The 1954 French flap:

A flying saucer
lands near Melun

Its three crutches leave 10 cm deep marks in the ground

Melun, 2. -- Several road workers from Ponts-et-Chaussées who were working in the rain along the Coulommiers-Meaux road, not far from the Quincy-Voisins airfield, said they saw a flying saucer.

One of them, Mr. Bernard Goujon, 30, said he saw in a field, to the left of the road, about 200 meters from him, at the foot of a poplar bush, a strange oval craft, measuring about 3 meters in diameter, and 2 m. 50 high. It was said to have been posed on the ground on three rather high crutches. Its upper part had a small translucent dome that appeared to be made of plastic. The whole thing was made of a metal shiny like aluminum.

Mr. Goujon said that he wanted to approach the craft, but that when he arrived about 150 meters away, he was tingled as if an invisible electric ray was darted on him.

"I felt," he said, paralyzed, and my eyesight blurred slightly. I then saw the saucer rise slowly, noiselessly, like a dead leaf", until 25 meters from the ground. It stopped for a moment and then, still without noise and without any light trail, disappeared at high speed."

Traces of about 10 centimeters deep were found on the ground.

***

Quillant, 2. -- Yesterday afternoon Mr. Saboureau, lemonade maker in Belesta (Ariège) saw a brilliant ball in the sky.

The object, which was moving relatively slowly and silently, was followed, he said, by a trail of gray smoke.

***

Monceau-les-Mines, 2. -- Two mason workers, MM. Romain Sebastiani and Buratto, both cyclists at the Union Vélocipédique de Roanne, said they saw a craft taking off along the road from Blanzy to Montceau with a shrill whistling sound. The craft was, they said, in the shape of a very dark yellow cigar, three meters long and about 60 to 80 centimeters in diameter.

***

THE TESTIMONY OF THE COMMANDER IN SECOND OF A CARGO SHIP

Brest, 2. -- M. Arsène Stephan, second in command of a freighter ship which stopped at Brest, stated that during the night of September 23-24, when the boat was in the Bay of Biscay, by 44 degrees 48 north and 4 degrees 50, he had seen a star four times larger than the others. Two of his sailors who were by his side also made the same observation. Through binoculars they noticed that it was a moving disc on which green reflections appeared at times.

Last Thursday, at dusk, a sailor who was at the helm of the tanker "Port-Lyautey" saw, at 500 meters from him, a saucer-shaped object of red color grazing the surface of the water and then quickly ascending vertically and disappearing, leaving a red flame.

***

Caudry, 2. -- Three workers from St-Hilaire-les-Cambrai said they saw yesterday morning at 6 a.m. a strange luminous craft which trailed behind it a white gleam comparable to that of a blowtorch.

NEAR MEAUX...

ROAD MENDER
saw a "saucer"
posed on crutches

If, in Saint-Hilaire-les-Cambrai, three workers claim to have seen, around 6 a.m. yesterday, in the sky, a strange luminous craft which trailed a white light, the "star testimony" of the day is that of roadmenders of the Seine-et-Marne.

They were half a dozen to work, in the rain, along the Coulommiers-Meaux road, not far from the airfield of Quincy-Voisins, when they saw a "flying saucer."

One of them, Mr. Bernard Goujon, 30, said he saw in a field, to the left of the road, about 200 meters from him, at the foot of a poplar bush, a strange oval craft, measuring about 3 meters in diameter, and 2 m. 50 high. Its upper part had a small translucent dome that appeared to be made of plastic. The whole thing was made of a shiny metal like aluminum.

Mr. Goujon said that he wanted to approach the craft, but that when he arrived about 150 meters away, he was tingled as if an invisible electric beam was aimed at him.

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

There were traces of about ten centimeters depth on the ground.

It will be noted that the traces discovered in Quarouble, on the wooden sleepers of the railway track also seemed to have been made by crutches.

SAUCERS ABOVE
THE ATLANTIC

For his part, Mr. Arsène Stephan, second in command of a freighter which called at Brest, stated that during the night of September 23-24, while the boat was in the Bay of Biscay, at 44 degrees 48 north and 4 degrees 50, he had seen a star four times larger than the others. Two of his sailors, who were at his side, also made the same observation. Using binoculars, they noticed that it was a moving disc on which green reflections appeared at times.

