The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 25-Oct-54-Menton.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
The regional newspaper Le Patriote de Nice et du Sud-Est of October 27, 1954, reported a sighting of a "fireball" or "meteor" or "aerolite" or "flying saucer" made on October 25, 1954, at 10:25 p.m. in Menton, from the Hawaï Hotel.
The phenomenon was above Cap Martin; it was a red, glowing ball, "the size of a plate (seen from that distance)," which remained motionless for two or three minutes. Then, gradually, it changed color, became very bright white, and at the same time began to move slowly in the direction of Italy, and then "disappeared."
The newspaper had interviewed witnesses, except for the first one, Mr. Antoine Aimar, who was a night watchman and was resting.
They had reached Mr. and Mrs. Fouillène, managers of the Hawaï Hotel, and Mr. Toulet, bartender at the establishment.
They explained that at first they thought it was a lighthouse, then a forest fire, but the object was too high in the sky; then it turned white and began to move.
They believed the ball was not moving at high speed, according to their impression.
They stated that the head chef, Mr. Genovesi, was with them, as well as a customs officer from Cap Martin, who could confirm the same. They had tried to bring their guests onto the terrace to witness it, but by the time they reached the restaurant, the fireball had vanished.
The witnesses, according to the newspaper, had no idea what they had seen.
[Ref. pns1:] NERSPAPER "LE PATRIOTE DE NICE ET DU SUD-EST":
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Menton finally has "its" flying saucer... But is it really a flying saucer that the managers and part of the staff of the Hawaï Hotel in Menton-Garavan saw Monday night around 10:30 p.m. over Cap Martin?
They themselves couldn't say for sure...
But what is undeniable is that they definitely saw, at exactly 10:25 p.m., over Cap-Martin (about five kilometers away as the crow flies), a red, glowing ball the size of a plate (seen from that distance).
This fireball remained motionless for two or three minutes. Then, gradually, it changed color and became very bright white. At the same time, it began to move slowly in the direction of Italy.
Two or three minutes after it appeared, the fireball, which had turned white, vanished just as it had appeared...
We interviewed those who witnessed this appearance. We couldn't meet the first person who saw it, Mr. Antoine Aimar, since he was resting after his night shift.
But we were able to reach Mr. and Mrs. Fouillène, the managers of the Hawaï Hotel, and Mr. Toulet, the bartender at the Garavan establishment.
All three were adamant:
"At first we thought it was a lighthouse. But there can't be a lighthouse that high in the sky. It might also have been a forest fire. But there was no doubt once we saw the fireball slowly turn white, as if it were turning over, and when it started to move...
"Our head chef, Mr. Genovesi, was with us, as well as a customs officer from Cap-Martin... They can confirm the same thing...
"We tried to get our guests to come out onto the terrace to witness it," said Mr. Fouillène, "but by the time we got to the dining room, the fireball had disappeared..."
"We emphasize that it wasn't moving at high speed. At least, that was not the impression we had..."
Fireball, meteor, flying saucer, or aerolite? [sic] ... Chi lo sa? [Who knows?]... In any case, Menton has now seen "its" flying saucer.
Maurice VIDAL
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The direction of observation was 217° (southwest), and the object moved toward the east. It must have been at a certain altitude, since a hill obstructed the view in that direction.
Astronomical verification indicates that there was only one notable object in the sky from that location at that time: the planet Mars. It was at azimuth 231° and a low altitude of 6°.
However, the witnesses described movement toward Italy, whereas Mars's path was in the opposite direction, with a clear descent of nearly 45°, which the witnesses did not mention. Also, while Mars clearly appears orange to the naked eye, there is no explanation for a color change that could have made it appear white.
I therefore have no well-founded astronomical explanation. The description does not match that of a plane or a meteor either; I thus leave the object, of moderate strangeness, as "unidentified."
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Menton, Alpes-Maritimes, Fouillène, Toulet, ball, fire, red, white, slow, multiple
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
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| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | May 3, 2025 | First published, [pns1]. |
