The 1954 French flap:

A "FLYING CIGAR"
WAS REPORTEDLY SEEN
IN COMINES

In Comines, Thursday around 10:30 p.m., a mysterious craft flew over a part of the city.

We met with Adjutant Cocquel and Constable Segars, both judicial police officers from the Comines brigade, who heard at length on Saturday morning, the witness to this appearance; in this case Mr. Anicet Corneillie, mason worker living in Comines, rue des trois Ballots. Here are the facts:

Coming home Thursday around 10:30 p.m., Mr. Corneillie was suddenly surprised by the purple reflections that shimmered on the jacket with which he was adorned. Looking up, he saw at a height of forty meters, a craft in the shape of a cigar, which emitted a rather bright gleam. According to the witness, the craft might have been 8 to 10 meters long and 2 to 3 meters wide. At the same time, a motorist from Tourcoing observed the same phenomenon.

This was happening at the intersection of the streets of the Apothicaire and the Processions, the mysterious craft seeming to be heading towards the hamlet of Vieil Dieu.

Frightened, Mr. Corneille quickly returned home and it was not until the next day that he entrusted the matter to his work comrades. Long questioned yesterday by MM. Cocquel and Segers, the witness still under the effects of emotion, related the facts that we have just reported. The gendarmes of the Comines brigade, while recording Mr. Corneillie's statements, acknowledged the witness's excellent good faith on Thursday evening.

... AND A SAUCER
IN ROUBAIX

According to the declarations made to us by residents of Roubaix who wished to remain anonymous, during the night of September 14 to 15, around 3:20 a.m., a flying saucer was reportedly seen in the northwest of the city, at a fairly high altitude.

The husband says he saw a kind of very shiny disc, below which we could see a kind of bright and transparent cylinder.

His wife, whom he had woken up, declared to have seen a red ball surrounded by green, the colors being very beautiful besides. It was nothing like the stars, and they could observe the mysterious object for a period estimated at 30-40 seconds, then the disc went up vertically and disappeared.

COMINES

IS IT A FLYING CIGAR?

In Comines, Thursday evening, around 10:30 p.m., a mysterious craft flew over a part of the city.

Such news would not take place in our columns if beforehand we had not met MM. Warrant Officer Cocquel and Constable Segers - both judicial police officers - from the Comines brigade, who heard at length on Saturday morning, the witness to this appearance, in this case, Mr. Anicet Corneille, masonry worker, residing in Comines, rue des Trois-Ballois.

Coming home, Thursday evening, around 10 p.m. 30, M. Corneille was suddenly surprised by the purple reflections shown on the jacket with which he was adorned. Looking up, he saw a cigar-shaped object about forty meters high that emitted a rather bright glow. According to the witness, the craft might have measured 8 to 10 meters long by 2 to 3 meters wide. At the same time, a motorist of Tourcoing observed the same phenomenon.

This was happening at the intersection of the streets of the Apothicaire and the Processions, the mysterious craft seeming to be heading towards the hamlet of Vieil-Dieu.

Seized with fright, Mr. Corneille quickly returned home and it was the next day that he entrusted the matter to his comrades.

Long questioned yesterday at the gendarmerie of Comines, by Mr. Cocquel and Segers, the witness - still in a state of emotion - related the facts that we have just reported.

The gendarmes of the Comines brigade, while recording Mr. Corneille's statements, acknowledged the witness's excellent good faith on Thursday evening.

P. L.

A flying cigar
reportedly seen in Comines

In Comines, Thursday, around 10:30 p.m., a mysterious craft flew over a part of the city. Such news would not take place in our columns if, beforehand, we had not met MM. Warrant Officer Cocquel and Constable Segers, both judicial police officers from the Comines brigade; who heard at length in the morning of Saturday, the witness of this apparition; in this case Mr. Anicet Corneillie, mason worker, living in Comines, rue des Trois Ballots.

Coming home, Thursday evening, around 10:30 p.m., Mr. Corneillie was suddenly surprised at the violet reflections of the jacket with which he was adorned. Looking up, he saw a cigar-shaped object about forty meters high that emitted a rather bright glow. According to the witness, the craft might have been 8 to 10 meters long and 2 to 3 meters wide. At the same time, a motorist from Tourcoing observed the same phenomenon.

