The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 18-Oct-54-Villepinte.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
The local newspaper L'Indépendant for October 20, 1954, reported that a farmer of Villepinte, Mr. Rouquet, stated he had seen on October 18, 1954, around 11:30 p.m., a "luminous disc" of orange color moving towards the west. The "craft" reportedly stopped over the territory of the commune of Laurabuc, reportedly remained motionless during a quarter of an hour, then left and "disappeared". Mr. Rouquet's parents, informed by their son, had also seen this departure.
This was published in other newspapers on October 21, 1954.
Ufologist and author Jean Sider found in the 1990's that the regional newspaper Le Pays d'Auge - Tribune for October 26, 1954, had on its side indicated that in Villepinte, Mr. Henri Bouquet, 22, returned home when he noticed a luminous form that "moved at high altitude" and that "suddenly" landed not far from the farm where this witness lived. He was quick to warn his family and several neighbors, and all were able to directly observe the "saucer"; which after a few minutes had risen without noise to "quickly disappear."
[Ref. cmn1:] NEWSPAPER "CENTRE-MATIN":
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The "flying saucers" continue to make headlines. Actually, it would be this time, either saucers, but plates.
A farmer from Villepinte (Aude), Mr. Rouquet said he saw the day before yesterday in the evening, around 11:30 p.m., a bright orange disk moving westward. The craft stopped above the territory of the municipality of Laurabuc, remained motionless for a quarter of an hour, then went back and disappeared. Mr. Rouquet's parents, alerted by their son, witnessed the departure.
A few kilometers from Villepinte, residents of Bram and of Villasavary spotted on the day before yesterday, between 11 p.m. and midnight, a luminous disc that moved at a fast pace. It offered the ability to change color..
The evening of the day before yesterday also, several residents of Tréveneuc (Côtes-du-Nord) reported seeing a flying disc hovering above the sea. The same phenomenon was observed in Saint-Quay-Portrieux by a butcher and a teacher.
Finally, near Aire-sur-la-Lys, a steel mill worker of Isbergues saw a round shaped luminous craft descend slowly. When it hit the ground, the witness said, about three kilometers from me, a flash of lightning illuminated the sky." Many people confirmed seeing, not the fireball, but the brightened sky. Regarding the craft, which would have fallen, no trace of it was found.
Meanwhile, another witness report, this one nine days old, came to give some details of a "flying saucer": on October 10, Mr. Roger Thiriet went, around 6:30 a.m., to Ecrouves, where he is a warden at the penitentiary. Suddenly, through a dense fog, he saw a saucer of aluminum color. It was about 2 m. 40 in diameter and 1 m. 40 high, was topped by a dome and had two windows. He approached, but the craft rose silently. Mr. Thiriet kept silence on this, fearing to be ridiculed by his colleagues and the villagers.
The Indonesian agency Antara reported on Tuesday evening, that about 9 p.m. local time, people in Bondowoso, East Java, were awestruck when they saw a white and green disc which passed at high speed over the town and disappeared in half a minute. The witnesses described the object as a "large plate" animated by a rotating motion.
This is the second time that the people of Bondowoso witness a phenomenon of this kind. The first appearance of a "strange object" took place on July 25, at the same hour.
[Ref. nnm1:] NEWSPAPER "LE NOUVEAU NORD MARITIME":
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Paris, 20. -- Judging by the small number of testimonies, the flying saucers were not very active over France, yesterday Tuesday.
A farmer from Villepinte (Aude) Mr. Rouquet, said he saw on Monday evening around 11:30 p.m., an orange-colored luminous disc heading west. The craft stopped above the territory of the commune of Laurubuc, remained motionless for about a quarter of an hour, then left and disappeared. Mr. Rouquet's parents, informed by their son, attended this departure.
A few kilometers from Villepinte, residents of Bram and of Villasavary saw, on Sunday between 11 p.m. and midnight, a luminous disc that was moving at a very high speed. It offered the particularity to change color.
Also on Monday evening, several residents of Tréveneuc (Côtes-du-Nord) said they had seen a flying saucer hovering above the sea. The same phenomenon was observed at Saint-Quay-Portrieux by a butcher and a teacher.
