The 1954 French flap:

THE ENTIRE FRANCE
TALKS ABOUT IT...
WHERE IS THE TRUTH?

A FLYING SAUCER
LANDS IN A GARDEN
in Bergerac

From our special envoy André Euloge

All France speaks about it! From the Saintonge to the Normandy, from the marches of the East to the sweet Provence, "saucers", "cigars" and other mysterious flying machines took possession of the sky of our country. Is it a strange psychosis propagated in the manner of a striking epidemic which makes the majority of the witnesses "see" the observed phenomena - they are now thousands - imaginary machines while others are the credulous toys of shameless mystifiers?

Here the film of the night of October 1. There, in the Louis-Belin street, in Bergerac, a mysterious machine appeared to MM. Defiz and Labonne. From left to right and from top to bottom, the attitudes of those who lived these moments.

1. On bicycle, Mr. Defiz returns from work: 10 P.M,, a gleam is visible in the sky.

2. It descends, taking the shape of a rocket.

3. It lands in Mr. Labonne's garden (marked with an arrow).

4. The machine lands on a strip of land, 3 meters out of 5 meters, (indicated by a circle).

5. In the morning, in edge of this piece of ground, mushrooms have grown.

6. Mr. Labonne, who is now in company of Mr. Defiz, has not recovered yet of his emotion.

7. As for Mr. Defiz, he remakes a drawing representing the silhouette of the machine.

8. Mr. Boyer and Mr. Marat, first of all skeptics, do not doubt the declarations of the two men anymore.

FLYING SAUCERS IN THE SUD-OUEST

Continued from page 1

ing on the railway. Two hours before this appearance, in the hamlet of Mauriéras [Sic, Mouriéras], community of Bugeat (the Corrèze), Mr. Mauzaud stated on his side to have been kissed by the space man.

It is still on a railway that this time close to Bergerac, a witness claims to have seen a mysterious "flying machine" on the ground.

A rocket with a greenish hue

Indeed, on October 1st, at about 10 p.m., Mr. Jean Defiz, aged 26, living on 28, street Louis-Belin, in Bergerac, assembler in central heating, regains his residence. On his bicycle, by a narrow dirt track which skirts the railway which goes from Bergerac to Agen. The night is black, thick, without a light at the horizon. And suddenly, just above his head, at high altitude, an intense gleam goes down at a vertiginous speed towards the ground.

At the time, now specifies Mr. Defiz, I believed that it was a shooting star, however an inordinately large one. I then observed more attentively and I noticed a machine having the shape of a rocket. On three occasions it was colored of a greenish color. I was wrong, recognizes Mr. Defiz, not to have stopped to follow more of its evolutions.

Getting off his bicycle, he then quickly crosses his garden and goes up to his room located on the first floor of the house of Mr. Marius Marot, of which he is the tenant. Still impressed by this luminous vision, he spontaneously goes towards the window, leans to attract the shutters towards him, and again, this time like outgoing from the ground, the machine still appears more fluorescent to him than previously. In same time an air drainage is formed, surrounds him and seems like wanting to grab him.

Amazed, his eyes fixing the machine, he sees under the half-spherical black cupola, three crutches which fold up slowly, while the apparatus rises more quickly in a whistle of air, always more quickly. And again there is the luminous trail which is lost at the end of a few seconds in the clouds.

Mr. Defiz fearing the sarcastic remarks and the mockeries did not tell around his adventure. Only at the following day at breakfast, before going to work, he evoked his vision for his owner Mr. Marot. The latter did not think at this point, that he was going to be a few hours later the witness of an almost identical and even more upsetting confidence.

Mr. Marot works with the tobacco warehouse of Bergerac.

A black shape...

In the morning of October 2, one of his companions, Mr. Jean Labonne, aged 63, retired from S.N.C.F. [state railway company], domiciled not far from Mr. Marot, at 18, street Louis-Belin, regard him as trustworthy.

- It was 22 hours approximately. I was at home alone, and returned to close my gate when, arriving at the entry of my garden which extends behind the house up to the railway, I saw, posed on a strip of land of 3 meters by 5 meters, a machine having the shape of a mushroom. If the cap were of sunk color, the body builds apparently out of plexiglass, it was luminous. And then there in front of me, within 3 meters hardly, appearing like forbidding to me the alley of my garden, a shade.

"Who is there? I shouted. Who are you? What do you want from me?" I did not dare to take a step.

Mushrooms

"At the sound of my voice, the black shape made a complete turn, slipped to the machine, and, in a few seconds, it rose towards the sky followed by a trail of light. I very clearly saw three crutches which folded up, under the cupola."

"But my astonishment therefore was not finished. At dawn, I woke up and returned in my garden close to the place where I had seen the apparatus. On the rich ground, I discovered three light prints; but what upset me more, is a flowering of black color mushrooms with long stems, unknown in the area, which had suddenly grown. I did not dare to touch, and besides, they dissipated like dew with the first rays of the sun."

Is it necessary to specify that this declaration of Mr. Labonne, who had as witness, after Mr. Marot, Mr. Leonce Boyer, foreman of the tobacco warehouse, and the workmen Mssrs Denis Rivière and Emile Marty, caused hilarity. These laughters, as involuntary as they were, caused the immediate silence of Mr. Labonne who refused thereafter to renew his account.

Manoeuvres of the craft

He was to speak about it only Monday October 4, during the morning with his neighbor Mr. Defiz whom Mr. Marot had informed of the vision of Mr. Labonne.

Testimonies of these two men make it possible to locate exactly the operation of this machine. It is, without doubt, Mr. Defiz who had to see it first whereas the apparatus was on the point of landing in the garden of Mr. Labonne.

During the few minutes which passed until Mr. Defiz gained its room, the machine appeared to Mr. Labonne. Then was the take-off and the vertical ascension, which caused this airflow that Mr. Defiz felt.

Fright

Currently, the companions of Mr. Labonne reconsidered their first impression. If it were indeed logical that the first declaration of M. Labonne made one smile, the serious character, the frankness, the balance of this man cast doubts in the minds. Mr. Boyer in particular, his chief, does not hide that his scepticism starts to be seriously shaken.

"A man like Mr. Labonne, whom I know since many years, cannot indulge in such pranks. It is not in his character."

Besides, it is enough to see Mr. Labonne, to detect his trouble, the concern which still invades his glances, to understand that he by no means makes a point of wanting to make admit a tale worthy of the apocalypse.

He does not dare to touch again with his finger this ground where he saw the machine landing. One feels he is the victim of a violent fear, which appears to intensify more each day.

As for Mr. Defiz, he is a young boy of sporting allure, with honest looks, direct, who speaks without hesitation, with precision and clarity.

"I served in the aviation, he says. I know what a jet airplane is, what a weather balloon or even a radio-controlled rocket are. But in the present case there cannot be any mistake. Flying saucer, flying cigar, whether they come from Mars or elsewhere, it does not matter. That of which I am positive, is that the machine was of a strange shape and that never in my life I had not had the occasion to see something similar."

A.E.

THE ROUND OF THE SAUCERS
CONTINUES TO FAVOR
HUNDREDS OF WITNESSES

THE ROUND OF THE SAUCERS continues to describe graceful interlacing, from Mantua, Italy, to Peros-Guirec [sic], and from Clermont to Dunkirk. Can we put all these testimonies on the account of the hallucination? Or are jokes spreading in all directions?

