The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 18-Oct-54-Calais.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
The regional newspaper Nord Littoral, of Calais, for October 20, 1954, reported seveal observations in the area of Calais.
One of them was that on October 18, 1954, that they had been informed the previous morning that on October 18, 1954, residents of the Cité Edgar Quinet and its immediate surroundings had noticed, around 9:00 p.m., a strange gleam in the sky, and that rue Copernic, passers-by had also reported the same thing at the same hour.
The newspaper thought it might have been a "hot lightning bolt, arguing that that evening was very warn; but it was much more likely the meteor that passed at 08:45 p.m. above that area an other areas.
Three days later, the same newspaper published a letter from a female reader wanting to remain anonymous, assuring them that it was not in her opinion a "flash of heat". She had also seen the glow that Monday evening at 08:50 p.m. near Calais, with a female friend. They had been suddenly lit and were able to distinguish everything around them as this light which seemed to come from the sky was very strong. The light was green at first and then pink, it disappeared as it came, without noise.
It had lasted four to five seconds. At the same time and at the place of the gleam, they had seen "a luminous craft moving horizontally from north-west to south-west" and "at about the height of the stars", it was "1.50 meters long or so and it was spinning faster than an airplane."
[Ref. nll1:] NEWSPAPER "NORD LITTORAL":
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Can a "strange glow" seen by very numerous people in different spots of Calais and the Calaisis, be qualified as "flying saucer"?
We will leave it to others to decide the matter, if they can.
Let's just move on to the statement of facts.
Yesterday morning, we were informed that residents of the city of Edgar Quinet and its immediate surroundings had seen around 9:00 p.m., the day before yesterday in the evening, a strange gleam in the sky.
Rue Copernic, passers-by also reported the same thing, and at the same time.
In addition, three Calais Express truckers, MM. Roger Decarmin, Gaston Caillou and Roger Croisier son were returning to Calais when, a little before Ardres, a kind of light, crossing the road at breakneck speed, made them ask themselves if they had not been the toy of a hallucination.
When they got to Ardres, they learned that there were other witnesses.
Dogs, surprised by the bright light, kept barking.
The same fact was also reported by residents of Pont-d'Ardres and by a gendarme in the region and also by a travelling motorist who slept in Ardres that night.
Finally on the Calais-Dunkirk route there were also witnesses.
It could have been a lightning bolt called a "hot" bolt because the evening was very mild.
[Ref. nll2:] NEWSPAPER "NORD LITTORAL":
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A sales representative from Calais-Nord, resident of rue d'Edimbourg, sends us the following letter which he accompanied with a very detailed plan and with an explanatory drawing, about his encounter with a flying saucer:
"Commercial representative of my state, I was going to Arras, coming from Bucquoy. About 10 kilometers from Arras, going down a hill, I suddenly see a very bright disc. By the time I stopped my car and took out my camera, nothing. Needless to say, I was disappointed.
The disc that appeared to me was, I repeat, very brilliant. It was noon and it was visible for only a few seconds, four or five.
It was going in the opposite direction of the wind. Its speed was very high!"
Also in the field of flying saucers, we receive the following missive:
"Maraie-de-Guines, Oct. 20.
Mr. the Editor,
I'm writing to you about the glow that was seen Monday evening near Calais.
I myself am a witness to this phenomenon and here is what happened.
I was in the company of a friend Monday evening when unexpectdly we were suddenly illuminated. We were able to distinguish everything around us so much this light was strong. This light seemed to come from the sky, it was green at first then pink afterwards, it disappeared as it came, without noise. It lasted four to five seconds. At the same time and at the place of the clarity we saw a luminous craft moving horizontally from north-west to south-west. This craft was approximately at the height of the stars, it was 1.50 m long or so and it was spinning faster than an airplane. It was 8:50 p.m.
I'm writing [sic] this to show you that I don't think it was a flash of heat.
I don't want to name myself, just know that I'm sincere.
Mrs. D..."
[Ref. gqy1:] GUY QUINCY:
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about mid October [, 1954]
[... other cases...]
09.00 a.m.: Calais (Pas-de-Calais)
? [=unknown hour]: Calais (Pas-de-Calais)
? [=unknown hour]: Calais (Pas-de-Calais)
[... other cases...]
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The newspaper Nord-Littoral thought it was likely a "hot" lightning bolt; but it was much more likely the meteor that passed over that area and other areas at 08:45p.m.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Calais, Pas-de-Calais, multiple, cité Edgar Quinet, night, gleam, rue Copernic, passers-by, lightning
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | June 12, 2020 | First published. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | June 21, 2020 | Addition [nll2]. In the Summary, addition of theinformation from [nll2]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | May 14, 2022 | Addition [gqy1]. |
