, Albert, Humanoid Sighting Reports Database".

[Ref. pr2:] PETER ROGERSON - "INTCAT":

Points to consider:

This is obviously a rather good description of a helicopter, with a foreign crew, thus probably a NATO helicopter.

Saunders-Roe "Skeeter" two-seat helicopter, in production in 1949.

The case also shows typical examples of ufological distortions, with pilots of tanned skins turning into entities with black faces, and the suppression of the essential detail of the presence of a plane-like rudder on the craft, thus transformed into a "sphere".

Added on December 8, 2018:

On this date I found the words of Michel Figuet [ld2] and Jean Sider [js1] on the case.

Figuet indicates that it was a story invented in a bar of Frejus by the two soldiers Zopina and De Devi, alleged main witnesses. Figuet evokes alcohol. But as Jean Sider notes, no clarification is made as to how this is known, and this actually seems to contradict the version according to what it became known only by a courier of an alleged witness published in Radar. The person who would have heard the story in a bar cannot be ufologist René Malvillan since he does not present the case at all as a hoax.

With this contradictory information, the thesis of the helicopter would not be debunked, but the alternative possibility of a hoax was to be evoked.

List of issues:

Evaluation:

Confusion, helicopter.

Sources references:

* = Source I checked.
? = Source I am told about but could not check yet. Help appreciated.

• [ra1] ? Letter of the alleged witness Christophe de Devi in the weekly sensation magazine Radar, Paris, France, page 2, November 7, 1954.
• [mm1] ? Maurice Malvillan, ufologist.
• [ld1] * Ufology magazine Lumières Dans La Nuit (LDLN), France, #87, page 45, March / April 1967.
• [gq1] * "Les Occupants des M.O.C et leur comportement", article by Geneviève Vanquelef, in the ufology magazine Lumières Dans La Nuit (LDLN), France, #116, page 4, February 1972.
• [jd1] ? "UFO Register", compiled by J. Bernard Delaire, Data Research, U-K., 1976.
• [gt1] * "Soucoupes Volantes Et Civilisations d'Outre-Espace", book by Guy Tarade, J'Ai Lu publisher, France, pp 176-177, 1979.
• [fr1] * "OVNI - Premier Dossier Complet des Rencontres Rapprochées en France", book by Michel Figuet and Jean-Louis Ruchon, Alain Lefeuvre publisher, France, page 207, 1979.
• [gt1] * "O.v.n.i. et Civilizacoes Extraterrestres", book by Guy Tarade, Brazilian version of "Soucoupes Volantes et Civilisations d'Outre-Espace", Hemus publisher, Brazil, 1980.
• [jb1] ? Jacques Bonabot, ufologist.
• [ld2] * Answer by Michel Figuet to a mail by Mr. Bernard, in the ufology magazine Lumières Dans La Nuit (LDLN), France, #271-272, page 45, January/ Februray 1987.
• [js1] * "Le Dossier 1954 et l'Imposture Rationaliste", book by Jean Sider, Ramuel publisher, France, pp 222-223, 1997.
• [go1] * "Chronologie OVNI", web page compiled by Godelieve Van Overmeire, Belgium, circa 1999, at users.skynet.be/sky84985/chron13.html
• [ar1] * "1954 Humanoid Reports", compiled by Albert Rosales, circa 2001, at www.ufoinfo.com/humanoid/humanoid1967.shtml
• [lh1] * "*U* Computer Database", database by Larry Hatch, USA, circa 2002.
• [lc1] * Base Ovni France, website by Luc Chastan, France, circa 2005, at baseovnifrance.free.fr/listgen.php?typlist=20&page=0&numobs=1958
• [ud1] * "November 1954 06:00 Frejus, France", web page at the UFOdna website, circa 2007, at www.ufodna.com/uf16/uf2/162659.htm
• [ud2] * "In November 1954 - Frejus, France", web page at the UFOdna website, circa 2007, at www.ufodna.com/uf09/uf3/093079.htm
• [gz1] * "RR3 - Le Dossier des Rencontres du Troisième Type en France", book by Julien Gonzalez, Le Temps Présent publishers, France, page 159, 2014.
• [ta1] * "1954: November Sightings", catalog on the UFO website Think About It, USA, not dated, found in 2014, at http://www.thinkaboutitdocs.com/6-1954-november-sightings
• [ub1] * Online database UFO-Datenbank, Germany, found in 2016, at ufodatenbank.de
• [ud3] * "2 Nov 1954 - Frejus, Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur, France", web page by the UFOdna website, circa 2017, at http://thecid.com/ufo/uf16/uf2/162659.htm
• [pr2] * "INTCAT 1954", catalogue compiled by Peter Rogerson, U-K., circa 2016, at https://intcat.blogspot.com/search?q=1954

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This page was last updated on December 8, 2018.