In Mantua, traffic was interrupted for more than an hour in the center by groups of people gathered to observe a strange "white object" which, at a high height, stood out clearly against the background of the blue sky.

After having carried out extremely fast moves, the craft, of spherical shape, remained motionless for some time in the sky, before disappearing on the horizon.

AN ODOR OF NITRO-BENZINE...

Two saucers were seen yesterday in the Clermont sky. The first one was moving west-east. The witnesses declared that the object approached them and became less and less brilliant. When it was no more than 150 meters away, they felt a "curious feeling" and were as if nailed on the spot. At that moment, a smell of nitro-benzine was released and the craft went away. The discomfort ceased and the saucer disappeared.

The other saucer moved vertically above the Chantorgues [sic] hills and was of a brilliant white.

Farmers from La Rochelle also found after the departure of a spherical saucer, 2 to 3 meters high and a diameter of 5 meters, traces of oily origin on the grass, not far from their farm.

In the same region, several people saw a squadron of elongated luminous objects passing at very high speed and high altitude.

Two residents of Lézignan who were driving in a truck claimed to have seen a disc-shaped object landing in a field between the village of Lagrasse and the hamlet of Villemagne (Aude).

The craft, they said, was about ten meters in diameter. But before they could get close, it wrapped them in a bright glow and disappeared.

CHILD'S SIZE

Luckier, a young cultivator of Mégrit (Côtes du Nord) said he had seen a craft in his farm of a diameter of about a meter inside which were lined two human forms, immobile, the size of a child. However, he did not have the chance to experience the adventure of another Britton.

Mr. Pierre Lucas, a baker's worker in Loctudy (Finistère) suddenly saw in the night a craft in the shape of a saucer from 2.50 to 3 meters in diameter, he saw an individual about 1.20 meter tall come out and it approached him and tapped him on the shoulder, articulating unintelligible words. The baker succeeded in keeping his in cold blood and returned to the bakery where the unknown followed him.

In the light, Mr. Lucas could stare at his visitor. He had an oval face, all covered with hair and eyes the size of a crow's egg. The young man called his boss, but before he had time to go down, the stranger had disappeared, as had his saucer, of which no trace was found.

A merchant from Dunkirk had, several days ago, declared to have seen strange luminous objects in the sky of Bray-Dunes. An investigation had been opened which concluded that these were two military aircraft whose metallic coating had given the illusion!!!

DAILY HARVESTING

And the other testimonies accumulate. In Bergerac, a firefighter claims to have seen a luminous disc supported by three crutches land in his garden.

In Paris, a saucer leaving in its wake a plume of smoke, like a rocket, was seen near the Porte Dorée, in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, rue de la Pompe.

At Le Bourget, one explained that it is impossible, given the intensity of air traffic, to confirm by radar the passage of the craft.

Finally, saucers, discs, cigars, spheres of all diameters and other flying objects were seen at Quend, Grandvillars (Belfort), at Forges (Corrèze) and Perros-Guirec (Côtes du Nord).

THE TESTIMONY OF AN ENGINEER

Coulommiers' newspaper, "Le Pays Briard", publishes a letter from one of its readers, Mr. E. Farnier, member of the Society of Civil Engineers of France, regarding a flying saucer.

Mr. Farnier specifies that he saw above his property, in Jouy-sur-Morin, a large disc 8 to 10 meters in diameter, "turning on the spot while letting escape red-violet gleams, with a whistling reminding a little the arrival of a jet plane. The craft was about 400 meters high and hovered more than twenty minutes above me. I therefore, says Mr. Farnier, had the leisure to examine it. The object then disappeared in the direction of Coulommiers."

In his letter, Mr. Farnier adds:

"Former commissioner with the Aero-Club of France, having served in aviation, I was not the victim of a hallucination and this craft was not a sounding balloon, but a thick circular wing hovering over the place and moving at very high speed gradually gaining height."

A BAKER FROM BRITTANY CLAIMS THIS:

"My Martian was not shaven and had eyes as large as a corbel's egg"

The daily chronicle of the "flying saucers" grows more and more. Each day, numerous newsbriefs report the passage of mysterious machines in this or that region. It remains to be learned whether the bad weather that the complacent meteorologists announce obligingly, will have an unspecified influence on the gracious evolutions of the ethereal visitors. It does not seem to be that way, so far.

To see a machine in the sky thus is nothing extraordinary anymore and one could fear monotony if, fortunately, the "celestial pilots" didn't come from time to pay a short visit on the dry land and to bring with their height, their costume and their actions, more spice to the current controversies on the reality of the "saucers".

"He resembled a man"

In this field, the transitory ephemeral topicality is rightfully to be credited today to a modest bakery worker of Loctudy (the Finistère), Mr. Pierre Lucas.

Standing up early and well awaken, our man was going to get water in the court of the bakery Tuesday morning when, in the wavering gleam of a rainy dawn, he saw a machine of the shape of a saucer of 2 m. 50 to 3 m. in diameter, which stationed there stupidly. He would certainly not have cared that much about it, if he hadn't suddenly seen an individual come out of it!

"He measured 1 m. 20, resembled a man (sic) and approached me. Before I recovered from my surprise, he had tapped on my shoulder while articulating unintelligible words."

Mr. Lucas showed a remarkable coolness. "Come inside, we'll have a chat", he

Continued on p. 10 (1st and 2nd col.)

"My Martian was not shaven..."

(continued from the first page)

must have told him, for the unknown followed him in the bake house. There, one saw all the same a little more clearly and without shame the "Martian" let himself be contemplated.

It is still Mr. Lucas who speaks:
"He had an oval face, entirely covered of hairs and eyes of the size of a corbel's egg!"

The young man called his owner, but the unknown undoubtedly estimated that the interview had lasted long enough. By the time that Mr. Lucas goes into the staircase to alert his owner with cares, the man and the machine had disappeared. Too bad...

First thing thus learn until better information: the strangers that pilot the saucers have a human form, but the size of children, and apparently developed hair.

Confirmation is given to us by Mr. Henri Lehérisé, young farmer of Megrit (Côtes-du-Nord), whose gift of observation did not await the number of the years.

With much off-handedness, his own apparatus, whose diameter did not exceed one meter, was posed in the court of his farm. Two dwarves occupied it, motionless, impassive. They did not condescend to come out and engage the conversation.

Some saucers among others...

These two appearances obviously eclipse the "visions" of the day. Let us note however that the "saucers", threatened for a while by the barrels, balls, crescents and other cigars, launched a counter-attack of great style since there are now only talks of saucers.

The one in Saint-Brieuc let itself be contemplated during one hour; that of the surroundings of La Rochelle hovered in front of the farm of Mr. and Mrs. Guillenoteau, within one meter of the ground, in an impressive silence and the farmer noted oily traces in the grass.

In Lézignan, it was at the same time flying and giant: ten meters in diameter! Three meters only, the one that landed in the garden of Mr. Jean Labonne, in Bergerac, but on three crutches.

Lastly, the "saucers" cannot always be approached: that of Lésignan, again, wrapped Misters André Garcia and André Darzens of a bright gleam before disappearing. The one in Clermont-Ferrand literally nailed the witnesses who wanted to see it closely on the spot and released a strong nitro-benzene odor.

When the machine moved away, faintness ceased with the odor.

