The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 19-oct-54-Ygrande.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
The Dauphiné Libéré regional newspaper apparently pubished an advertizing text on October 20, saying:
"We are told that the teacher of Ygrande, Mr. Gustave Rivet, was walking in the countryside around 3 p.m. accompanied by his young class including 19 students, for the explained botanical lesson.
"At the moment when they were about to arrive at the place called "Les Deux Passages" their attention was attracted by an unusual noise.
"A light, alternating whistling sound whirled through the air in the sunny, windless countryside, and the concerned children asked their master what it was, and he was unable to answer them. The noise stopped suddenly.
"Forgetting this incident, the young class continued its studious walk.
"About half an hour later, the noise was heard again, and it was the surprise of the whole class to discover that the sound was coming from the middle of a field hidden by a curtain of trees.
"A machine was there whose metallic appearance of a dark red made them immediately think of a flying saucer. This instrument consists of two parts, the lower part about 1m to 1m.50 high, spherical and with ovals portholes, the upper second part appearing to be a disc of about 0.50 m of thickness rotating and emitting a slight hum, rested on square blocks.
"Monsieur Gustave Rivet was able, at his leisure and with a calm mind, to observe this strange vision. Around the device, there were three forms that seemed to be the passengers of this machine. These forms were composed of an almost normal human trunks with two arms whose proportions were human, but terminated by an opening and closing hook.
"A single leg ended in a spherical base made it possible to move in small jumps. The very small and conical heads seemed to have three eyes located in a triangle and allowing vision in all directions at the same time.
"The most curious thing is their suit, which seems to be a leather jacket, of a steel-gray color. The young Chatelin, 14-year-old, son of Ygrande's garment shop, certifies to have recognized a "Duracuir" jacket of the kind that dresses up Louison Bobet, the world champion, always chic and well dressed!"
The press text was apparently found by ufologist Alain Gamard, it apparently appeard then in a book by ufologist Eric Zurcher, then, ufologist Jean Giraud chcked into it and said that there was never any Gustave Rivet teacher in Ygrande, never any Chatelin fashion shop in Ygrande, and no place called "Les Deux Passages" appears on an army map.
[Ref. agd1:] ALAIN GAMARD:
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October 19th., 1954: 15.30 hours. Ygrande (Allier).
Witnesses: about (?) twenty.
Refs: Dauphiné Libéré 20.10.1954.
[Ref. ioi1:] "INFO-OVNI":
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-6-
DATE 10/19/1954
TIME About 03:00 p.m.
LOCATION Les Deux Passages Ygrande (Allier)
WITNESSES Mr. G. Rivet, teacher and 19 of his students.
The FACTS.
"We are told that the teacher of Ygrande, Mr. Gustave Rivet, was walking in the countryside around 3 p.m. accompanied by his young class including 19 students, for the explained botanical lesson.
"At the moment when they were about to arrive at the place called "Les Deux Passages" their attention was attracted by an unusual noise.
"A light, alternating whistling sound whirled through the air in the sunny, windless countryside, and the concerned children asked their master what it was, and he was unable to answer them. The noise stopped suddenly.
"Forgetting this incident, the young class continued its studious walk.
"About half an hour later, the noise was heard again, and it was the surprise of the whole class to discover that the sound was coming from the middle of a field hidden by a curtain of trees.
"A machine was there whose metallic appearance of a dark red made them immediately think of a flying saucer. This instrument consists of two parts, the lower part about 1m to 1m.50 high, spherical and with ovals portholes, the upper second part appearing to be a disc of about 0.50 m of thickness rotating and emitting a slight hum, rested on square blocks.
"Monsieur Gustave Rivet was able, at his leisure and with a calm mind, to observe this strange vision. Around the device, there were three forms that seemed to be the passengers of this machine. These forms were composed of an almost normal human trunks with two arms whose proportions were human, but terminated by an opening and closing hook.
"A single leg ended in a spherical base made it possible to move in small jumps. The very small and conical heads seemed to have three eyes located in a triangle and allowing vision in all directions at the same time.
"The most curious thing is their suit, which seems to be a leather jacket, of a steel-gray color. The young Chatelin, 14-year-old, son of Ygrande's garment shop, certifies to have recognized a "Duracuir" jacket of the kind that dresses up Louison Bobet, the world champion, always chic and well dressed! "
SOURCES.
Press. "The Dauphiné Libéré" of 20/10/1954 (Communication E. Zurcher)
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INVESTIGATION.
There has never been any Gustave Rivet teacher at Ygrande.
There has never been any Chatelin fashion merchant in Ygrande.