Finally near AIRE-SUR-LA-LYS, a worker in the steelworks of Isbergues saw "a luminous machine of round shape descend slowly." "When it touched the ground," the witness continued, "nearly 3 kilometers from me, a flash lit up the sky." Many residents confirmed that they saw, not the bolide, but the lit up sky. As for the object that fell, no trace of it was found.
Also, another testimony, this one nine days old, came to bring some details on a flying saucer. On October 10, Mr. Roger Thiriet, went, around 6:30 a.m. in Ecrouves where he is a warden at the penitentiary center. Suddenly, through fairly dense fog, he saw an aluminum-colored saucer. It was about 2 m. 40 in diameter and 1 m. 40 tall was crowned with a dome and had two portholes. He approached but the machine rose silently. Mr. Thiriet remained silent on this fact, fearing to be laughed at by his colleagues and the inhabitants of the village.
Saintes, 19. -- Mr. Labassière and his wife who were returning from Saintes (Charente Maritime) reportedly saw the other evening, around 9 p.m., a kind of balance waddling at low altitude. The rod were dazzling green, one of the trays was red and the other orange...
After taking an immobile position, these two trays - according to the witnesses - detached themselves to land in a field. Two small beings then left each ball and, after crossing each other, changed craft.
The two craft then returned to their original place and the phenomenon disappeared in a dazzling flash.
Djakarta, 20. -- The Indonesian agency Aniara reports that on Tuesday evening, around 9 p.m. local time, the population of Bondowoso, in eastern Java, was struck with terror when they saw a white and green disc that passed at high speed over the city and disappeared in half a minute. Witnesses described the object as a "large plate" with a rotating movement.
This is the second time that the people of Bondowoso witnessed such a phenomenon. The first appearance of a "strange object" was said to have taken place on July 25, at the same hour.
[Ref. ppe1:] NEWSPAPER "PARIS-PRESSE":
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"The flying saucers? Phew! I know what it is. I held a fragment of it in my hands."
This sensational statement comes from a cinema operator in Pont-l'Evêque, Mr. Blain.
- I was Monday on the airfield of Reventin - Vaugris in the Rhône valley when, shortly after the passage of a stratojet Mme Lelandais, wife of a base monitor believed that a number of "saucers" in the shape of parachutes were moving. They varied in altitude, appearance, color and suddenly disappeared. Half an hour later, a rain of "spider webs" fell heavily on the ground. We picked it up with both hands. It was a whitish material, soft to the touch at the same time as rubbery, agglomerating then melting with the heat of the hand without leaving traces. We were able to keep some of it for five hours in a waterproof box and photograph it.
This material, Mr. Blain affirms, comes from the jet engines of the Stratojets that daily use the Rhône valley (unless it is filanders, better known under the name of Angel Hair, produced in fall by various species of flying spiders).
Usually, the Stratojets jet engines, unlike those of other jet planes, do not leave a trail behind them. On Monday, however, it formed behind the apparatus, moving at nearly 10,000 meters, a very curious trail, light vapor which solidified in thick volutes two or three kilometers from the place of their formation.
The explanation of the formation of this "melting mass" produced under certain conditions by Stratojets leads technicians to formulate this hypothesis: the streaks produced resembling those of ordinary jet airplanes may be due to the injection of water in the reactors. At the origin of this phenomenon, there would be the fact that this water, projected in the combustion chambers at nearly 1,800 degrees undergoes a molecular disaggregation by contact with the combustion gas. As a result, a chemical reaction occurs which would lead to the formation of the curious matter detected on Monday at Reventin-Vaugris.
This perhaps clarified the mystery of the "saucers" observed two years ago in Oloron and Gaillac and which present all the characteristics of the phenomenon observed by Mr. Blain. But cigars? But the scales? But the Martians? Ah! Who will give us the explanation of the Martians kissing the peasants in the name of the inter-sidereal fraternity?
The latest model of flying saucer is paired. A saucer plus a saucer equals a balance, if they are united by a flail. As well it is a balance with orange and red trays that was seen, in Royan, by Mr. and Mrs. Labassière. These two trays, after being immobilized in the air, separated and landed nearby, in a field. Two little men came out of each ball and changed trays. The two trays then tightened together and disappeared in a dazzling flash.