The good story of the poor fisherman

Odorous, colored and inhabited, the "saucers" are also international. In Mantova, they passed in tight formations and one of them was detached from the group to make a small air carrousel show which lasted one hour... and blocked the traffic in the center of the city, the witnesses having gone down in the street for better seeing.

In Roverbella, finally, a poor fisherman entered in conversation with a "Martian", dressed in red, but they were unable to understand each other and his interlocutor disappeared when he saw the fisherman's woman appear. Mysoginic [mysogynic], perhaps...

The disturbing waltz continues...

Saucers in the French and Italian way

PARIS, 6. - Several Parisians said they saw yesterday afternoon flying saucers moving in the sky of the capital. Bystanders claimed to have seen one at 4:30 p.m., near the porte Dorée.

Mr. Pierre Allouis, cardboard reseller, was traveling in a cab for business when the vehicle was stopped by a red light. Hearing, he said, a shrill whistling sound, he looked through the window and saw a flying vehicle that fled in height, leaving behind a plume of smoke.

Mr. Allouis described the saucer as a disc larger than a normal plane and of silver color.

The same testimony is given by Mr. Gilbert Bason, residing 35, Faubourg St. Antoine, and Mr. Paul Julien, house painter, who lives 3, rue de la Pompe; the latter, however, believes that this is not a saucer but a flying wing that has the shape of a triangle with rounded edges.

BERGERAC, 4. - Mr. Jean Defix, fireman in Bergerac and Jean Labonne stated they have seen landing in the garden of the latter, a luminous disc about three meters in diameter, supported by three legs.

LEZIGNAN, 6. - Two residents of Lezignan Misters André Gardia and André Darsens, who were driving in a truck on the main road 3, said they saw a disc-shaped craft rise in a field between the village of Lagrasse and the hamlet of Villemagne (Aude).

The craft, they said, was about ten meters in diameter. Before they could approach it, it wrapped a bright glow and disappeared.

DINAN, 6. - In Mégrit (Côtes-du-Nord), a young farmer, Mr. Hen [missing part]

[...]oped MM. Andre and Andre Guardia Darsens of a glow before disappearing. The one in Clermont-Ferrand literally transfixed witnesses who wanted to see it up close and it emitted a strong smell of nitro-benzine.

When the craft moved away, the discomfort ceased like the smell.

Mr. Lehérissé claimed to have seen in the yard of his farm a craft of about 1 meter in diameter, within which appeared two human forms, motionless and the size of a child.

---

MYSTERIOUS CRAFT IN THE SKY IN SAINT-LUPERCE AND JANVILLE

---

see our information page 4

NEVERS, 6. - In Nevers, five inhabitants of Château-Chinon said they saw last night at high altitude, a kind of bright spot, which split in two discs. These, they say, began to turn while changing color several times.

DUNKIRK, 6. - A merchant of Dunkirk had, several days ago, reported seeing strange bright objects in the sky of Bray-Dunes. An investigation was opened. It concluded that they were two military airplanes whose metallic coating could have been misleading.

SAINT-BRIEUC, 6. - Several residents of Saint-Brieuc saw, last night, a flying saucer which took the shape of a cigar before disapea[...]

- CONTINUED ON THE LAST PAGE

The beautiful story of the poor fisherman

Fragrant, colorful and inhabited, the "saucers" are also international. In Mantua, they rose in tight formations and one of them broke off from the group to make a small air carousel number that lasted an hour... and blocked traffic in the center of the city, witnesses being in the streets to see better.

In Roverbella, finally, a poor fisherman entered into conversation with a "Martian" dressed in red, but they did not understand each other and his companion disappeared when the fisherman's wife came around. Misogynist perhaps...

FLYING SAUCERS

A "Martian" enters
in a bakery
in Loctudy (Finistère)

He had a face covered with hair
and eyes "like a crow's egg"

Quimper. -- Around 4 o'clock in the morning, Mr. Pierre Lucas, a bakery worker in Loctudy (Finistère), who was busy drawing water from the courtyard of the bakery, suddenly saw in the night a craft in the shape of a saucer of 2 meters 50 to 3 meters in diameter.

The baker managed to keep his cool and returned to the bakery, where the stranger followed him.

In the light, Mr. Lucas was able to stare at the visitor. He had an oval face, all covered with hair and eyes the size of a crow's egg.

The young man called his boss, but before he had time to come down, the nocturnal stranger had disappeared, as well as his saucer, of which no trace was found.

A beer merchant from Concarneau, for his part, declared having seen in the sky two luminous discs in the form of extended round tables with a kind of tail.

One of the discs was stationary while the other was moving nearby. Both disks disappeared after 10 minutes after launching a rocket.

A "curious sensation in Clermont

Clermont-Ferrand. -- Two saucers were seen in the Clermont sky. The first ten kilometers from Beaumont, at 4:45 p.m.. It was moving in a west-east direction. Witnesses said the craft approached them and became less and less bright. When it was only 150 meters away, they felt a "curious sensation" and were like rooted to the spot. At this moment there was a smell of nitro-benzine. Soon the craft moved away, the discomfort ceased and the saucer disappeared.

The other saucer was seen above the hill of Chanturgue near Clermont. It moved vertically and was of a brilliant white.

A saucer was also seen in Billom by a group of thirty people. The craft was flying above the town. It was moving horizontally. It was visible for three or four minutes before disappearing. An intense light emanated from the device.

A group of ten

La Rochelle. -- Last night, several people from Thouare-sur-Vie (Vendée) saw about ten shiny objects in the sky [...?...] MM. André Gardin and André Darsens, who were driving in a truck on the road [...?...] claimed to have seen a disc-shaped craft land in a field between the village of Lagrasse and the hamlet of Villemagne (Aude).

The craft, they said, was about ten meters in diameter. Before they could approach it, it surrounded itself with a blinding glow and disappeared.

Everywhere

Bergerac. -- Mr. Jean Defiz, firefighter in Bergerac, and Mr. Jean Labonne, claimed to have seen landing in the garden of the latter, a luminous disc about three meters in diameter, [...?...] by three crutches.

Dinan. -- In Mégrit (Côtes-du-Nord), a young farmer, Mr. Henri Lehérissé, claimed to have seen in the yard of his farm a craft with a diameter of about one meter inside which appeared two human shapes, motionless and the size of a child.

Nevers. -- At [?], Five residents of Château-Chinon (Nièvre) declared having seen, at very high altitude, a sort of luminous spot; which split into two disks. The object, they say, began to rotate, changing color several times.

Dunkirk. -- A resident of Dunkirk had, several days ago, declared having seen strange luminous objects in the sky of Bray-Dunes. An investigation had been opened. It concluded that they were two military aircraft whose metallic coating could have caused the illusion.

Finally, saucers, discs, cigars, spheres and other flying objects were seen at Granvillars (Territoire de Belfort), at Magnac-Laval (Haute-Vienne), at Saint-Jean-d'Assé (Charente-Maritime), at [...?...], (Côtes-du-Nord).

- Partly explained by -
a professor from Lille and a retiree
- from Beuvry-les-Béthune -

The mystery of the "flying saucers"

There is novelty on the flying saucer horizon. The mystery remains, but some of the cases were explained. And, for those, the story ends there.

We now know that the craft that were seen in the Beuvry-les-Béthune region were "Paper hot air balloons", sent by a retiree, Mr. Oliveira, passionate about "lighter than air" gear. We announced it in our previous issue.

