The 1954 French flap:

Reduced activity
on the frontline
of the "Saucers"

For the first time in a long time, yesterday we did not have to report any appearance of strange objects in the sky of Picardy. Would the "Martians" get tired of observing our world or would the "Earthlings" finally get used to the spooky visions that are widely spread onto them?

The mail that we received in the past twenty-four hours hardly brings any new evidence, except that of some Amiens residents who would have distinguished "something" in the sky, yesterday, around 2 p.m., above the Cathedral.

In Monsboubert, the day before yesterday evening, around 8:40 p.m., Mr. Paul Coulombel, farmer, ex-pilot of civil aviation and Mr. Fernand Poirel, country gardener, were able to contemplate a kind of "luminous ball followed by a trail of multicolored sparks". which moved from South-West to North-East.

We also received confirmation of a phenomenon of natural appearance which we ourselves witnessed, last Monday, around 9 p.m. Residents of Eramecourt and of Ercheu, saw, indeed, like us, and also two teachers from Amiens, a blinding fireball that violently lit up the night sky for a few too brief seconds.

Other readers, whom we thank here, share with us their personal opinions on astronomical problems in general and the hypotheses - sometimes categorical - that they believe they should draw from maneuvers of unknown or indeterminate craft.

We will take the liberty of giving them advice. That of remaining cautiously, for the time being, in dubitation, and conforming, in this, to the attitude adopted, by the most distinguished experts of this time.

Is it not, moreover, the mark of real scientists, this perpetual uncertainty born of the relative smallness of science acquired in the face of the immense unknown of unsolved problems?

Let's be wise and not anticipate. Above all, let us be careful of random speculations, in one direction as in the other and limit ourselves to recording what we believe to see, while waiting for the revelation which will manifest (maybe) one day or another.

The daily saucer

Mr. Paul Coulombel, a former civilian aviation pilot, now a farmer in Mons-Boubert, followed the moves of a luminous ball coming from the SW and heading to the NE.

Residents of Eramecourt and Ercheu, as well two teachers from Amiens were blinded by a disc which suddenly lit up the sky at around 9 p.m.

Saucers
above the Bay
of the Somme

The column of the flying saucers is enriched with new serious testimonies. This is how we have just learned that some evening, around 8:15 p.m. 15, Mr. Michel Leroux, farmer in Le Crotoy, visiting two of his workers, MM. Raoul and Michel Chivot, living near the farm, found them with their "noses in the air."

With them, he was able to observe for 45 minutes a ball-shaped craft, orange-fire color. Mr. Leroux had time to go get binoculars with which he observed the craft which had the shape of an inverted plate and which, at certain times, moved very quickly, while at others it stabilized. It was flying above the sea, between the Pointe du Hourdel and that of Saint-Quentin-en-Tourmont.

Another much more distant saucer was reportedly seen over the sea, but could only be followed by the "witnesses" for five minutes.

Also, another evening, around 8:40 p.m., an orange ball was observed for a few moments in Monboubert, still near the Bay of Somme, by several people from the locality, including Mr. Paul Coulombel, farmer, and Mr. Fernand Poirel, country guard.

Invasion of ...imaginary Martians in Anzin

VALENCIENNES, October 23 (A.F.P). - The "War of the Worlds" has not occurred in Anzin, where many people believes the other night, in an invasion of Martians.

It was about 10 p.m. when some walkers circulating on the Anatole France avenue saw "luminous dots" in the sky. A person seized with fear, gave the alarm to the police station, while firefighters, on duty in a movie theater, flocked to the cries of witnesses in the street.

The saucers were going faster and faster and led a hellish round at the great excitement of passersby who expected their landing. A firefighter even prevented motorists to drive with their headlights on.

Ten minutes later, it was discovered that it was luminous reflections on glass insulators placed at the top of the mast of a high voltage power line.

The "hairy Martian" of Loctudy (Finistère) was a savant goat!

BREST, October 23 ("France-Soir" telegram). -- The mystery of the hairy Martian of Loctudy (Finistère) is finally solved. And the bakery worker who, at night, was followed in the courtyard of the bakery by a being with a face covered in hair and enormous eyes, recovered from his emotions, as well as the people of the town. The Martian was a learned goat belonging to a circus passing in the area and it had wandered into the yard of the baker.

• A HUGE FIREBALL arrested in Criteuil (Charente) the car of Mr. Fillonneau M., mason. The witness who had felt "a violent gust of air" found that the battery was discharged and the bulbs of his headlights were burned out.
• A LUMINOUS STOVE PIPE was observed by the country guard of Montboubert near Abbeville, Mr. Fernand Poirel.
• A CIGAR LIGHTER, which is then divided into three, was seen by many, many people in Schleswig (Germany).