This was happening at the intersection of the streets of the Apothicaire and the Processions, the mysterious craft seeming to be heading towards the hamlet of Le Vieil Dieu.

Frightened, Mr. Corneillie quickly returned home and it was the next day that he entrusted the matter to his comrades. Long questioned yesterday at the Comines gendarmerie by MM. Cocquel and Segers, the witness related the facts that we just reported. The gendarmes of the Comines brigade, while recording these statements by Mr. Corneillie, acknowledged the excellent good faith of the witness on Thursday.

A flying cigar
was reporttedly seen
in Comines

In Comines, Thursday, around 10:30 p.m., a mysterious craft flew over part of the city.

Officer Cocquel and Constable Segers - both from the Comines brigade, heard at length in the morning of Saturday, the witness of this apparition, in this case Mr. Anicet Corneillie, mason worker, living in Comines, rue des Trois-Ballots.

Returning home, Thursday evening around 10:30 p.m., Mr. Corneillie was suddenly surprised by the purple reflections on the jacket with which he was adorned. Looking up, he saw about forty meters high a cigar-shaped craft that emitted a rather bright glow. According to the witness, the craft could measure 8 to 10 meters long and 2 to 3 meters wide. At the same time, a motorist from Tourcoing also observed the phenomenon.

This was happening at the intersection of rue de l'Apothicaire and rue des Processions, the mysterious craft appearing to be heading towards the hamlet of Vieil Dieu.

Seized with fright, M. Corneillie quickly returned home and it was the next day that he confided the matter to his comrades at work. Long questioned yesterday at the Comines gendarmerie by MM. Coquelles and Seghers, the witness - still overcome by emotion - told the facts that we have just reported.

FLYING CIGARS
pink, magenta, purple

SAINT-BRIEUC. -- Several people claimed to have seen, at 300 or 400 meters of them, around 08:45 p.m., a "flying cigar", at an altitude of 50 meters approximately. The craft, they stated, could have been of 15 meters in length and it was lit by intermitences of pink gleams; it moved without noise.

BREST. -- Mrs. Henry, farmer in Guesnou (the Finistère), claimed to have seen, Thursday, then Friday, in the evening at the same hour, in the sky, a violet cylindrical machine which moved without noise from the west to the east.

LILLE. -- Mr. Anicet Corneille, farm labourer, stated to have seen, in Comines, a machine having the shape of a cigar, from 8 to 10 meters in length by 3 meters of width, which evolved wat some forty meters height and released a magenta gleam. After having flown over the city during a few seconds, the machine would have disappeared in the sky.

The statements of Mr. Corneille were confirmed by a motorist of Tourcoing who was passing.

THE FLYING SAUCERS (continued...)

A MYSTERIOUS CRAFT
in the sky of Grand'Combe

Alès (C.P.).

Saturday evening, around 8 p.m., people worthy of faith saw what from now on is allowed to be called flying saucers or flying cigars.

The mysterious machine moved in the sky of Favède, at 3 km of the mining city of Grand-Combe.

Among the eyewitnesses, wenote Mr. Germain Soustelle, mayor and general adviser of Large-Combe, Misters Andrieux, Vincenti and widowed Mrs. Favède, etc...

M. Soustelle told us about this:

"This apparatus, that we could see evolving during 10 good minutes, initially appeared to have the shape of a long cigar; it went down finally towards the high mountains from Lamelouze, on the left of the village of Ruffière, at the locality "les Drayes". It then had the appearance of a large ball surrounded by a luminous halation.

Flying cigars, pink, purple and blue...

Saint-Brieux (A.F.P.).

Several people affirmed to have seen, at 300 or 400 meters of them, Saturday evening, around 08:4[?] p.m., a "flying cigar" at an altitude of 50 meters approximately. The machine, they declared, could be 15 meters in length and was lit by intermittencies of pink gleams, it moved without noise.

* * *

Brest (A.F.P.).

Mrs. Henry, farmer in Guesnou (Finistère), claimed to have seen Thursday, then Friday evening at the same hour, in the sky, a purple cylindrical machine which moved without noise from West to East.

* * *

Lille (A.F.P.).

Mr. Anicet Corneille, farm labourer, stated to have seen, Saturday evening, in Comines, a machine having the shape of a cigar from 8 to 10 meters in width, which evolved at forty meters of height and released a sharp blue gleam, after having flown over the city during a few seconds, the machine is said to have disappeared in the sky.