On the other hand, Mr. Antoine Bonte, I.D.N. engineer, professor of applied geology at the Faculty of Sciences of Lille, gave a scientific explanation of the phenomenon observed by dozens of people, Sunday evening, in the Lille region. Mr. Bonte himself saw the "flying saucer" which was only a lunar phenomenon.

Finally, rockets had been seen Sunday evening, off Calais. "It was like the luminous wake of flying saucers", some said. In fact, it was the signals of distress launched by the spherical balloon of Mrs. Paulette Weber.

So that's a series of solved cases. The others remain. They are disturbing. We will see it below. And we will not fail to compare them with the statements made by Mr. G. Duncan Fletcher, vice-president of the Astronomical Association of Kenya.

This eminent astronomer believes that "visitors from another world are observing the earth and probably mapping it."

But that's just a guess. We are not satisfied yet!

IN THE FINISTERE

A "Martian" follows
a baker boy
into the bakery

Quimper, 6. -- Around 4 a.m., yesterday morning, Mr. Pierre Lucas, worker-baker in Loctudy (Finistère), who was busy drawing water in the courtyard of the bakery, suddenly saw in the night a craft in the shape of a saucer of 2.50 m. to 3 meters in diameter. He saw come out of it an individual measuring about 1.20 m. who approached him and tapped him on the shoulder, mouthing unintelligible words. The baker managed to keep his cool and returned to the bakery where the stranger followed him.

In the light, Mr. Lucas was able to stare at the visitor: he had an oval face, all covered with hair and eyes the size of a crow's egg. The young man called his boss but, before the latter had time to come down, the stranger had disappeared along with his saucer, of which no trace was found.

A beer merchant of Concarneau, for his part, declared having seen in the sky two luminous disks in the form of round tables extended of a kind of tail. One of the discs was stationary while the other moved nearby. The two discs disappeared after ten minutes after launching a rocket.

Lezignan, 6. -- Two residents of Lezignan, MM. André Gardia and André Darzens, who were driving in a truck on the D-3 departmental road, claimed to have seen a disc-shaped craft land in a field between the village of Lagrasse and the hamlet of Villemagne (Aude).

The craft, they said, was about ten meters in diameter. Before they could approach it, it enveloped them in a bright glow and disappeared.

Bergerac, 6. -- Mr. Jean Defix, firefighter in Bergerac, and Mr. Jean Labonne claimed to have seen land in the garden of the latter a luminous disc about three meters in diameter, supported by three crutches.

Dinan, 6. -- In Mégrit (Côtes-du-Nord), a young farmer, Mr. Henri Lehérisse claimed to have seen in the yard of his farm a craft of a diameter of about 1 meter inside which appeared two human shapes, motionless and the size of a child.

La Rochelle, 6. -- Mr. and Mrs. Guillemoteau were in front of their farm when they saw, about one meter above the ground, a spherical saucer that could measure 2 to 3 meters in height and with a diameter of 5 meters. The craft, which produced no noise, stopped for a few minutes, then rose vertically. Mr. Guillemoteau, the next day, went to the place where he had seen the craft and was able to find oily traces on the grass.

* * *

Valenciennes, 6. -- Mr. Marcel Sénéchal, 20-year-old, from Saint-Amand-les-Eaux, was along the Scarpe canal, in the night from Saturday to Sunday. He was coming up to a pasture when he suddenly heard a conversation held in an unknown language and seeming to come from his right. He turned his head in this direction and to his great astonishment then saw a luminous mass in the shape of a haystack as well as two human forms of 1.20 m. in height approximately, covered with shining garments. A ray of light was coming out of the craft.

Mr. Sénéchal pedaled away at full speed.

A car
followed
by a saucer!

Amiens, 6. A grocer from Amiens, Mrs. Nelly Mansart returned to Amiens on Sunday evening, around 9 p.m., coming from Hérissart in the company of her neighbors. She saw, in the sky, a glowing ball from which hung some kind of cables hung and letting out flames. The "saucer" flew low, about 150 meters above the ground, and followed the car for 10 kilometers.

"When we passed through a village, said Ms. Mansart, the craft bypassed it and reappeared at the exit.

It was making no noise and was definitely watching us. On leaving Pierregot I stopped at the last houses. The "Saucer", which had bypassed the village, was waiting for us and hovered then it moved away as I started again. It began to spiral for three or four hundred meters and changed shape to take that of an elongated, inverted crescent with a molten ball at the upper horn. At Rainneville the "Saucer" increased its gyration then moved away in the direction of the west of Amiens, to lose itself in infinity, in the space of a few seconds, at an incomparable speed."

Italian saucer

Mantua. -- Traffic was interrupted for more than an hour in the center of Mantua by groups of people gathered to observe a strange "white object" which, at a great height, stood out clearly against the background of the blue sky.

After performing extremely rapid moves, the spherical craft - which, according to some witnesses, was part of "a formation of flying saucers" - remained motionless in the sky for some time, before disappearing at the horizon.

Also, the "Martians" seem to want to visit Italy as well. A fisherman from Roverbella, in the province of Mantua, said he was approached last night by a "mysterious individual", dressed in red, who would have said "unintelligible words" to him and who would have quickly moved away, before the fisherman had time to call his wife.

Finally! Paris had his saucers too!

A few days ago, a French radio broadcaster complained bitterly of the disdain that the "Uranids" and their heavenly vehicles were showing towards the capital. Only the inhabitants of the countryside seemed to interest the interplanetary travelers who approached them willingly and even tried to enter into conversation with them. Well, it was not an arbitrary privilege. Injustice is repaired. Paris, the big city, had its flying saucers!

Several Parisians have indeed said they saw, Tuesday afternoon, a craft moving in the sky. Passersby claimed to have seen one around 04:30 p.m., near the Porte Dorée.

Mr. Pierre Allouis, salesman in cardboard, went to his business by taxi, when the vehicle was stopped by a red light; Hearing, he said, a shrill whistling sound, he looked out of the door and saw a flying craft escaping high, leaving a plume of smoke in its wake.

Mr. Allouis describes the saucer as a disc bigger than a normal plane and silver. The same testimony is given by Mr. Gilbert Bacon and Mr. Paul Julien, a house painter. The latter, however, believe that it is not a saucer but a flying wing that affects the shape of a triangle with rounded edges.

At Le Bourget, it is explained that given the intensity of the air traffic, it is impossible to confirm by radar the passage of the craft at the insufficiently specified time. On the other hand, the radar cannot record the passage of a heavier than air more than by a bright spot regardless of the nature of the craft.

Finally! Paris had his saucers too!

(Continued from the first page.)

LEZIGNAN. -- Two inhabitants of Lezignan, Messrs. André Garcia and André Darzens, who were driving in a truck on the departmental road D3, claimed to have seen a disc-shaped machine land in a field between the village of Lagrasse and the hamlet of Villemagne (Aude).

The craft, they said, was about ten meters in diameter. Before they could get close, it surrounded them in a bright glow and disappeared.

BERGERAC. -- Mr. Jean Defix, firefighter at Bergerac, and Mr. Jean Labonne, said that they saw a luminous disk about 3 meters in diameter, supported by three crutches, in the garden of the latter.