To tell the truth, saucers, cigars and other interplanetary craft were not very active yesterday. Farmers from Villepinte (the Aude) and surrounding areas; natives of Tréveneuc (C.-d.-N.) and of St-Quay-Portrieux; a metallurgist from Aire-sur-la-Lys and the mayor of Nexon (Hte-Vienne) saw some. This is a topic of conversation for evenings. Unfortunately, no "Martians" were on board.
[Ref. lcx1:] NEWSPAPER "LA CROIX":
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Judging by the small number of testimonies collected, the activity of the flying saucer pilots over France was quite reduced during the day on Tuesday.
A farmer from Villepinte (Aude), Mr. Rouquet, said he saw a bright orange disc heading towards the West. The craft stopped above the territory of the town of Laurabuc, remained motionless for about a quarter of an hour, then set off again and disappeared. M. Rouquet's parents, informed by their son, attended this departure.
A few kilometers from Villepinte, residents of Bram and Villasavary saw, between 11 p.m. and midnight, a luminous disc moving at very high speed. It offered the particularity of changing color.
Several residents of Tréveneuc (Côtes-du-Nord), stated they have observed a flying saucer which hovered above the sea. The same phenomenon was noticed in Saint-Quay-Portrieux by a butcher and a teacher.
Near Aire-sur-la-Lys, a worker from the Isbergues steelworks saw "a luminous craft of round shape descend slowly". "When it touched the ground, continued the witness, nearly three kilometers from me, a lightning illuminated the sky." Many residents confirmed to have seen, not the fireball, but the illuminated sky. As for the craft that would have fallen, no trace of it was found.
The mayor of Nexon (Haute-Vienne), stated he saw in Petourailles, commune of Bussière-Galant, at 200 meters height, a very shiny metallic craft.
"It was," he said, "shaped like a half-sphere with a slightly pointed top." The craft disappeared vertically into the sky without making noise or smoke, and at breakneck speed.
[Ref. pat1:] NEWSPAPER "LE PAYS D'AUGE - TRIBUNE":
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In Audruicq (P.-de-C.), MM. Maurice Ramette and Léon Gégnier saw, high in the sky, an object of round shape and white in color which was moving towards them. Suddenly, the craft tilted and disappeared at breakneck speed.
In Hesdin (P.-de-C.), Mr. Jean Gambier, a police officer, was on his way to his duty when his attention was attracted to a blaze in the sky. Above the forest, a red object seemed to descend from the starry sky. The lower part of the craft left behind a luminous trail.
Many residents of Huby-Saint-Leu, a village near Hesdin, also witnessed this phenomenon.
A resident of the village of Prades (Pyrénées-Orientales), to whom two motorcyclists wanted to request information, fled, the other day, shouting: "The Martians are coming". Caught by the bikers, who, to reassure him, had removed their helmets, the farmer admitted that if he had had a gun in his hands he would have killed them.
A saucer was seen by the supervisor of a penitentiary center in Ecrouves, Mr. Roger Thiriet, residing in Blénod-les-Toul (Meurthe-et-Moselle). The jailer's saucer is not exactly fresh since it would have appeared on October 10. But Mr. Thiriet remained silent for a long time "fearing to be the laughing stock of his colleagues". However, his secret seemed to him too burdensome, and here is the account given to the gendarmes by this balanced man:
- I returned to the center by motorbike, when around 6:30 a.m., near the railway bridge, near Charmes-la-Côte, my headlight lighted an aluminum-colored saucer appearing from the fog, posed on the ground. The craft was 2 meters in diameter and 1.40 meters high. It was surmounted by a dome pierced by two portholes.
"I stopped my engine immediately; but as I approached, the saucer rose without noise."
It turns out that, this same October 10, a machine identical to [Continued on page 3]
A very bright flying disc was seen by a group of workers over a street in Rome. It is one of the innumerable appearances of the "flying saucers" which visit Italy at the moment. Their arrival provokes a strong emotion. In Livorno, a young man, Bruno Senesi, was sent urgently to the mad house. He had presented himself, very agitated, at the city hospital, shouting: "They come to take me... I saw them land in a field... Discs big like that, all in light and in smoke, full of Martians, small and red."