The declarations of Mr. Corneille were confirmed by a motorist tourquennois passing in Comines.

The seven workers of the quarry of Marcilly-sur-Vienne told us their strange adventure

The seven concordant testimonies of the workers of a quarry in Marcilly-sur-Vienne who, on Thursday, around 4:30 p.m., saw near them a mysterious craft and its passenger, intrigued the people of the region.

We were able to interview Mr. Georges Gatey, chief of the building site and main witness of the event, as well as his six comrades.

We report the impression that these men are sincere and trustworthy. Their statements, they confirmed them Friday and Saturday to professional investigators who did not fail, in their turn, to be impressed by the emphasis of sincerity of the witnesses.

Mr. Gatey and his five workers were busy pulling sand and gravel from a quarry near the road near Marcilly. Everyone was at his workplace, some with a mechanical shovel, others with a hoist. Mr. Gatey was on the sidelines, closer to the end of the quarry. He was the first to see the machine, a device of circular shape surmounted by a dome, apparently equipped with blades similar to those of a helicopter.

The machine was standing motionless one meter from the ground, the blades turning very rapidly. It did not land on the ground.

A man of small size, 1.50 m to 1.55 m approximately

Wearing a helmet of opaque material on the head, resembling scrambled glass, dressed in a combination of neutral tone, booted with booties, it stood next to it. He had in his hand a kind of big revolver or a pipe, and on the chest a very brilliant disc, emitting a jet of intense light.

No one in the quarry, which lies below several meters from the road and the surrounding grounds, had seen the apparatus arrive and no one heard it. Everyone was busy at work and the machines that worked at the same time were very noisy.

Mr. Gatey is formal: the machine remained there for a half minute, enough time to be able to examine it. The site supervisor is an excellent draftsman. His first reflex, after his astonishment, was to run to the tent of the site to get a paper, a pencil and draw the sketch of

The saucers Courier...

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

the extraordinary machine and its occupant.

My legs were cut

"But my legs were cut," he said, "and I could not take a step, nailed to the ground certainly by the effects of the luminous ray emitted by the man.

Mr. Gatey was at that moment about fifteen meters from the craft and two meters below. He saw it from below. The machine, it should be pointed out, was at the entrance of the quarry, on the edge of the excavation, 3 meters from the road. On this road came a truck which came to get a load at the quarry, driven by M. Amirault, who saw the quarry men look towards the entrance of the shipyard, and he also looked. He saw "something gray" that was not there usually. This thing rose in the air.

That's it

Mr. Gatey also told us: "The man climbed back into his craft without I being able to tell by where, and then the craft rose vertically in jerks and a noise like the jet engines Of fighter planes. At 200 meters of altitude, roughly, it emitted a fog that completely concealed it and disappeared before our eyes."

"That's it," said the other witnesses of the scene.

Moved to the vicinity of fear, then men tacitly shut up about their adventure of the afternoon when in the evening they found themselves in the small restaurant of Parçay-aux-Vienne where they take their meal.

It was not until much later, around 7:30 p.m. or 20 p.m., that they decided to speak.

Alone, I would not have said anything

"If I had been been alone, I would never have said anything about it," said Mr. Gatey, for fear of being the laughing stock of the country.

The site supervisor had gone to the edge of the quarry to see whether the craft had left any traces. He hoped to find some burned grass but there was nothing like it, only the grass soiled and trampled by trucks.

The 7 men, 6 of them at least being 30 years old, are sympathetically known in the area where they have been working for some time and there is no reason to suppose that they have attempted to set up a huge joke. Mr. Gatey drew from memory the silhouette of the craft and its passenger.

His comrades, MM. René Rougier, André Beurrois, André Sèche, Georges Lubanowich and Maurice Dubrocs, in the presence of the sketch, affirmed: "It is this shape that the apparatus in question had." The craft could measure 4 m. 50 in diameter and 2 meters in thickness. It was gray.

In [?] of Bressuire

[Missing part]

[en]terprise Goursault of Melle, came back to start their air compressor.