In addition, last Thursday, at dusk, a sailor who was at the helm of the tanker "Port-Lyautey" saw, less than 500 meters from him, a saucer-shaped object of red color grazing the surface of the water, then quickly ascend vertically and disappear, leaving a red flame.

Like in Quarouble

A saucer on crutches
(with "paralyzing ray")
wandering near Melun

One who must be happy is Mr. Marius Dewilde from Quarouble, near Valenciennes. We had smiled - a little too much in his taste - of his story of flying saucers and Martians of 0.95 meters. And now his story has just been renewed - close to Melun this time.

Road workers from the Ponts-et-Chaussées say they witnessed it. As on the sleepers on Marius Dewilde's railway, "crutches traces" were found.

Several road workers who worked in the rain along the Coulommiers-Meaux road, not far from the Quincy-Voisin airfield, said they saw a flying saucer on Friday October 1.

One of them, Mr. Bernard Goujon, 30, said he saw a strange device in a field, on the left side of the road, about 200 meters from him, at the foot of a poplar bush measuring approximately 3 meters in diameter, and 2 m high. 50. It was placed on the ground using three fairly high crutches. Its upper part had a small translucent dome that appeared to be made of plastic. The whole thing was made of a shiny metal like aluminum.

Mr. Goujon said that he wanted to approach the craft, but that when he arrived at about 150 meters, he was panicked as if an invisible electric ray was darted on him.

"I felt paralyzed, and my eyesight blurred slightly. I then saw the saucer rise very slowly, silently, like a dead leaf, up to 15 meters from the ground. It immobilized for a moment then, still without noise and without any light trail, disappeared at high speed."

Traces of about 10 centimeters were found on the ground.

But it's not just Melun...

In the single day of Friday, following the dazzling "spinning top" seen Thursday in the Cambrésis by a carpenter from Saint-Hilaire and a mason from Quiévy, the most diverse craft haunted our sky - a "cigar" near Montceau-les-Mines, a greenish "disc" near Brest, a brilliant "ball" in the Ariège...

Who doesn't have his saucer yet?

SAUCERS (CONTINUED)

The "flying mushroom" prevented the courageous roadmender from approaching within less than 150 meters

Coulommiers (A.C.P.).

Bernard Goujon, roadmender of the Bridges-and-Roadways in Coulommiers, and a fellow worker, Armand Pichet, will from now on believe in the "flying saucers" or at least in "flying mushrooms". Here is why:

"Thursday evening, states Goujon, we were picking, Pichet and me, on the road of Maisoncelles in Meaux, close to the airfield of Quincy-Voisin when, around 5 p.m., within 500 meters from us, it happens that we see a kind of enormous mushroom shining like aluminum."

Bernard Goujon is a strong solid 30 years old chap, coloured, certainly not very subjected to hallucinations, and he does not chicken out. While his comrade hides in a ditch, he rushes through the fields towards the craft.

On three crutches

"As I advanced, he explains, I distinguished it more clearly: it resembled a large mushroom of three meters in diameter approximately, resting on three crutches. On the higher part, there was a cabin on which three portholes were arranged."

Still running, Goujon arrives at a hundred and fifty meters near of the craft, and at this point in time the "thing" happened:

"Suddenly, he says, I felt stopped short in spite of me. I feel

Continued on page 4
under the headline
THE SAUCERS

THE SAUCERS

Continued from the first page

on all my body, electric ticklings, my sight gets blurry and... I experience the most awful fright of my life."

Numerous testimonies

Thirty or forty seconds passed, then the machine rose slowly, rotated and disappeared at full speed without noise, neither flame, nor smoke.

The account by Goujon was confirmed not only by his comrade Pichet, but also by many cyclists who were on the road and who observed the extraordinary craft too.

All the travellers of a bus also saw the flying saucer of Foussignargues

Bessèges (C.P.).

We reported in our Friday issue under which conditions M. Louis Roche, roadmender domiciled in Revêty, had seen, as well as his wife, a mysterious luminous craft posed in a meadow near his country house.

Many testimonys came to corroborate these assertions.

In the same night of Sunday to Monday, a bus returning from Vals-les-Bains passed in Foussignargues around 02:30 in the morning and continued its travel in the direction of Gagnières.