The Army map does not mention any place called "Les Deux Passages".
However, the local press mentions:
12/19/1954 Ygrande 06 hrs. OO a.m. (or 6 pm OO)
"A luminous sphere rose vertically and disappeared quickly."
"Centre-Matin" for 12/20/1954
This is the only case ever reported on Ygrande commune, but just two months after the alleged landing in D.L.
INVESTIGATOR.
J. GIRAUD Group 03 100
[Ref. bbr1:] GERARD BARTHEL AND JACQUES BRUCKER:
The two authors indicate that the newspaper "Le Dauphiné Libéré", for October 2, 1954, published the following text:
"We are informed that the school teacher of Ygrande, Gustave Rivet, walked in the countryside at approximately 03:00 p.m., accompanied his young class of 19 pupils for the course of practical botany."
"At the time when they were on the verge of arriving at the location called "les Deux Passages", their attention was caught by an uncommon noise. A light and alternative whistle resounded in the air of the sunny and windless countryside. The children, not reassured, asked their teacher what it was. The latter was unable to answer. The noise ceased suddenly. Forgetting this incident, the young class continued their studious walk. Approximately half an hour later, again the noise was heard and how amazed was the class when they discovered that this noise came from the middle of the field hidden by a curtain of trees."
"An apparatus whose metallic appearance of a dark red, made them at once think of a flying saucer. This apparatus had two parts, the lower part of approximately one meter to of one meter fifty, spherical and equipped with oval port-holes; the second, higher part, appearing to be a disc of approximately 0,50 meters thickness, rotating and emitting a soft whistling sound, rested on square blocks."
"Mr Gustave Rivet could observe this strange vision at length and with a cool spirit. Around the apparatus there were three shapes that seemed to be the passengers of this machine. These shapes were made of a trunk like that of a normal man provided with two arms of which the proportions were human but ended by hooks which were opening and closing again. They had only one leg ending in a spherical base which allowed their displacements by small hops. The head, very small and conical, seemed to have three eyes located in triangle and allowing to see in all the directions at the same time."
"The most curious feature was their costume which seemed to be a leather jacket of a gray steel color. The young Chatelin kid, aged 14, son of the clothes merchant of Ygrande, certifies to have recognized a "Duracuir" clothing, that brand which dressed Louison Bobet, the classy world champion, always nicely dressed...!!!"
The two authors indicate that if the ufologists had humor instead of being stupid because of their fanaticism they would laugh when reading this.
They then say that this affair can be "eliminated without any doubt."
They tell then that they made an in-depth investigation into this case, by letters and telephone calls and "several working days to be sure that we do not make an error of judgment."
They then say then that it is a hoax and that Mr. Rivet and the young Chatelin kid did not exist but that "in the other sightings the nature of the report does not always make it possible to suspect a possible joke."
[Ref. mft1:] MICHEL FIGUET:
This ufologist noted:
| CASE Nr | CLASSIFICATION | DATE | HOUR | PLACE | ZIP CODE | CREDIBILITY SOURCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 241 | CE3 | 10 19 1954 | 03.30 p.m. | Ygrande | 03160 B4 | E [= Explained], (advertizing) |
[Ref. mft2:] FRANCAT, MICHEL FIGUET:
In his listing of non-UFO entries, Michel Figuet noted:
10/19/1954
Ygrande
Advertising for "Duracuir" clothes. Investigation by J.M. Giraud. Eric Zuercher p. 138.
[Ref. jsr1:] JEAN SIDER:
36 - Case of Ygrande, Allier.
Page 49, readers probably did not understand why this pseudo-case and pseudo-hoax is presented at length and breadth as if it were a strong known classic case. In fact, it was just an advertisement for a clothing store. There is no possibility of thinking that the text of this promotional announcement can relate to a real CE3. Even a mentally retarded would not fall into such a trap.
For example, in La Dépêche du Pays de Bray of November 18, 1954, page 1, one can find an article-announcement very similar to that relating to Ygrande. It is said that according to "reliable" witnesses, two small beings with slanted eyes, stocky bodies on spindly legs, were seen, wearing fur clothes "having nothing to compare with those on sale at the Rouen-Fourrures store, 50 rue du Gros-Horloge, Rouen, more elegant and at moderate prices!
In 1954, a number of advertisements of this type appeared in the provincial press, built on a saucer or extraterrestrial support. B & B must be the only ones who thought this "CE3" was in our files. But curiously, might I say, it was in their file...
[Ref. prn2:] PETER ROGERSON - "INTCAT":
October 19 1954. 1500hrs.