In the Indre

Châteauroux, 3. - Mrs. widow Janiki, residing in the village of Le Cerisier, commune of Levroux (Indre), told the Gendarmerie that she had seen in the sky a luminous machine with a diameter of about 3 meters and which Was at the height of the buildings.

Ms. widow Lacotte witnessed the same phenomenon.

Mrs. Baron of Vatan (the Indre), said she saw last night a luminous ball in the sky.

She alerted her husband, as well as about fifteen people from her neighborhood, all of whom saw the yellow-greenish craft rising and falling in the sky at a very high altitude.

In the Nièvre

Nevers, 3. -- A representative of an insurance company in Clamecy and several residents of Corbigny said they saw an orange luminous disc moving in the sky.

SAINT BRIEUC

Several people claimed to have seen, at 300 or 400 meters from them, last night, around 8:45 p.m., a "flying cigar", at an altitude of about 50 meters.

LILLE

Mr. Anicet Corneille, an agricultural worker, said he saw a cigar-shaped craft 8 to 10 meters long by 3 meters in thickness last night in Comines; which evolved at about forty meters in height and emitted a sharp violet glow.

MONTCEAU-LES-MINES

Two bricklayers, MM. Romain Sebastiani and Buratto, both cyclist racers, said they saw a craft take off with a shrill whistle along the road from Blanzy to Montceau.

A written question to the Minister of the Air

In a written question, Mr. Jean Nocher, Deputy for the Loire, informed the Secretary of the Air about the emotion aroused in the public by the numerous and various testimonies concerning the "flying saucers".

He asked him "if his predecessors in the Secretary of State for the Air had been concerned, as in the US and U.S.S.R., to open an investigation about the presence in our atmosphere of unidentified flying objects?

"If so, he asks him to publish the results of these investigations, if not, he asks him to set up a committee widely extended to all the scientific branches concerned in order to study this phenomenon objectively."

Still and always flying saucers!

Perpignan. -- A truck driver who was collecting milk yesterday morning in the vicinity of Cabestany (Pyrénées-Orientales) said he saw in front of his vehicle a "bluish globe", bluish in color, "which evolved at an altitude of 'About 180 meters producing a very soft hum."

Having stopped his truck, the driver was able to observe the evolutions of the craft for almost a quarter of an hour and then, suddenly, it would have risen in the sky and disappeared in direction of the sea.

La Rochelle. -- A flying saucer would have been seen in Auge (Deux-Sèvres).

Also, Mr. Picaud, the manager of a brewery in Sainte-Pozenne, said he had seen for a few minutes while on the road to Fontenay-le-Comte a curious yellow disc.

Brest. - The inhabitants of Landeda and the Aberwrac'h (Finistère) saw last night at high altitude a machine of circular shape and resembling a "flying saucer".

Melun. -- Several inhabitants of the commune of Rebais declared to have seen a strange, very brilliant machine, circulating at night fall in the sky, above Rebais.

The witnesses specified that the craft, which was traveling very slowly, had then moved towards Coulommiers, having increased its speed, and had disappeared.

The day before yesterday morning, the CRS, also saw a bright disc in the sky, above Vaudoy.

Montpellier. -- Mrs Picot de la Baume, a resident of Montpellier, stated that at an altitude of about 1,500 meters she saw a cigar-shaped device, which was shiny and appeared to be surrounded by a halo. The machine, which she could observe for a minute or so, suddenly disappeared in an easterly direction, without making a sound or leaving a trace.

IN NORTH AFRICA

Casablanca. -- Reliable witnesses saw in the sky of Kourigra, about 130 kilometers from Casablanca, a circular, red-colored machine, evolving at high altitude and at high speed, which seemed to be spitting green blue flames [as a meteor would do].

Safi [Morocco]. -- An elongated craft was seen last night around 8:30 pm, in the sky of Safi, by credible witnesses. The "cigar" was moving at a high speed, from east to northwest. He was surrounded by a bluish light and left behind a luminous trail. Witnesses testified that the aircraft was unrelated to a jet plane [but may have had a "relationship" with a meteor.]

Saint Brieuc. -- Several people said they saw 300 or 400 meters from them last night, around 8 pm. 45, a "flying cigar" at an altitude of about 50 meters. The machine, they said, could be 13 meters in length and lit up intermittently with pink gleams. He moved noiselessly.