At the crossroads, a passenger stopped, Mrs. Julien and one [illegible: of her sons]. These two people regained Besseges by foot. At this point in time Mrs. Julien pointed out to her son a sort of rocket going downward, of yellow and red color with a white circle in the bottom.

During this time, the travellers in the bus which hasted towards Gagnières saw, at the same hour, a red light in the sky.

These various statements correspond to those of Mr. and Mrs. Roche. We made a point of reporting this back with objectivity.

A written question to the Minister for the Air in connection with the "flying saucers"

Paris (A.F.P.).

In a written question, Mr. Jean Nocher, deputy of the Loire, shared with the Secretary of State to the Air the emotion caused in the public by the many and various testimonys concerning the "flying saucers."

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

"If yes, he asks him the publishable results of these investigations, if not, he asks him to constitute a largely wide commission with all the interested scientific branches in order to study this phenomenon objectively by separating the truth from the mistales and the possible hoaxes."

Saucer with crutches, musical top
and flying can

in Seine-et-Marne, in the Nord
and in England

We did not yet see a flying saucer land on Orly airfield. It is a very sad. But one of them, if we believe two roadmasters, landed in a field not far from the airfield of Quinay-Voisins [sic], near Melun.

- The object, they said, was oval in shape and was about three meters in diameter by 2 m. 50 high. At the top there was a sort of translucent dome. The whole craft shone like aluminum...

It was in broad daylight. The saucer was 200 meters away. The two men, MM. Bernard Goujon and Bernard Pichet, wanted to approach.

- At 150 meters, says Mr. Goujon, I felt tingling as if I had touched an electric current; it was not painful, but I felt like I was paralyzed and my eyesight was blurred slightly. After a moment, the saucer rose slowly and silently to thirty meters from the ground, stopped for a few seconds, then disappeared very quickly.

Traces were found in the field at the location of the saucer; they are about ten centimeters deep and the dimensions of a human foot...

A carpenter from the Cambrésis saw in the sky a "musical spinning top", of coral pink color, two cyclists from Montceau-les-Mines witnessed the take-off of a "dark yellow cigar" and an Englishwoman from Halifax said that she had seen "flying yellow-tailed beer cans..." In Perth, Scotland, two women claim to have seen flying "snails" and, in Jordan, a flying cigar with strong light resembling neon lighting would have crossed the sky. Finally, one of our readers, Mr. Lucien Bordet, assures us that Thursday at 7:30 p.m., a "sphere" descended from the sky to land near him on the Bagatelle sports ground. There came out three gnomes, one of which was "a woman with six breasts". They danced a ballet around him...

The daily chronicle
of the "saucers"

Melun, October 2. -- Several road menders from the Ponts-et-Chaussées who worked in the rain along the Coulommiers-Meaux road, not far from the Quincy - Voisins airfield, said they saw a flying saucer.

One of them, Mr. Bernard Goujon, 30, claimed to have seen in a field, to the left of the road, about 200 meters from him, at the foot of a groupe of poplar tree, a strange craft of oval shape, measuring about 3 meters in diameter, and a height of 2.50 m. It was, he said, posed on the ground with three rather high crutches. Its upper part had a small transparent dome that appeared to be made of plastic. The whole thing was made of a shiny metal like aluminum.

Mr. Goujon said that he wanted to approach the craft, but that when he arrived about 150 meters of it, he was tingled as if an invisible electric beam was aimed at him.

"I felt," he said, paralyzed, and my eyesight blurred slightly. I then saw the saucer rise very slowly silently, like a "dead leaf", until 25 meters above the ground. It stopped for a moment and then, still without noise and without any luminous trail, disappeared at high speed."

Traces of about 10 centimeters deep were found on the ground.

XXX

Quillant, October 2. -- Yesterday afternoon, Mr. Saboureau, lemonade maker in Bélesta (Arière), saw a brilliant ball in the sky.

The object, which moved relatively slowly and silently, was followed, he said, by a trail of gray smoke.

XXX

Montceau-les-Mines, Oct. 2 -- Two mason workers, Mssrs. Romain Sebastiani and Buratto, both cyclists at the Union Vélocipédiste de Roanne, said they saw a craft taking off along the road from Blanzy to Montceau with a shrill whistling sound. The craft was, they said, shaped like a very dark yellow cigar, three meters long and about 60 to 50 centimeters in diameter.