DINAN. -- In Megrit (Côtes du Nord), a young farmer, Mr. Henri Leherissé, said he saw in the yard of his farm a craft with a diameter of about 1 meter, around which appeared two human forms, immobile and the size of a child.

NEVERS. -- In Nevers, five residents of Château-Chinon said they saw Monday evening, at very high altitude, a kind of bright spot that split into two discs. These, they say, began to turn by changing color several times.

DUNKIRK. -- A Dunkirk merchant had, several days ago, said to have seen strange luminous objects in the sky of Bray-Dunes. An investigation had been opened. It concluded that they were two military planes whose metal coating had been misleading.

CLERMONT-FERRAND. -- Two saucers were seen Tuesday in the sky of Clermont. The first 10 kilometers from Beaumont at 03:45 p.m. It was moving west-east. Witnesses testified that the craft got closer to them and became less and less brilliant.

When they were only 150 meters away, they felt a "curious sensation" and were nailed to the spot. At that moment there was a smell of nitro-benzene. Soon the machine moved away, the discomfort ceased, and the saucer disappeared.

The other saucer was sighted over the hills of Chanturgue, near Clermont. It was moving vertically and was bright white.

A saucer was also sighted in Billom by a group of 30 people. The craft was moving over the city. It was moving horizontally. It was visible for 3 to 4 minutes before disappearing. An intense light emanated from the craft.

SAINT-BRIEUC. -- Several residents of Saint-Brieuc saw, during the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, a flying saucer that took the shape of a cigar before disappearing. They could watch it for over an hour.

The same phenomenon was noted in Trégueux where a cyclist returned home frightened by what he had seen.

LA ROCHELLE. -- In the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, several people from Thouare-sur-Vie (Vendée) saw in the sky a dozen luminous objects having an elongated shape and passing at a very high speed and high altitude.

LA ROCHELLE. -- Mr. and Mrs. Guillemoteau were standing in front of their farm when they saw about one meter from the ground, a spherical saucer measuring 2 to 3 meters in height and 5 meters in diameter.

The machine, which produced no noise, stopped for a few minutes, then climbed vertically. Mr. Guillemoteau went to the place where he had seen the machine the next day and was able to note oily traces on the grass.

QUIMPER. -- Around 4 o'clock Tuesday morning, Mr. Pierre Lucas, baker worker in Loctudy (Finistère), who was busy drawing water from the bakery yard, suddenly saw in the night a craft of the shape of a saucer 2 m 50 to 3 m in diameter. He saw an individual about 1m20 come out of it and hit him on the shoulder while uttering unintelligible words.

The baker's worker managed to keep his cool and returned to the bakehouse where the stranger followed him. In the light, Mr. Lucas could stare at the visitor. His face was hairy and his eyes were the size of a raven's egg. The young man called his boss, but before he had time to go down, the stranger had disappeared as well as his saucer of which no trace was found.

A Concarneau beer merchant, for his part, said he saw in the sky two luminous discs of the shape of round tables prolonged by a kind of tail. One of the disks was motionless while the other was moving nearby. Both disks disappeared after ten minutes after having launching a rocket.

Italy does not stay on the sidelines of this invasion

MANTUA. -- The traffic was interrupted for more than an hour in the center of Mantua by groups of people gathered to observe a strange "white object" which, at a high height stood out clearly on the background of the blue sky.

After making extremely rapid maneuvers, the spherical machine - which according to some witnesses, was part of "a flying saucer formation" - remained motionless for some time in the sky, before disappear on the horizon.

On the other hand, the "Uranids" seem to want to visit the whole peninsula. Indeed, a fisherman from Roverbella, in the province of Mantua, said he was approached during the night by a a mysterious individual, dressed in red, who would have told him "unintelligible words" and who would have moved away quickly before the fisherman had time to call his wife.

Finally, a host of testimonials of saucers, disks, cigars, spheres and other flying objects having been seen in Quend (Somme), in Grandvillars (Belfort territory), in Magnac-Laval (Haute-Vienne), in Saint-Jean-d'Angely (Charente-Maritime), in Forges (Corrèze), in Perros-Guirrec (Côtes-du-Nord).

Finally, to a host of testimonials that may be doubted can be added some information such as the one we produce below, the indisputable seriousness of which leaves the most skeptical speechless.

MELUN. -- The Coulommiers newspaper, "Le Pays Briard", publishes a letter sent by one of their readers, Mr. Eugène Farnier, a member of the Society of Civil Engineers of France, about a flying saucer.

In this letter, Mr. Farnier states that he saw above his property, in Jouy-sur-Morin, a big disc of 8 to 10 meters in diameter "turning on itself", letting out red-violet gleams, with a tail reminding a little of the arrival of a jet plane. "The craft was about 400 meters above the ground and it was more above me for than 20 minutes," said Mr. Farnier, "so I had the opportunity to examine it well." The craft then disappeared in the direction of Coulommiers."

In his letter Mr. Farnier said: "Former Commissioner of the French Flying Club, having been in the aviation, I could not be a victim of hallucination. This machine was not a balloon but a thick wing hovering on the spot and moving at a very high speed while gradually taking height."

In the category: saucers, cigars and cylinders

In Bergerac, mysterious mushrooms push and disappear between the "feet" of a saucer!

Two witnesses fearing to have been victims of a simultaneous hallucination, had not dared to speak earlier about the strange vision than they had on Friday evening, October 1, at 10 p.m..

Mr. Jean Dufix, fireman in Bergerac, returned at his place, when, looking up, he saw an extraordinary gleam in the sky. Returned at his place, he had the impression of a general flashover in the garden, he saw a machine rising from the ground: it had the shape of a disc, is said to have become luminous and it left at a vertiginous speed.

The next morning at a very early hour, Mr. Dufix went to get his immediate neighbor Mr. Jean Labonne, aged 61, pensioner, whom he asked whether he had not seen anything of extraordinary in his garden. After many hesitations, because he was afraid that people laugh at him, Mr. Labonne, still under shock, totally confirmed the strange vision of Mr. Dufix.

It was while going to close the door of his garden, at approximately 10 p.m., that he was suddenly frozen on the location by a mysterious shape and that he saw between a peach tree and his arbor, in a not sown piece of ground, a luminous disc of approximately three meters of span, which seemed to rest on three crutches. Almost immediately, the machine took off from the ground and disappeared at a high speed.

The two men went to the site indicated by Mr. Labonne and saw, on the ground, some vague traces near which came to grow a score of mushrooms of an unknown species. These mushrooms are said to have disappeared with the first gleams from the sun.

The note by Master Picatal

Saucers, rockets and cigars

WE NEED MYTHS

We live, it appears, in the century of lights. Science (with a capital S please) must provide for all and replace the old fetishes. I, I would agree. But what did I read in the "Nouvelle République" of Bordeaux for October 6? This, that I report to you while shortening it (and that is a shame for the subject is "rounded with relish"):

On October 1, Mr. Jean Defiz, 26 years old, assembler in central heating in Bergerac, was going back home around 11 p.m.. Black night, thick, without a light at the horizon. Suddenly, just above his head, at high altitude, an intense light goes down at a vertiginous speed towards the ground. It is not a shooting star, ensures Mr. Defiz, but a craft having the shape of a rocket which is colored with three resumptions of a greenish color. The eyes rivetted on the apparatus, Mr. Defiz sees under the half-spherical black cupola three crutches which slowly folded up while the apparatus, in a whistle of air, reaches height again and is soon lost in the clouds.