Brest. -- Mrs Henry, a farmer in Gouesnou (Finistère) said she had seen a mauve cylindrical craft moving noiselessly from west to east on Thursday and Friday in the evening at the same time.

Lille. -- Anicet Corneille, an agricultural worker, said he saw a cigar-shaped device in Comines last night, 8 to 10 meters long by 3 meters wide, which was about 40 meters Height and exuded a lively violet glow. After flying over the city for a few seconds, the craft would have disappeared into the sky.

Mr. Corneille's statements were confirmed by a Touring engineer passing through Comines.

Montceau-les-Mines. -- Two bricklayers, MM. Romain Sebastiani and Buratto, both cyclists, said they saw a craft take off with a shrill whistle along the road from Blanzy to Montceau. The apparatus had, they said, the shape of a very dark yellow cigar, a length of three meters and a diameter of about 50 to 80 centimeters.

A saucer near Seurre?...

An inhabitant of the Meix, a village near Seurre, Mr. Lucien Minet, 19 years old, has in turn found a strange appearance. He was standing by the doorway at about 9 o'clock in the evening, when he saw in the sky a green glow moving slowly. A whistling accompanied this apparition which lasted fifteen seconds. The young man had time to call his mother, who could also see the phenomenon.

Two young Dolois have seen twice "saucers"

Dole (C.P.). -- The two young Dolois, Jacky Chapoutot and André Lacour, who "saw a flying saucer" last week in Dole, noticed the same phenomenon Wednesday, around 8 pm, while they were at two different points of the city.

"I did not believe in flying saucers," Jacky Chapoutot told us, "but this time I'm sure of what I saw, and I'm particularly interested in aviation and what was going on in the sky of Dole was moving at a speed that certainly is not yet achieved in the machines we know. I must add to be complete, that last week, as this time I heard, when this saucer appeared, an airplane hum that seemed to evolve without navigation lights."

In the Nièvre: An orange disc

Nevers (C.P.) -- An agricultural worker, Raymond Delovre, 20 years old, saw between Saint-Pierre-le-Moutier and Langeron a kind of disk moving towards the N.-E. This celestial body emitted a Bright orange light while a yellow light gushed to the rear. The appearance was maintained on a horizontal plane and was noticed for a few seconds."

"Flying saucers exist"
a German scientist asserts

Flying saucers exist and represent at least 10 percent of the craft observed in the sky, Professor Hermann Oberth, German rocket specialist, and honorary president of the "German Astronautical Society", just declared during a lecture in Hamburg.

According to this scientist, it is possible that these craft are guided by crews of creatures similar to humans, but probably several thousand years ahead of our time.

To explain why a flying saucer has not yet crashed to earth, Professor Oberth suggests that pilots may have perfect mastery of their apparatuses and may not desire any contact with earthly creatures.

Considering another possibility, Professor Oberth recalled that the saucers observed could be considered as an improvement of the V-7, German rockets from the end of the war, of which several prototypes would have fallen, according to them, in Russian hands in 1945.

* * *

The passing of flying "saucers" or "cigars" is reported almost everywhere in the skies of France.

Mr. Anicet Corneille, agricultural worker, declared to have seen Friday evening, in Comines, a machine having the shape of a cigar, 8 to 10 meters in length and three meters in width, which moved at about forty meters height and gave off a bright purple glow, after flying over the city for a few seconds.

These statements were confirmed by a motorist from Tourcoing passing through Comines.

Mrs. widow Janiki, residing in the village of Le Cerisier, commune of Levrous (Indre) warned the gendarmerie that she had seen in the sky a luminous craft with a diameter of about 3 meters and which was at the height of the buildings.

Widow Lacotte, living about 800 meters from Ms. Janiki's home, said she witnessed the same phenomenon.

An employee of the slaughterhouse, Mr. Angelo Girardeau, 53, living in Breuil-Chaussée (Deux-Sèvres), who, Sunday morning, went to his work reportedly saw a circular craft near which there was a being who appeared to him dressed in a diving suit. That being moved towards M. Girardeau who, frightened, fled. Shortly after, the circular craft set off again at very high speed.

Two young people from Vron (Somme) said they saw on the national road, between Crécy and Ligescourt, a curious machine around which prowled oddly shaped individuals. They approached the craft, resembling a haystack, but the craft took off.

The two young people told their adventure to the gendarmes.