XXX

Brest, October 2. -- Mr. Arsène Stephan, deputy commander of a freighter calling in at Brest, said that during the night of September 23 to 24, while the boat was in the Bay of Biscay, at 44 degrees 48 North and 4 degrees 50 he had seen a star four times larger than the others. Two of his sailors who were at his side were the same observation. Using binoculars, they noticed that it was a moving disc on which green reflections appeared at times.

Last Thursday, at nightfall, a sailor who was at the helm of the Tanker "Port-Lyautey", saw, less than 500 meters from him, a saucer-shaped object, red in color, touching the surface of the water, then quickly ascending vertically and disappearing, leaving a red flame.

XXX

Caudry, October 2. -- Three workers from St-Hilaire-les-Cambrai said they saw this morning, at 6 a.m., a strange luminous craft which trailed after it a white glow comparable to that of a blowtorch.

After the saucers and cigars

Here is the "flying mushroom"
but impossible to approach it

Bernard Goujon, roadmender of the Ponts et Chaussées at Coulommiers, and his work companion, Armand Pichet, will now believe in "flying saucers" or at least in "flying mushrooms". Here is why:

"Thursday evening, said Goujon, we were picking, Pichet and I, on the road from Maisoncelles, to Meaux, near the Quincy-Voisins airfield, when, around 5 p.m., 500 meters from us, here we see a kind of huge mushroom shining like aluminum."

Bernard Goujon is a strong fellow, 30 years old, colorful, certainly not too inclined to hallucinations and who is not afraid of anything. While his comrade is hiding in a ditch, he rushes across fields towards the apparatus:

"As I went on, he explained, I could see it more clearly: it looked like a big mushroom three meters in diameter, resting on three crutches. On the upper part was a cabin in which three portholes were fitted out."

Still running, Goujon arrives about 150 meters from the craft and that's when the "thing" happened:

"Suddenly," he said, "I felt completely stopped in spite of myself. I felt electric tingles all over my body, my eyesight blurred and... I experienced the prettiest fear of my life."

Thirty or forty seconds passed, then the craft rose slowly, turned on itself and disappeared at full speed without noise, flames or smoke.

Goujon's story was confirmed not only by his comrade Pichet, but also by many cyclists who passed on the road and who, too, observed the extraordinary apparatus.

A flying cigar
landed in Blanzy

Yesterday, around 1 p.m., MM. Burato and Bastiani, Blanzy residents, aged 20, saw, 100 meters from the road where they were traveling, a shell-shaped object, brown in color, posed in plowed land. The craft emitted a fairly soft hissing sound. This is what caught their attention.

Suffocated by this apparition, they nonetheless dismounted to get a closer look, but the craft suddenly rose vertically and disappeared at breakneck speed.

"It was not an optical illusion," said MM. Burato and de Bastiani, who are perfectly balanced young people, excellent cyclists well known in Burgundy, moreover.

A saucer close

to Avesnes-lez-Aubert

Two residents of Avesnes-lez-Aubert, both driving in their cars, saw in the night, a glow some 40 or 50 meters in the fields, at the place called "Le Champ des Alouettes", on the road from Saint-Hilaire, to Avesnes-lez-Aubert.

They are certain that they did not dream. They are not jokers and, moreover, they are considered to be perfectly balanced.

A written question
to the Ministry of Air

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

He asked him "if his predecessors at the Secretary of State for Air had been concerned, as in the United States and the USSR 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 these investigations. If not, he asks him to set up a commission widely extended to all the concerned scientific branches, in order to objectively study this phenomenon by revealing the truth from the errors or possible mystifications."

A "SAUCER" WOULD HAVE PLACED
NEAR THE AVIATION GROUND
OF QUINCY-VOISINS (Seine-et-Marne)

Several road mender from the Ponts et Chaussées, who worked along the Coulommiers-Meaux road, not far from the Quincy airfield, saw a flying saucer.

One of them, Mr. Bernard Goujon, 30, claimed to have seen in a field, about 200 m. from him, at the foot of a group of poplar trees, a strange oval-shaped craft, measuring about 3 meters in diameter, and 2.50 m. high. "It was, he said, posed on the ground with the help of three rather high crutches. Its upper part had a small translucent dome which seemed to be made of plastic. The whole craft was made of metal, shiny 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 darted on him. "I felt paralyzed, and my eyesight was slightly blurred. I then saw the saucer rise very slowly, silently, like a 'dead leaf', up to 25 meters above the ground. It stopped for a moment then, still silently and without any luminous trail, disappeared at a brisk pace."