The people of Bondowoso, in east Java, were terrified when they saw a white and green disc, which passed at high speed over the city and disappeared in half a minute. Witnesses described the object as a "large plate" with a rotating movement.
A "Stratojet" plane which flies daily over the Rhône valley, at an altitude of about 10,000 meters, was mistaken the other day, by several inhabitants of Vienna, for a flying saucer.
Indeed, a strange phenomenon occurred after the passage of the powerful jet plane. Kinds of parachutes were formed in the sky, animated of strange movements, which soon reached the ground.
The witnesses of the phenomenon seized this matter and one of them put a little of the substance in a box and had it photographed immediately. A few hours later, the contents of the box, although waterproof, had evaporated.
It seems that the condensation in the rarefied and cold atmosphere of certain compounds of the "stratojet" fuel can cause white or iridescent formations moving at high speed and thus gives rise to various interpretations.
This observation made above the aerodrome of Vienne, is identical to that already reported in its time, by a resident of Oloron.
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(continued from page 1)
Aussay, a small town near Dieppe, was overflown by a mysterious craft which emitted a strange whistling sound. It had the shape of a gigantic cigar thay could reach 15 to 18 meters in length; in the center of the craft there was a disc surmounted by a dome.
In Villepinte (Aude), Mr. Henri Rouquet, 22, was returning home when he noticed a luminous form that was moving at high altitude. Suddenly, the craft lands not far from the farm where the young man lives. Mr. Bouquet then hastened to warn his family and several neighbors, who were able to observe the saucer distinctly. After a few minutes, the disc rose silently and quickly disappeared.
In Ham (Somme), three motorcyclists, MM. Marc and Gilles Lemaire, and Jean Ivard, were going to their work when they noticed in the sky a red disc followed by a flaming cone which advanced at the speed of an airplane. At the precise moment when the craft was above the motorcyclists, the engines of their machines stopped suddenly and the headlights went out. Everything returned to normal when the mysterious object moved away.
A motorist in the Cherbonnières region was driving with his 3 and a half year old son on the road from Sérifère to Paillé when, around 9:30 p.m., he and the child experienced painful tingling sensations, similar to electric shocks; which increased as they progressed.
The car engine suddenly stopped and the headlights went out. The child started to cry. A bright glow, passing from bright red to orange, dazzled the occupants of the car, who see a motionless craft in space. Then what they recognized as a flying saucer disappeared in the night.
been seen in Longwy, in the north of the department.
- It must be a secret weapon, said Mr. Thiriet (who does not believe in Martians), built by a foreign power. I think the craft would come from Antarctica.
Two motorists from Royan, Mr. Labestière and his wife, saw in the sky "a kind of waddling balance".
- The scourge was dazzling green, witnesses said. One of the plates was red, the other orange. After remaining motionless, the two plates detached and landed in a field. Two little beings came out of it and, after crossing paths, changed their plates. The "flying balance" then disappeared, plates included, in a dazzling flash.
In Ollainville, near Arpajon, six residents of the locality noticed an incandescent object which at first looked like a star and was revealed as it approached in the shape of a cigar. Coming from the west, the object disappeared to the east.
In Saint-Fiacre, not far from Etampes, several people saw a craft in the shape of a gigantic star spinning above the village for 20 minutes.
The mayor of Nexon (Haute Vienne) saw a very bright metallic hemisphere hovering at breakneck speed, without noise.
A very brilliant disc was even seen in Boulogne-sur-Seine, by a dozen workers from the Régie Renault. The phenomenon had been observed in broad daylight for half an hour.
In Trevedec (C.-du-N.), several people saw a flying saucer hovering over the sea.
Near Aire-sur-Lys, a worker at the steel works in Isbergues saw a luminous sphere descend slowly. When it touched the ground, the sky lit up.
[Ref. fle1:] FERNAND LAGARDE:
This ufologist indicates that on October 18, 1954, at approximately 08:30 p.m., a farmer of the area of Villepinte saw in direction of the west, above the communes of Laurabuc and La Cassaigne, an orange luminous disc, moving away at sharp pace.
He alerted his parents who also saw it, the observation having lasted 20 minutes.