The saucer seen by roadmenders along the road to Coulommiers only existed in their imagination.

Written question

In a written question, Mr. Jean Nocher, deputy for the Loire, told the Secretary of State for Air of the emotion aroused in the public by the many and various testimonies concerning the "flying saucers".

He asks him "whether his predecessors at the Secretary of State for the Air had been concerned, as in the United States and the U.S.S.R. for many years, to open an investigation into the presence in our atmosphere of unidentified flying objects.

If so, he asks him for the publishable results of his investigations; if not, he asks him to constitute a Commission broadly extended to all the scientific branches concerned in order to objectively study this phenomenon by freeing the truth from the errors or possible mystifications."

FLYING CIGARS

Saint-Brieuc. -- Several people claimed to have seen, at 300 or 400 meters from them, around 8:45 p.m., a "flying cigar", at an altitude of about 50 meters. The object, they said, could be 15 meters in length and intermittently lit with pink gleams; it moved silently.

Brest. -- Mrs. Henry, farmer at Buesnou (Finistère), said that she saw Thursday, then Friday, in the evening at the same hour, in the sky, a purple cylindrical craft which moved silently from west to east.

Lille. -- Mr. Anicet Corneille, agricultural worker, said he saw last night, at Comines, a craft in the shape of a cigar, 8 to 10 meters in length by 3 meters in width, which moved at about forty meters in height and gave off a purple glow. After flying over the city for a few seconds, the craft reportedly disappeared in the sky.

The statements made by Mr. Corneille were confirmed by a Tourcoing motorist passing through Comines.

A "flying cigar"
WAS REPORTEDLY SEEN
in Comines

In Comines, Thursday around 10:30 p.m., a mysterious craft flew over a part of the city.

We met with Adjutant Cocquel and Constable Segars, both judicial police officers from the Comines brigade, who heard at length on Saturday morning, the witness to this appearance; in this case Mr. Anicet Corneillie, mason worker living in Comines, rue des trois Ballots. Here are the facts:

Coming home Thursday around 10:30 p.m., Mr. Corneillie was suddenly surprised by the purple reflections that shimmered on the jacket with which he was adorned. Looking up, he saw at a height of forty meters, a craft in the shape of a cigar, which emitted a rather bright gleam. According to the witness, the craft might have been 8 to 10 meters long and 2 to 3 meters wide. At the same time, a motorist from Tourcoing observed the same phenomenon.

This was happening at the intersection of the streets of the Apothicaire and the Processions, the mysterious machine seeming to be heading towards the hamlet of the Vieil Dieu.

Frightened, Mr. Corneillie quickly returned home and it was not until the next day that he entrusted the matter to his comrades. Long questioned yesterday by MM. Cocquel and Segers, the witness still under the effect of emotion, told the facts that we just reported. The gendarmes of the Comines brigade, while recording Mr. Corneillie's statements, acknowledged the witness's excellent good faith on Thursday evening.

... AND A SAUCER
IN ROUBAIX

According to statements made to us by residents of Roubaix who wished to remain anonymous, the night of September 14-15, around 3:20 a.m., a flying saucer was reportedly seen in the northwest of the city, at a fairly high altitude.

The husband says he saw a kind of very shiny disc, below which one could see a kind of luminous and transparent cylinder.

His wife, whom he had woken up, declared to have seen a red ball surrounded by green, the colors being very beautiful besides. It was nothing like the stars, and they were able to observe the mysterious object for a period estimated at 30-40 seconds, then the disc went up vertically and disappeared.

IN LILLE

Lille, October 4 -. Mr. Anicet Corneille, farm worker, stated to have seen, on Saturday evening, in Comines, a machine having the shape of a cigar, from 8 to 10 meters in length, of three meters of width, which evolved at forty meters hight and released a sharp purple gleam. After having flown above the city during a few seconds, the machine is said to have disappeared in the sky.

The statements by Mr. Corneille were confirmed by a motorist from Tourcoing who was passing in Comines.

Says German rocket specialist

Unknown humans:

THE URANIDS!

Hamburg, 4. -- Flying saucers exist and represent at least ten percent of the objects observed in the sky, said professor Hermann Oberth, German rocket scientist and honorary president of the "German Astronotical Society" last night, during a conference in Hamburg.

