The 1954 French flap:

FLYING SAUCERS
ALWAYS numerous

An inhabitant of the Méru region reportedly
glimpsed characters from another world

News about "flying saucers" continues to flow with disconcerting regularity, both in our region and in the rest of France. In the first case, it is at the limits of the departments of Somme and Oise, between Vironchaux and Vron (Somme) that two farmers, MM. Condette and Devoisin, said they saw last Friday around 6:45 p.m., an "orange-colored craft in the shape of a beehive, stabilized nearly one meter above the ground".

Having, they say, approached about 40 meters from the mysterious apparatus, they believed to distinguish inside "beings measuring no more than 90 cm to 1 m. in height".

"We tried to get closer, concluded the witnesses, but at this moment the craft disappeared, rising vertically at a frightening speed and in total silence."

The gendarmerie opened an investigation.

The other reports of saucers across France are rife, including the bizarre account of a road mender of bridges and roads who worked, in the rain, along the Coulommiers-Meaux road, not far from the Quincy-Voisins airfield, Mr. Bernard Goujon, 30-year-old.

Mr. Goujon claimed to have seen in a field, to the left of the road, about 200 meters from him, at the foot of a grove of poplars, a strange oval-shaped craft, measuring about 3 meters in diameter, and a height of 250 m. It was, he said, resting on the ground using three fairly high crutches. Its upper part had a small translucent dome apparently made of plastic. The whole craft was, he said, of a shiny metal like aluminum.

Mr. Goujon said that he had wanted to approach the craft, but when he arrived at about 150 meters, he was seized with tingling as if an invisible electric beam was darting at him.

"I felt, he said, paralyzed, and my sight was slightly scrambled. I then saw the saucer rise very slowly, silently, like a "dead leaf", up to 25 meters from the ground. It stopped for a moment, then still silently and without any luminous trail, disappeared at high speed."

Traces of about 10 centimeters deep were noted on the ground, and Mr. Goujon's comrades also claimed to have seen the "saucer" rise into the sky.

A LANDING
IN SAINT-CREPIN-IBOUVILLERS

Are they, once again, hallucinations or misinterpretationss with certain atmospheric phenomena? Still, since Friday evening, the population of the peaceful town of St-Crépin-Ibouvillers is literally upset by the story that has just been given to those around them and to one of our reporters, a young man from the locality, Mr. Eugène Delattre.

"It was exactly 7.50 p.m.," he said, "I was riding my motorcycle back home from Méru, where I work. Suddenly, a luminous mass similar to a shooting star caught my attention." The young motorcyclist further specifies: "I continued on my way nonetheless, when I arrived at the place called "La Croix d'Epine", between St-Crépin and Lormaison, the luminous mass swung vertically and landed about twenty meters from the road. No sooner had the craft landed that several small beings came out and headed for the road."

Mr. Delattre described this mysterious craft to us.

It appeared to be designed in two oval-shaped parts, superimposed 4 to 5 meters long. The interior appeared to be lit with a gray-blue light.

Mr. Delattre, in spite of his fright, would have clearly distinguished "two small beings", who, as he passed, remained motionless on the side of the road.

We must specify that at the same time this new flying saucer was seen by a resident of Lormaison, Mrs. Breton.

Tri-weekly "LE REGIONAL" (BERSAN,95) of Tue 05-10-54, p.I:

NEAR MERU

A LOCAL MAN CLAIMS TO HAVE SEEN A FLYING SAUCER LAND

For some time now, people have been talking about nothing but flying saucers, but until now our region had never had the privilege of a landing.

However, according to our colleague "L'Oise Matin", we are no longer overlooked.

Since Friday evening, the population of the peaceful commune of St-Crépin-Ibouvillier, near Méru, has been literally shaken.

A young man from the locality, Mr. Eugène Delattre, reportedly declared: "It was exactly 7:50 p.m., I was returning home by motorcycle from Méru, where I work. Suddenly, a luminous mass, similar to a shooting star, caught my attention."

The young motorcyclist further specified: "I continued on my way; however, when, upon reaching the place called 'La Croix d'Epine,' between St Crépin and Lormaison, the luminous mass dived vertically and landed about twenty meters from the road. Hardly had the craft touched down when several small beings came out of it and headed toward the road."

Mr. Delattre described this mysterious craft: it appeared to be made in two oval-shaped, superimposed sections, 4 to 5 meters long. The interior seemed to be lit by a gray-blue light.

Despite his fright, Mr. Delattre reportedly clearly distinguished two small beings who, as he passed, remained motionless at the roadside. At the same time, this new flying saucer was seen by a resident of Lormaison, Mrs. Breton.

What truth is there in these statements? The future will no doubt tell us, for a German scientist has just asserted that flying saucers are piloted by "Uranides," who are several thousand years ahead of our time. But on the other hand, a meeting of French scientists and eminent aeronautical technicians declares that there are no interplanetary saucers, nor Martians. So?