The 1954 French flap:

A Lorient resident tells us: "Tuesday evening, I saw a mysterious craft emerge from the clouds; I watched it for two minutes"...

"Flying saucers" are very much in the news. We have already reported several phenomena that were allegedly observed in the region. In Lorient itself, only once it seems, was an extraordinary sighting made. While walking along rue Ratier, several people reportedly saw, as some may recall, a saucer in the sky.

But Lorient will now gain attention due to a report given to us by a witness of the latest phenomenon, which, according to our fellow citizen, occurred at the beginning of the evening on Tuesday.

Mr. Jean Roignant, residing at 18, rue Jules Le Grand, is a retired master helmsman. "I was trained," he told us this morning during his visit to our offices, "by the demands of my profession to observe carefully and to draw as much detail as possible from what I see. That's what allowed me to note the details I want to share with you. First and foremost, I assure you of my sincerity. I have no interest in drawing attention to myself."

Mr. Roignant then explained his observations.

"It was around 6:15 p.m., Tuesday evening. I was in the courtyard of the building where I live, at 18, rue Jules Le Grand. I was chatting with a neighbor, Mrs. Maho, who was washing her laundry. Suddenly, as the sky was clearing, I saw a mysterious craft emerge from the clouds, remarkable for its shape and colors.

The upper part, elongated and straight, was white and bright, but not phosphorescent. The ends of this straight band were blurry. Below it was a disc with changing colors, like moiré fabric. Dark red, violet, it also had greenish reflections. This disc followed the straight upper section without changing position. It seemed to be part of the craft. Its diameter was smaller than the length of what looked like a white cigar, to which it appeared attached. But I cannot describe the very dark part between the cigar and the disc precisely.

When I saw the craft, it was to the north, at a 50° angle above the horizon from my position, moving from east to west. It was at an altitude I estimated to be between 4,000 and 6,000 meters. From the way I could observe it, I believe the craft was quite large.

As soon as I saw it, I called out to Mrs. Maho, "Look! A flying saucer!" She looked up and saw it too.

I watched it for nearly two minutes before it was hidden behind rooftops. I immediately went up to my apartment on the third floor. At that very moment, the siren at the arsenal sounded. So it was 6:18 p.m. I grabbed my binoculars and scanned the sky, but in vain...

I can assure you it was not a plane. In my opinion, it was the same craft schoolchildren saw in Vannes. Its color could easily have changed with its speed or with its position in the sky in relation to the sun...

Will other residents of Lorient confirm this phenomenon, which Mr. Roignant and Mrs. Maho should not have been the only ones to witness?

A flying saucer in Kerchopine...

Plouay. -- On Tuesday, around 12:25 p.m., a passing motorist suddenly stopped his car on the main road from Hennebont to Plouay, at a place called Kerchopine in Cléguer, 3 km from Plouay, shouting that he had just seen a flying saucer and alerting all the local residents.

Indeed, they saw a glowing round globe, leaving behind it a darkish smoke and making a sound like distant thunder. The phenomenon lasted about five minutes. Then, nothing more... It is being talked about throughout the region.

Editor's note - This information is confirmed by our correspondent in Cléguer, who adds that the "red ball" descended from the sky at great speed. But, contrary to the earlier report, he states that this ball left behind a long white trail, not darkish smoke. He adds that, according to rumor, "some people were so emotionally shaken by this sudden and brief vision that they were momentarily rendered speechless."

"According to some," he continues, "the saucer landed about ten kilometers away, in the direction of Lanvaudan-Quistinic; according to others, in the nearby woods."

... or a weather device

But the same correspondent also reports:

A National Meteorological Service device used to measure air pressure, temperature, and humidity, as well as the direction and speed of winds at different altitudes, for weather forecasting and air traffic safety, was discovered by Miss Philippe in one of her fields at Restanscouézec.

The device was enclosed in a cardboard box suspended from a rubber balloon and equipped with a parachute. It had been launched from the Brest station on October 11.

So?