Traces about 10 centimeters deep were noted on the ground.

A "cigar" takes off in the Saône-et-Loire

Two masonry workers, MM. R. Sébastiani, and Buratto, both cyclists, at the Cycling Union of Roanne, declared having seen, on the edge of the road from Blanzy to Montceau, a craft taking off with a strident whistling sound. The craft was, they said, shaped like a very dark yellow cigar, three meters long and about 60 to 80 centimeters in diameter.

Mr. Arsène Stephan, second in command of a cargo ship that called at Brest, said that, during the night of September 23 to 24, while the boat was in the Bay of Biscay, at 44° 48 North and 4° 30, he had seen a star four times larger than the others.

Two of his sailors, who were at his side, also made the same observation. Using binoculars, they noticed that it was a moving disc, on which appeared, at times, green reflections.

At nightfall, a sailor who was at the helm of the tanker Port-Lyautey, saw, less than 500 meters from him, a saucer-shaped craft of red color touching the surface of the water, then quickly rise vertically and disappear, leaving a red flame.

Flying saucers (continued)

"A roadmender sees a strange apparatus posed on the ground, with assistance of crutches! But when he approached of the craft, he is paralysed by an invisible ray."

Melun, October 2.

Several roadmenders of the Bridges and Road who worked under the rain at the edge of the Coulommiers-Meaux road, not far from the Quincy-Voisin airfield, stated they saw a flying saucer.

One of them, Mr. Bernard Goujon, 30 year-old, claimed to have seen in a field, on the left of the road, at approximately 200 meters of him, at the foot of a group of poplars, a strange apparatus of oval form, measuring approximately three meters in diameter and of a height of 2,50m. "It was, he said, posed on the ground with the assistance of three rather high crutches. Its higher part comprised a small translucent cupola that seemed made of plastic. The whole of the craft was of a metal shining like aluminum."

Mr. Goujon told that he had wanted to approach the craft but when he arrived at approximately 150 meters, he felt tickling as if "an invisible electric ray" were aimed at him.

"I felt, he said, paralysed, and my sight was slightly scrambled. I then saw the saucer rise very slowly, without noise, in the manner of a falling leaf up to 25 meters of the ground. It was motionless one moment, then, still without noise nor any luminous trail, it disappeared at sharp pace."

On the ground, traces of approximately 10 cm depth were found.

A shining ball.

Quillant. -- Yesterday afternoon, Mr. Saboureau, bar owner in Belestre (the Ariège), saw in the sky, a brilliant ball. The craft machine which moved rather slowly and without noise, was followed, he said, of a trail of gray smoke.

A strong whistling sound.

Montceau-les-Mines. -- Two bricklayers, Misters Romain Sebastiani and Buratte, both cyclists racing with the velocipedic union of Roanne, stated to have seen at the edge of the road of Blanzy, in Montceau, a machine taking off with a strong whistling sound. The craft, they said, was cigar-shaped, of very dark yellow color, of three meters in length and a diameter of approximately 60 to 85 cm.

Sailors report their sightings.

Brest. -- Mr. Arsène Stephan, second in command of a cargo ship which made a stopover in Brest, declared that during the night from September 23 to 24, whereas the boat was in the Bay of Biscay, at 44° 48' north and 4°50', he had seen a star four times larger than the others. Two of its sailors, who were at his sides also made the same observation. With the binocular, they noted that it was an object in which the green reflections appeared at times.

Last Thursday, at dayfall, a sailor who was conducting the tanker "Port Lyautey" saw, within less than 500 meters of him, a craft in the shape of a saucer and red in color skim the surface of water, to then go up fast and vertically, and to disappear while leaving a red flame.

An aerial blowtorch.

Caudry. -- Three workmen of St Hilaire les Cambrai claimed to have seen, this morning at 6, a strange luminous machine which trailed in its continuation a white gleam comparable with that of a blowtorch.

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.