Professor Oberth added that it is possible in his opinion, that these craft contain crews of creatures similar to humans, and proposed, to designate these unknown beings, the term "Uranids". The "Uranids", continued the German scientist, are probably thousands of years ahead of our time.

To explain why no "flying saucer" has yet crashed on earth, Professor Oberth suggests that pilots may have perfect control of their machines and that, for some reason human intelligence cannot can imagine, they may not want any contact with terrestrial crops.

Considering another possibility, Professor Oberth recalled that the observed saucers could be considered as an improvement of the V-7, German rockets of the end of the war, of which several prototypes would have fallen, according to the scientist, in the hands of the Russians in 1945.

The National Assembly
will take care
of flying saucers

While, on all sides (Deux-Sèvres, Côtes-du-Nord, Finistère, Nord, Indre) people of very good faith declare having seen these days in the sky or on the ground flying saucers and cigars, the presence of these craft concerns parliamentarians.

Today, it is Mr. Rocher [sic, Nocher], deputy of the Loire, who expressed to the Secretary of State for Air the emotion aroused in the public by the many and diverse testimonies concerning the "flying saucers".

flying saucers
and cigars

No flying saucer near Melun

MELUN, 4. -- The road menders who claimed to have seen a flying saucer, near the Coulommiers-Meaux road, gave up on their statements and admitted that they had fabricated their story.

They will likely be charged with contempt of court.

However, the flying saucers have not finished haunting the sky and even the country, if we believe the following testimonies:

Vic-sur-Sère, 4. -- Several people affirmed having seen, going towards the south, a machine having the form a cigar giving off a slight plume of smoke.

Nevers, 4. -- The representative of a Clamecy Insurance Company declares to have seen an orange-colored luminous disc which was moving in the sky and which, after having changed altitude several times, disappeared vertically.

Bressuire, 4. -- An employee of the Slaughter Center, Mr. Angelo Girardo, 55, living in Breuil-Chaussée (Deux-Sèvres), declared having seen Sunday morning, on his way to work, a circular machine near which was a being who appeared to him dressed in a kind of diving suit. The being in question went to Mr. Girardo who, frightened, fled. Shortly after, the circular machine set off again at a very high speed.

Abbeville, 4. -- Two young men from Vron (Somme) said they had seen on the Route Nationale, between Crécy and Ligescourt, a curious machine around which individuals of odd shape prowled. They approached the craft, which they say looked like a haystack, but it took off.

Châteauroux, 4. -- Mrs. widow Janiki, living in the village of Cerisier, commune of Levreux (Indre), told the gendarmerie that she had seen in the sky a luminous machine with a diameter of about 3 meters and which was at the level of the buildings.

Mrs. widow Barotte, living about 200 meters from Mrs. Janiki's home, said she had witnessed the same phenomenon.

Châteauroux, 4. -- Mrs. Baron, resident of Vatan (Indre), said that on Saturday evening he saw a luminous ball in the sky.

She alerted her husband as well as fifteen people from her neighborhood, all of whom saw aat a very high altitude, the yellow "greenish" craft moving up and down in the sky.

Saint-Brieuc, 4. -- Several people claimed to have seen, 400 or 500 meters from them, last night, around 10:15 p.m., a "flying cigar", at an altitude of about 50 meters. The craft, they said, could be 15 meters in length and intermittently lit with pink gleams. It moved silently.

Brest, 4. -- Mrs. Henry, farmer in Guesnou (Finistère) said she saw Thursday, then Friday, in the evening at the same hour in the sky, a purple cylindrical craft which moved silently from West to East.

Lille, 4. -- Mr. Anicet Corneille, agricultural worker, said he saw on Saturday evening, in Comines, a machine in the shape of a cigar from 8 to 15 meters wide, which was moving at forty meters in height and produced a vivid purple glow. After flying over the city for a few seconds, the craft reportedly disappeared in the sky.

The statements made by Mr. Corneille were confirmed by a Tourcoing driver passing through Comines.

"The flying saucers exist"

reaffirms professor Oberth, president of the "German astronautics society"

Hamburg, Oct. 4. -- "The flying saucers exist and represent at least ten percent of the craft observed in the sky", affirmed yesterday evening professor Hermann Oberth, German specialist in the rockets and honorary president of the "German astronautics society", during a conference pronounced in Hamburg.