That is not bad already, but there is better. The following day, a neighbor retired of S.N.C.F. [national railway co], Mr. Jean Labonne, 63 years old, discovers in his garden, at 10 p.m., a luminous craft having the shape of a mushroom and built out of plexiglass (sic).

Let's hear Mr. Labonne:

"Suddenly, in front of me, within three meters hardly, appearing to block the alley of my garden to me, a shadow.

"Who is there? I shouted. Who are you? What do you want from me? I did not dare to take a step. At the sound of my voice, the black form made a half-turn, slipped to the machine and, in a few seconds, the craft rose towards the sky followed by a trail of light. I very clearly saw, under the cupola, three crutches which folded up. At dawn, I returned in my garden, close to the place where I had seen the craft. On the fatty ground, I discovered three light prints; but what upset me more, was unknown mushrooms, long of stem, of black color, flowering in the area, which had suddenly grown. I did not dare to touch and besides they dissipated like dew with the first rays of the sun."

I remember that during a session at the House, around 1906, the unfortunate Rene Viviani (dead insane) declared in a beautiful manner (1) [1]: "We have extinguished in the sky lights which shall not be relight".

Viviani was wrong: something is re-ignited in the sky, but oh derision, they are... flying saucers!

Please don't tell me that in Bergerac like elsewhere where people of perfect good faith believe to have seen something in the sky, do not tell me, that these are simple phenomena of hallucination. The "thing" undoubtedly does not exist per se: it exists for the visionaries who need to believe in the fantastic.

Because, come on, what does one offer to Mr. Defiz or Labonne? A materialist civilization where the top of the top consists in having a car (myth of the mechanical power), or a fridge, or a television set (myths of the false comfort and false culture).

Very sorry, but that has nothing to do with the true civilization which, on the contrary, is founded on individual poverty and renouncement.

The only great highly civilized eras, I'm not telling anything new here, were these Magdaledian, Egyptian, Greek and medieval eras. Why? Because men of these times, animated of a profound faith, had powerful reasons to hope.

What can we hope today when, according to the famous word of Nietzsche, "God is dead?" A car, and to sing:

At last I have a car (bis)
It's super how it's fast...

... or a democratic Vespa [2], unless it is a washing machine or a coffee grinder...

Very well, but satiety comes quickly from what one owns and which one can inventory, but the spirit remains dissatisfied.

This is why, in the absence of true miracles in a faithless century, we see the flying saucers thriving, the "Christ of Montfavet" [3], innumerable small churches ejusdem farinae [4], while waiting for a new blaze of catharism [5].

Man needs valuable myths and the sky is empty. Give us something else than flying saucers...

PICATAL
aka Léo MAGNE

(1) Editors note. -- [...] Here the peroration of Rene Viviani, Minister for Labour of the Clemenceau Cabinet (speech given on November 8 [...]

[...]

Must we go on?
Do we need to mention the furry being, bearing for it around the size a broad corset of orange color, seen close of a saucer by Mr. Narcy, in edge of the road of Wassy (Haute-Marne), October 5 with 7 a.m.. 15 of the morning?

Or also, the 96 centimeters man, carrying a broad leather belt, shoes and panties, which rose in the airs thanks to two boxes in the shape of pears, placed under each arm. This being was seen by Mr. Lacambre, forestry workman in Saint-Pardoux (the Lot), on Monday, October 4, at 8:10 a.m., and the witness has even determined from the footprints that the small being fitted shoesize 21 [Europe standard]...

What to think of the assertion of Mr. Garreau, who swears "on his honor" to have seen a "flying soup tureen" landed in his property, and two perfectly normal men get down of it, who shook hands with him and cuddled his dog before leaving as quickly as they came...

And this handworker of Lavoux (Vienna), Mr. Roger Barrault who, on Saturday October 9, at 7 p.m., was paralyzed by a luminous ray emanating from a "diver" high of 1 m. 50, fitted with boots, with shining eyes, and carrying a heavy moustache...

And the cigar posed in a clearing, in Diges in Yonne, near which Mrs. widows Gaffroy [sic, Geoffroy] saw a man, from the back, in combination and capped of a khaki bonnet...

And Mr. Jean Labonne, of Bergerac, who, on October 2, at 10 p.m., saw a metal mushroom in his garden. "Who's there?" he shouted when distinguishing a shade. "What do you want from me?" But the shade climbed in the mushroom which rose in the airs at an extraordinary speed.

Even in England which started to worry and almost become indignant that not the least saucer, not the least "cigar" or cigarillo, had made the honor of an appearance to the people which had won the battle of Trafalgar. This gap has been just been largely filled by the sensational revelations of an ornithologist, Mr. Cedric Allingham, who claims to have met, on February 18, in the north of Scotland, not a Martian, but a Venusian with whom he had a lengthy and difficult conversation!

This Venusian measured about 1 m 73, he short brown hair, and his skin seemed tanned. He was completely wrapped in a kind of combination which had the appearance of a armored coat. In his nose were two small tubes joined by a metallic wire... Mr. Allingham managed to touch the saucer whose metal was slightly warm, and he finally took the leave of Venusian, not without having offered him his pen, which the man carefully put in a pocket of his combination and after having taken on the run a photograph of the strange character. This rather fuzzy image is, it should be acknowledged, rather unrevealing. One sees the silhouette of a man seen from the back, walking slightly curved, and that, without a little imagination, could easily be matched with the silhouette of any earthman.

Lastly, with the latest news, it is a true avalanche of Martians that comes falling on our grounds.

In Pournoy La Chétive, in the Moselle, three children were roller skating, when a round machine, of 2.50 meters of diameter, lands close to them. A man left from there, holding in the hand a lit lamp which dazzled the children.

He was dressed of a black cassock "like that of our priest", and after having said some unintelligible words, he flew away in his saucer.

In the island of Oléron, for the first time, it was two Martian girls who put foot on the ground. It is Mr. Martin, a colonial teacher on holiday, who brings their description to us. They carried small boots and leather gloves, as well as brilliant helmets. They were extremely pretty and nicely agreed to sign an autograph to the teacher.

I would take a whole book to bring back all the cases in detail. But all these good people swear to god that they invent nothing. Their entourage echoes that. Him, to invent such a story? A family man known for his respectability... A boy who never drank any drop of alcohol in his life? Come on!

So what? Should it be concluded from this that they really saw strange beings, hairy, helmeted, in boots, speaking an incomprehensible language? Do we need to have faith to this story of mysterious green ray which paralyze human beings? Are their accounts, on the contrary, totally invented? Do they rest on a serious basis exaggerated thereafter?

Nothing, absolutely nothing in the current state of the collected information which was made available to the public allows to conclude in the sense of the authenticity. The investigations were led as if it were a question of "checking" the statements of the witnesses and not in the spirit to eliminate all the assumptions leading to plausible and relatively simple explanations. These assumptions are numerous, they go from the joke to the hallucination not to mention the optical illusion. To eliminate them, one would need extremely thorough police information, doubled, in all the cases, of a thorough psychological investigation.

Then only the facts would remain, logically unexplainable, which would constitute the true file on the Martians. One would then notice that this file is extremely thin, if not non-existent, and that in this business, there is much, far too much, literature.

1954 OBSERVATIONS

October 6

[... Other cases...]