YGRANDE (ALLIER : FRANCE)
Teacher Gustav Rivet and 19 schoolboys were going for a botany ramble in the country, when at "les deux passages" they heard a slight whistling that suddenly stopped. 30 minutes later they heard the same noise and saw a deep red coloured metallic object. It comprised of a spherical lower part, 1.5m diameter, with oval portholes, surmounted by a rotating disc 50cm thick, which gave off the sound. It stood on square blocks. Around the object were three figures with humanoid trunks, but only one leg that terminated in a spherical stand. They had hook like hands and small conical heads with three eyes in a triangle. They wore leather jackets.
[Ref. jgz1:] JULIEN GONZALEZ:
The author indicates that there was a false close encounter of the third kind in Ygrande, the Allier, on 19 October 1954, at 03:00 p.m.:
The teacher of Ygrande, M. Gustave Rivet, was walking in the countryside accompanied by his young class of 19 students for the botany lesson. When they arrived at the place called "Les Deux Passages", their attention was attracted by an unusual noise, a slight and alternate whistling sound. The noise ceased suddenly. Half an hour later, the sound was heard again and the whole class discovered its origin: in the middle of a field a machine of metallic appearance, dark red, composed of two parts, a lower part of about 1 m to 1.50 m height, spherical and lined with oval portholes; a discoidal upper part about 0.50 m thick, rotating and emitting a slight whistling sound, resting on square blocks. Around the apparatus there were three forms, each composed of a man's trunk, almost normal, with two arms of human proportions, but terminated by a hook opening and closing. A single leg terminated by a spherical base allowed them to move in small jumps. The head, very small and conical, seemed to have three eyes located in a triangle allowing vision in all directions at once. The young Chatelain, aged 14, the son of a garment-maker in Ygrande, had certified that he had recognized in the costume of the entities which appeared to be a steel-gray leather jacket, a "Duracuir" garment, such as worn by Louison Bobet, the world champion, always chic and well dressed!
Sources are indicated as Le Dauphiné Libéré for October 20, 1954.
Julien Gonzalez notes that after counter-investigating, Mr. Jean Giraud concluded that there was never any Gustave Rivet teacher in Ygrande; tThat there has never been any Chatelain, clothing merchant in Ygrande, and that no place called "Les Deux Passages" exists in the commune of Ygrande.
The source for this explanation is given as INFO-UFO special issue "Catalog of landings in Auvergne".
[Ref. lde2:] WEBSITE OF THE NEWSPAPER "LE DAUPHINE LIBERE":
Every Sunday, the Dauphiné delves into its archives and makes you relive an event from the past. This weekend, back in 1954, when the South East saw aliens everywhere...
By Sylvaine ROMANAZ - August 11, 2019 at 06:05 - updated on Apr 18, 2020 at 11:07 - Reading time: 4 min
In public gardens, on café terraces, on sidewalks, thousands of motionless people staring up at the sky. On this October 14, 1954, alert in Grenoble: a flying saucer crosses the sky. No doubt for the most informed, the Martians are coming!
In the afternoon, the switchboard of the Dauphiné Libéré is overwhelmed by calls. And at 6 p.m., at the exit of the factories and offices, the crowd increases again in the streets. "But I'm telling you it's a weather balloon!" a passerby shouts. Wasted effort. Not one convinced witness.
Better still, the collective hallucination of the Grenoblois spreads. From Chambéry to Gap, from Fontaine-de-Vaucluse to Faucigny, same stories. "A large vertical cigar" for some, flaming red or green and gray, orange or shiny, an unidentified object travels the South-East.
In Fontaine de Vaucluse, the case is growing. This white disc which hovers above the city, here is something strange nevertheless... The witnesses who observe it with binoculars go there for their details: the disc is surmounted by a spherical cap, and looks like a silver bowler hat. And to describe in the Dauphiné Libéré, a "lower circular border which intermittently carries powerful lights, varying from white to purplish through red". The object begins to intrigue so much that around 2 p.m., two jet planes take off from Caritat air base. But the "saucer" goes too fast, and disappears in the sky ..
So, Martians or not Martians? The answer comes very down to earth... from the prefecture of the Isère. They receive a message from a Mr. Polvani, director of the Institute of Physics in Milan: "We are asking for assistance in identifying and recovering a stratospheric balloon loaded with scientific material, passed in France." The device is intended for studying cosmic rays. End of the craze? Not at all.
Because the scientists are offering a bonus of 20,000 francs to anyone who will help recover the balloon by calling "Odéon 99-17". What push everyone to scan the sky again and again. Moreover in Grenoble, on the airfield, specialists try to locate it and estimate its height when the object passes over their heads.