Fernand Lagarde indicates that La Cassaigne is a village at 4 km from the road where Mr. and Mrs. Pons made their observation [in 1969], 2 km at the limits of the commune.
He indicates that his source is Mr. Chevrel who communicated to him the Indépendant newspaper for October 20.
[Ref. jsr1:] JEAN SIDER - LDLN:
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October 18, unknown hour, Villepinte, Aude
Mr. Henri Rouquet was returning home, when he noticed a luminous form evolving at high altitude. Suddenly, the craft landed, not far from the farm where the young man lived.
The witness of this landing hastened to warn his family, as well as several neighbors, and all were able to observe distinctly "the saucer".
After a few minutes, the disc rose silently, and quickly disappeared. (Note that the Aude press does not mention this incident. J.S.)
source:
Pays d'Auge-Tribune, Pont-l'Evêque, 26.10.54, p.4
[Ref. jsr2:] JEAN SIDER:
The French ufologist and author Jean Sider discovered this case of October 18, 1954, unknown time, in Villepinte in the Aude, in the newspaper "Le Pays d'Auge - Tribune" of October 26, 1954. He gives the contents of the article:
"In Villepinte, Mr. Henri Bouquet, aged 22, returned at his home when he noticed a luminous shape which evolved at a high altitude. Suddenly, the machine lands not far from the farm where the young man lives. He hastened to alert his family and several neighbors, and all those people managed to observe the saucer directly. At the end of a few minutes, the disc rose without noise to quickly disappear."
[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH - "*U* COMPUTER DATABASE":
4204: 1954/10/18 23:30 5 2:05:20 E 43:17:00 N 3333 WEU FRN AUD 7:9
VILLEPINTE,FR:1+SVRL OBS:LUMn.ORG DISK LANDS/FARM/20min:SLNT TAKEOFF:/r217p114
Ref#194 LUMIERES dans la NUIT.(LDLN France) Issue No. 201 : FARMLANDS
[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on 18 October 1954 at 23:30, in Villepinte, France, "An unidentified object was sighted, but with appearance and behavior that most likely would have a conventional explanation. One object was observed on a farm."
The source are indicated as Vallee, Jacques, Computerized Catalog (N = 3073); Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002.
[Ref. ubk1:] "UFO-DATENBANK":
| Case Nr. | New case Nr. | Investigator | Date of observation | Zip | Place of observation | Country of observation | Hour of observation | Classification | Comments | Identification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19541019 | 19.10.1954 | Villepinte | France | NL |
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Given the duration of the observation, the appearance of landing and departure, a meteor seems excluded, an astronomical explanation also - unless one wants to plead that what the Press told was inaccurate.
It is therefore possible that this was an extraterrestrial craft.
It should be noted all the same that the Moon was going to rise there at 11:39 p.m., at 63°. Jupiter was right next to it. The Moon was in her first quarter with half of its surface lit by the sun. It may habe been orange, as a result of a "Red Moon" effect.
The direction is however not matching at all: the report put the object above Laurabuc, which is 250° (West-South-West) from Villepinte, and not at 63° which is almost the opposite direction to that of the Moon.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Villepinte, Aude, multiple, Henri Bouquet, Henri Rouquet, disc, luminous, saucer, duration, silent, Henri Rouquet, multiple, orange, take-off, landing
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | March 26, 2005 | First published. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | June 7, 2009 | Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Additions [uda1]. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | September 19, 2014 | Addition [cmn1]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | October 12, 2016 | Addition [fle1]. |
| 1.3 | Patrick Gross | March 6, 2017 | Addition [ubk1]. |
| 1.4 | Patrick Gross | January 17, 2019 | Additions [lhh1], Summary. Explanations changed, were "Not looked for yet." |
| 1.5 | Patrick Gross | January 1, 2020 | Addition [ppe1]. |
| 1.6 | Patrick Gross | January 29, 2020 | Additions [pat1], [jsr1]. |
| 1.7 | Patrick Gross | March 2, 2020 | Addition [nnm1]. In the Summary, addition of "This was published in other newspapers on October 21, 1954." In the Explanations, addition of "It should be noted all the same..." and what follows. |
| 1.8 | Patrick Gross | January 23, 2021 | Addition [lcx1]. |