?: Bergerac /Près de--Dordogne): lenticular greenish craft with three crutches, on the ground + blackish traces on the ground

[... Other cases...]

October 3 [, 1954]

[... other cases...]

10:00 p.m.: Bergerac (Dordogne): circular craft 3 m diameter /ground

[... other cases...]

October 3, 1954: Bergerac (Dordogne): Mr. Jean Labonne and Mr. Jean Defix, fireman (take off of ccircul. craft 3 m diameter)

176) October 1^st, 1954, 10:00 p.p., Bergerac (France):

Returning home, fireman Jean Dufix, 26, saw an oval light in the sky and thought it was a shooting star. Later he was alarmed when his yard seemed to be ablaze. Rushing out again, he saw a disk rise from the ground with a whistling sound. It flew off, became luminous again, and took off at fantastic speed. A neighbor, Jean Labonne, 61, saw the disk, 3 m in diameter, resting on three legs in the yard. (P 31)

October 1^st, 1954, 10:00 p.p., Bergerac (France):

Returning home, fireman Jean Dufix, 26, saw an oval light in the sky and thought it was a shooting star. Later he was alarmed when his yard seemed to be ablaze. Rushing out again, he saw a disk rise from the ground with a whistling sound. It flew off, became luminous again, and took off at fantastic speed. A neighbor, Jean Labonne, 61, saw the disk, 3 m in diameter, resting on three legs in the yard. (Le Figaro, 6 Oct. 1954; France-Soir, 7 and 8 Oct. 1954)

350 1 October 1954 2200 hrs

BERGERAC (FRANCE) Returning home fireman Jean Dufix (26) saw an oval light in the sky & thought it was a shooting star. Later he was alarmed when his yard seemed to be ablaze. Rushing out again, he saw a disc rise from the ground with a whistling sound. It flew off, became luminous again, and took off at fantastic speed. A neighbour Jean Labonne (61), saw the disc 3m diameter, resting on 3 legs in the yard. (Ml76; Figaro 6 Oct 1954: France-Soir 7 Oct 1954: ibid. 8 Oct 1954: Michel II, 130)

10/01/1954 Bergerac (Dordogne)

Around 10 p.m., Mr. Jean Labonne discovered in his garden an object in the shape of a mushroom placed on the edge of the railway line. The top of the craft was dark in color and the body similar to luminous Plexiglas. Three meters from Mr. Labonne, a figure blocked his path. The being, which was only a black silhouette, turned around and slipped into the craft which took off. The witness could see three crutches folding up under the craft. The soil of the garden kept the mark of the three crutches. At the landing site, odd black mushrooms with long stems began to grow and vanished in the first rays of the sun. This landing was confirmed by a neighbour: Mr. Defitz [sic] (Jean Giraud)

10/01/1954 Bergerac (Dordogne)

The mushroom-shaped craft took off and Mr. Labonne saw three crutches fold under the craft. Traces on the ground. (J. Giraud; "Centre MAtin" 10/07/54)

10/01/1954 Bergerac (Dordogne)

Around 10 p.m., Mr. Jean Labonne discovered, placed in his garden (on the edge of the railway line), a luminous object in the shape of a mushroom. The top of the craft was dark in color, while the body and bottom were like luminous Plexiglas. (J. Giraud. According to A. Michel, the event took place on 10/03/54; according to J. Guieu, this landing occurred on 10/06/54)

54-39 Oct. 2, 1954 2200 Bergerac, France Type B

Jean Labonne saw in his dark garden a luminous mushroom-shaped object, "constructed of plexiglas." 3 yards away from him moved a shadowy figure, which on being accosted "slid over to the machine"; in a few seconds, it rose into the sky followed by a luminous trail. 3 imprints were found the next day, also a cluster of long-stemmed black mushrooms.

Investigator:

Source: Perigord Moun Pais, ll/54.

2. Bergerac (Dordogne), October 3, 1954. Barthel & Brucker version: p. 121 ...Mr. Jean Dufix, firefighter in Bergerac... Mr. Dufix went to find his neighbor... the strange vision of Mr. Dufix... there was no object... LDLN version: We met Mr. Jean Defix, firefighter in Bergerac, who confirmed his observation and drew for us the object with crutches and porthole that he saw in 1954. All the press of the time (and B&B) used the incorrect spelling of its name (Dufix instead of Defix), which a simple visit at the fire station allowed us to rectify. On page 222 of their book B&B thank one Mr. Dufix, who is probably an imaginary character. (Aimé Michel had given the correct orthography: Defix).

The "shooting star" that landed.

It was getting late (10:00) the evening of October 1st as French fireman Jean Dufix returned to his home in Bergerac. A streak of light lit up the heavens and M. Dufix thought for a moment he was witnessing a shooting star, but this object was close, too close, in fact it appeared the "meteor" had impacted in his own backyard since a red glow illuminated the area. As a fireman M. Dufix's immediate impression was that his property was ablaze.

A neighbor, M. Jean Lebonne [sic], evidently attracted by all the light, peered out a window and saw a strange, disc-shaped, object about three meters in diameter, "parked" in M. Dufix1 s yard. The thing was motionless, resting on three legs. M." Dufix quickly arrived, on the scene and saw for himself the mysterious object. The UFO did not stay long. It soon rose, became luminous again (it had apparently lost its glowing appearance when it touched down) and shot away at a fabulous velocity. 9.

• Paris, France. Le Figaro. 6 October 54.

Bergerac, France, (no known hour)

A ten foot wide luminous disc was reported on the ground by two people near Bergerac. The object had three "legs," or what one might call landing supports. No figures were noted in the vicinity. 50.

• 46. Michel, Aime. "Flying Saucers in Europe." Fate. December 1957. Vol.10, No.12. Issue #93. ed. Mary Fuller. Evanston, Ill. p.34. (press account quoted)
• 47. Ibid, p.35.
• 48. Ibid, p.37.
• 49. Ibid.
• 50 Ibid.

WRONG NAMES OF WITNESSES AND PLACES

13 - Case of Bergerac, Dordogne.

Here is a typical case of deception that must have abused many researchers. On page 121, B & B quote a version from the newspaper Sud-Ouest for October 4, which is better than France-Soir or Le Parisien. But I have the distinct impression that it is still a copy from an author because they did not do any research in the provincial press.

Anyway, this source is in fact a copy of the AFP dispatch from Paris, which quotes one Jean Dufix, a firefighter in Bergerac, who saw a disc take off from the garden of one of his neighbors. What is more, this neighbor, Mr. Jean Labonne, had gone out at the same time to close the gate of his garden, and he too saw the discoidal machine about three meters in diameter, resting on crutches. Fungi were reportedly found the next morning on the site of the landing, which would have disappeared with the first gleams of the sun. This happened on October 1, 1954 at 10 p.m.

Page 123, our two friends write about this incident: "As for the last affair (Bergerac-NdA), let the gastronomes of Périgord excuse us, but they will never taste the mushroom of the Bergerac saucer! There never was a mushroom between the saucer crutches because there was never an object."

What are they basing themselves on to be so categorical? They don't cite anything! However, as in the appendix reserved for the thanks, Mr. Dufix is quoted (page 222), one can suppose that they met the witness or at best spoke with him on the telephone.