Professor Oberth added that it was possible, in his opinion, that these machines contain crews of creatures similar to humans, and proposed, to name these unknown beings, the term of "Uranides". The "Uranides", continued the German scientist, probably are several thousands of years ahead on our time.

To explain why no "flying saucer" still crashed on the ground, professor Oberth suggests that perhaps the pilots have a perfect control of their machines, and that, for a reason which a human intelligence cannot imagine, they might not wish any contact with the terrestrial creatures.

Considering another possibility, professor Oberth pointed out that the saucers observed could be regarded as an improvement of the V-7, German rockets of the end of the war, from which several prototypes would have fallen, according to the scientist, into the hands of the Russians in 1945.

A mountain pilot sees a machine above the Mont-Blanc

Chamonix, Oct. 4. -- From all the areas of France the news on the appearances of flying saucers continue to arrive and certain testimonies totally exclude the current assumptions of error or mystification.

Thus very numerous people, among whom were the officers of the School of high mountain, the gendarmes of Chamonix, and pilot Guiron, known specialist of flight in high mountain, who flew over the area at that time, stated to have seen during more than one hour a shining machine move between Mount Lachat and the Mont-Blanc.

Pilot Guiron indicated that, flying at approximately 2.000 meters above Faverges, he saw a machine which, he said, did not have any resemblance to a normal plane. Moreover, the direction followed at high speed by this apparatus excluded the assumption of a weather balloon.

*

Saint-Brieuc, Oct. 4. -- Several person claimed to have seen, at 300 or 400 meters of them, towards 08:45 p.m., a "flying cigar", at an altitude of 50 meters approximately. The machine, they stated, could be 15 meters in length and lit by intermittencies of pink gleams. It moved without noise.

*

Lille, Oct. 4. -- Mr. Anicet Corneille, farm labourer, states to have seen yesterday evening In Comines, a machine having the shape of a cigar, from 8 to 10 meters in length which moved at a forty meters height and released a sharp violet gleam.

These statements were confirmed by a motorist rom Tourcoing passing in Comines.

*

Nevers, Oct. 4. -- An employee of the slaughter house, Mr. Angelo Girardeau, 55 years old, resident of Breuil-Chaussée (Deux-Sèvres) stated to have seen Sunday morning while going to his work, a circular machine close to which was a being that appeared to him as covered a kind of diving-suit. That being moved towards Mr. Girardeau who, frightened, fled. A little later the circular machine set out again at high speed.

Saturday, October 2 [, 1954] (continued)

[... Other cases...]

evening: Comines (Nord): "cigar" 10 m by 3 m at low altit. + purple gleam.

[... Other cases...]

MONDAY OCTOBER 4 [publishing date]: "CIGARS AND SAUCERS" ARE REPORTED AGAIN -

IN SAINT-BRIEUC: Several people claimed to have seen at 300 or 400 m of them, last night, around 08:45 p.m., a cigar flying at an altitude of 50 m. The machine could be 15 meters long and was intermittently lit with a pink glow. It was moving noiselessly.

IN BREST: Mrs. Henry, farmer, said she saw on Thursday and Friday evening at the same hour in the sky, a purple cylindrical craft that moved noiselessly from west to east.

IN LILLE: Mr. Anicet Corneille, farm worker, said he saw last night in Comines, a machine in the shape of a cigar 8 to 10 meters long and 3 meters wide, which moved at a height of 40 meters, and gave off a bright purple glow. After flying over the city, for a few seconds, the craft reportedly disappeared in the sky. Statement confirmed by a motorist passing through Comines.

IN MONTCEAU LES MINES: Two workers, Messrs. Sebastiani and Buratto, said that they had seen at the edge of the road from Blanzy to Montceau, a craft take off with a shrill whistle. The craft had the shape of a very dark yellow cigar with a length of 3m and a diameter of about 60 to 80 cm.

Comines: Ufos like it to be long

Comines, October 2, 1954, a craft, shaped like a cigar but whose dimensions, 30 meters long and three meters wide, are more reminiscent of those of an airplane, flew over the sky for a few seconds. Several witnesses would say that it gave off a kind of purple glow. This year 1954 was unprecedented for ufology because the phenomenon would hit the entire France where many observations were noted.