It is hard to miss, the ball is 28 meters in diameter and weighs 110 kilos. Being able to climb up to 33,000 m, it is however very difficult to chase...
The Grenoblois hardly look up that it is at Bourg-Saint-Maurice or Modane, then further in the Ubaye, that the gendarmes are alerted by citizens more or less frightened, more or less curious. And when everyone begins to agree with to the scientific explanation, blam, a second craft is seen simultaneously. This time the witnesses rather report a "ball of fire". But still no Martians. The Saint-Michel observatory near Digne is formal, that's a meteor. And for the first one, same certainty, it is a balloon.
Yet two appearances at the same time is too suspicious for many minds. So the tongues are loosened. And one cross-checks all the testimonies from the four corners of the country.
In the Dombes it is an insurance salesman who remembers having seen "a very short machine which descended slowly." In Moulins, it is a teacher and his class who saw in a field "a metallic-looking craft" with around it "three shapes which seemed to be the passengers of this apparatus." What do aliens look like? "An almost normal human trunk with two arms ending in a hook. A single leg ending in a spherical base". And the head? "Conical with three eyes in a triangle". As for the clothes, one of the children was very precise: they wore the same leather jacket as Louison Bobet! No need to ask us for the photo, this invasion has never been immortalized. Martians are not photogenic enough or too shy...
More timid in any case than the witnesses who throughout the 50's and 60's seem happy to be filmed or to be questioned by journalists to describe what they saw...
So many stories that snowballed to the point that the debate eventually reached the Assembly. Ignoring the scientific balloon (which continued its route in the Rhone valley, in particular above Crest then the Ardèche), the deputy of Ariège Mr. Dejean addressed a question to the President of the Council to know whether "a service was created in charge of gathering the existing documentation and studying the nature and origin of the said devices." Service that exists today.
The Geipan is very officially responsible for looking into unidentified aerospace phenomena. If during your Sunday walk the aliens say hi to you, you can contact them. Be careful though. In October 1954, workers at a construction site near Naples said loud and clear: seeing a saucer could be dangerous. The Pekingese dog who was with them at the time of the apparition looked at the saucer, barked... and fell dead.
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As a ufologist, therefore "stupid" and "without humor" by definition if I am to believe Gerard Barthel and Jacques Brucker, I did laugh, but at the expense of Jacques Barthel and Gerard Brucker rather than at the expense of the ufologists.
Indeed, it is enough to read the last paragraph of the newspaper text that they reproduce to understand that this is simply advertising for the Duracuir clothing brand, presented in the form of a Martian landing story, such advertising scheme having become frequent at the time.
It seems that Gerard Barthel and Jacques Brucker take people for granted when they claim that they made an in-depth investigation for "several working days."
First, there was no risk of "error of judgment" in discarding this story: a Duracuir jacket, the elegant champion cyclist Louison Bobet!
Second, there was not the least reason to insult people who would be "without humour", "fanatics" and "stupid". This case, when it appears in the ufology literature, is obviously not presented to make a case for the flying saucer! The only mention of this case that I found is that of Michel Figuet who clearly indicates: "advertising for Duracuir clothing."
As for Gustave Rivet "who does not exist", he was actually a republican politician deceased for a long time, who had had functions in public education, principal private secretary of the Secretary of State to the State Education in 1879, his name was given to a certain number of places and streets of France, possibly providing inspiration to the author of the publicity.
As for the bicycle champion Louison Bobet, victorious of the Tour France three consecutive times in 1953, 1954 and 1955, he was indeed an elegant man, he also was really the first French sportsman who had been solicited by advertisers.
Finally, here is the advertizing panel of the time associating Louison Bobet and "Dura-Cuir" jackets:
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(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Ygrande, Allier, teacher, advertising, two, occupants, humanoids, Gustave Rivet, children, Chatelain, claws, three eyes, whistling, square
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | October 1, 2005 | First published. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | January 4, 2010 | Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | August 14, 2013 | Addition [prn2]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | February 17, 2017 | Addition [jgz1]. |
| 1.3 | Patrick Gross | January 11, 2019 | Additions [ioi1], [mft1], Summary. In the Explanations, additions of "Finally, here is the advertizing panel..." and the image below. |
| 1.4 | Patrick Gross | July 31, 2019 | Addition [agd1]. |
| 1.4 | Patrick Gross | March 17, 2021 | Addition [lde2]. |
| 1.5 | Patrick Gross | July 1, 2022 | Addition [jsr1]. |