Nope! And there are two pieces of evidence demonstrating the flippancy and dishonesty of their behavior, which are:

1°) - A local source, the weekly Bergerac Libre, for October 9, 1954, page 1, gives the real name of the witness: Jean Defix!

2°) - An investigation made in 1989 by researcher Roger Chéreau, who met Mr. Defix, who operated an electrical supply store, found that B & B had never contacted the witness! Moreover, this one confirmed his testimony of 1954 and even made a sketch of the observed "saucer", which was published in LDIN # 299, p. 31. Note that this case is in fact a CE3 (See chap. 6, #32).

Page 8, Schatzman writes: "One is left in awe of the amount of work that is summed up there; the rigor of thought that was required to overcome obstacles and ultimately bring out the truth."

We are especially confused in front of this bewildering quantity of lies contained in this book, and the cowardly complacency of a high level scientist who sponsored this tartuferie (D.O. 11 to 13).

On Oct. 1, 1954, In Bergerac, France. Returning home, fireman Jean Dufix, 26, saw an oval light in the sky and thought it was a shooting star. Later he was alarmed when his yard seemed to be ablaze. Rushing out again, he saw a disk rise from the ground with a whistling sound. It flew off, became luminous again, and took off at fantastic speed. A neighbor, Jean Labonne, 61, saw the disk, 3 m in diameter, resting on three legs in the yard.

The explained cases of Francat:

[... other cases...] 10/02/54 [sic]: Bergerac (24) [... other cases...]

See also the case of 10/01/54 at 10:00 p.m. in Sud-Ouest for October 6, 1954, which titled "In Bergerac, mysterious mushrooms grow and disappear between the "feet" of a saucer". La Nouvelle République of Bordeaux devotes two pages to this observation in two phases, the first of which is a meteor. Remains for the second phase a possible UFO but precisely mushroom-shaped.... Twenty mushrooms discovered seem to be coprins quickly becoming black. By looking well you may find others...

3898: 1954/10/01 22:00 15 0:29:00 E 44:52:00 N 3333 WEU FRN DRD 8:7

BERGERAC,FR:2 MEN:3M SCR/TRIPOD RISES/YARD W/WHISTLING RUSH/AIR:/LDLN#102+/r8

Ref#217 Jean SIDER: Le DOSSIER 1954 (2 vol.) Page No. 178 : FARMLANDS

On this Day

October 1

[...]

1954 - Returning home from work in Bergerac, France fireman Jean Dufix, age 26, saw an oval light in the sky at 10 o'clock. He first took it to be a shooting star, but later he was alarmed when his yard looked to be ablaze. Rushing outside, he saw a disc rise from the ground with a whistling sound. It flew off, became luminous again, and then shot off at a fantastic speed. His neighbor, Jean Labonne, age 61, also saw the disc resting on three legs in the yard. They estimated the disc was three meters (10 feet) in diameter. (Sources: Le Figaro, October 6, 1954; Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia: A Century of Landings, p. 214).

October 1 1954, 2200hrs.

BERGERAC (DORDOGNE : FRANCE)

Fireman Jean Deafix was cycling to his apartment in Rue Berlin, along the track by the railway line, when he saw an intense light, which resolved itself into a fusiform object emitting three green flashes, descending at dizzying speed. He got home and was about to close the shutters when he observed the object again, emitting an intense light, much closer, apparently taking off from the ground. As he watched he saw a tripod landing gear retract on the underside of the hemispherical object. As this object took off it left a vacuum into which air rushed, almost pulling him forward. There was a whistling sound and the object took off into the clouds.

Next day he told his landlord, Marius Marot, with whom he lived, about the incident. Later that day Mr. Marot’s neighbour, retired railwayman Jean Labonne, told Marot that at the same time as Deafix’s experience, he Labonne had gone to close the garden gate to the railway, when he caught sight of a mushroom shaped object on a piece of ground, 3m by 5m. The upper part was dark; the body of the object resembled Plexiglas and was luminous. Then, no more than 3m away, a shadowy figure stood up blocking Labonne’s path. He yelled out to the stranger, asking him who he was and what he wanted. The figure did not reply but turned around and walked back to the object, which took off seconds later leaving a luminous trail. Labonne saw the three landing legs being retracted. After a sleepless night Labonne went to investigate the site at dawn, where he found three slight impressions, and that strange, black, long-stemmed mushrooms had grown up overnight. He did not dare touch them and they volatised at the first rays of the sun.

Alain Gamard, citing J. Giraud, citing Rene Sampson and local press.
Vallee case 176, citing Figaro 6 October 1954 + France Soir 7 and 8 October 1954.
Michel 1958 p.130 (gives date as 3rd)

*Oct. 1, 1954 - Returning home from work in Bergerac, Dordogne department, France fireman Jean Dufix, age 26, saw an oval light in the sky at 10 o'clock. He first took it to be a shooting star, but later he was alarmed when his yard looked to be ablaze. Rushing outside, he saw a disc rise from the ground with a whistling sound. It flew off, became luminous again, and then shot off at a fantastic speed. His neighbor, Jean Labonne, age 61, also saw the disc resting on three legs in the yard. They estimated the disc was three meters (10 feet) in diameter. (Sources: Le Figaro, October 6, 1954; Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia: A Century of Landings, p. 214, case 176).

*Oct. 2, 1954 - At 10:00 p.m. in Bergerac, Dordogne department, France a luminous mushroom-shaped object was seen in the garden by J. Labonne, who described it as "constructed of plexiglass." Three meters away moved a short shadowy figure that "slid over to the machine." The object rose into the sky, leaving behind a luminous trail. There were three imprints found in the ground and some black mushrooms. (Source: David F. Webb & Ted Bloecher, HUMCAT: Catalogue of Humanoid Reports, case # A0268).

October 1 1954. 2200hrs.

BERGERAC (DORDOGNE : FRANCE)

Fireman Jean Deafix was cycling to his apartment in Rue Berlin, along the track by the railway line, when he saw an intense light, which resolved itself into a fusiform object emitting three green flashes, descending at dizzying speed. He got home and was about to close the shutters when he observed the object again, emitting an intense light, much closer, apparently taking off from the ground. As he watched he saw a tripod landing gear retract on the underside of the hemispherical object. As this object took off it left a vacuum into which air rushed, almost pulling him forward. There was a whistling sound and the object took off into the clouds. Next day he told his landlord, Marius Marot, with whom he lived, about the incident. Later that day Mr. Marot's neighbour, retired railwayman Jean Labonne, told Marot that at the same time as Deafix's experience, he Labonne had gone to close the garden gate to the railway, when he caught sight of a mushroom shaped object on a piece of ground, 3m by 5m. The upper part was dark; the body of the object resembled Plexiglas and was luminous. Then, no more than 3m away, a shadowy figure stood up blocking Labonne's path. He yelled out to the stranger, asking him who he was and what he wanted. The figure did not reply but turned around and walked back to the object, which took off seconds later leaving a luminous trail. Labonne saw the three landing legs being retracted. After a sleepless night Labonne went to investigate the site at dawn, where he found three slight impressions, and that strange, black, long-stemmed mushrooms had grown up overnight. He did not dare touch them and the volatised at the first rays of the sun.

Alain Gamard citing J, Giraud - citing Rene Sampson and local press

Vallee case 176 citing Figaro 6 October 1954. + France Soir 7 and 8 October 1954

Michel 1958 p130 gives date as 3rd