THE "SAUCERS" LEFT TRACES NEAR MEAUX

MELUN. -- Several roadmakers of the Bridges and Roads who worked in the rain along the Coulommiers-Meaux road, not far from the Quincy-Voisins airfield, said they had seen a flying saucer. One of them, Mr. Bernard Goujon, 30, said he saw in a field, to the left of the road, about 200 meters from him, at the foot of a poplar bush, a strange oval-shaped apparatus, measuring about three meters in diameter and a height of 2 m. 50. He was, he said, placed on the ground with three high crutches. Its upper part consisted of a small translucent dome, apparently made of plastic material. The whole thing was a shiny metal like aluminum.

Mr. Goujon said that he wanted to approach the machine, but arrived at about 150 meters, he was seized by tingling as if an invisible electric beam was darted at him. I felt, he said, paralyzed, and my vision blurred slightly.

I then saw the saucer rise very slowly, noiselessly like a "dead leaf", up to 25 meters from the ground. It froze for a moment, then still without noise and without any luminous trail, it disappeared at a brisk pace. On the ground, traces of about 10 centimeters have been found.

CAUDRY. -- Three workers of Saint-Hilaire-les-Cambrais said they saw, Saturday morning, at 6 o'clock, a strange luminous machine which dragged after it a white glow comparable to that of a blowtorch.

MONTCEAU-LES-MINES. -- Two mason workers, MM. Romain Sebastiani and Buratto, both cyclists at the Roanne Vélocipédique Union, said that they saw a machine taking off along the road from Blanzy to Montceau with a shrill whistling sound.

The apparatus had, they said, the shape of a very dark yellow cigar, of a length of three meters and a diameter of about 60 to 80 centimeters.

Saucers on the sea

BREST. -- Mr. Arsène Stéphan, second in command of a freighter ship who stopped over at Brest, said that during the night of September 23 to 24, while the boat was in the Bay of Biscay, he had seen a star four times larger than the others.

(See more on page 5)

Flying saucers...

(Continued from the first page)

Two of his sailors who were at his side also made the same observation. With the binoculars, they noticed that it was a disc in movement on which green reflections sometimes appeared.

Last Thursday, at dusk, a sailor who was at the helm of the tanker "Port-Lyautey" saw, within 500 meters of him, a saucer-shaped craft and of red color graze the surface of the water, then go up quickly vertically and disappear leaving a red flame.

"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."

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.

WHEN ARRIVED AT 150 METERS OF THE SAUCERS, I FELT PARALYZED AND MY SIGHT WAS DISTURBED
States a road worker of Seine-et-Marne.

Several roadmenders of the Highways Departments which worked under the rain on the road from Coulommiers to Meaux, not far from the airfield of Quincy-Voisin, stated to have seen a flying saucer. One of them, Mr. Bernard Goujon, 30 years old, claimed to have seen a strange apparatus of oval shaped, measuring approximately 3 meters in diameter, and 2,50 meters height, in a field on the left of the road, at approximately 200 meters of him, at the bottom of a small wood of poplars. He said it was landed on the ground on three rather high crutches. Its higher part comprised a small translucent cupola that seemed made of plastic. The entire machine was of a metal shining like aluminium. Mr. Goujon told that he had wanted to approach the craft, but when he came at approximately 150 meters of it he felt irritations as if an invisible electric ray had been darted on him. I felt as if paralyzed, he said, and my sight was slightly scrambled. I then saw the saucer rise very slowly, without noise, in the same manner than a falling leaf to 25 meters off the ground. It stayed there one moment then, still without noise and without any luminous trail, then it disappeared at high speed. Traces deep of approximately 10 centimetres were found on the ground.

AND NOW, FLYING SNAILS

Two ladies of Perth (Scotland) which, before telling their adventure, swore to have taken only tea, saw two of these phenomena travelling in the sky. They had, the stated, a round shape followed by a tail and irrisistibly evoked snails, but snails which would have been in an extreme hurry... Not wanting undoubtedly to be beaten in the field of the topicality, Mrs. Coolen from Halifax claims on her side to have seen strange object flying in the sky, in the shape of beer quill, with yellow tails. These bottles flew ten times faster than the fastest plane, if one believes this witness.

ROUTINE APPEARANCES

Let us announce for the record, these being of disgusting banality, a flying cigar equipped with powerful lights resembling neon lights, above Jordan, and also six red saucers, from where a bright light emanated, which flew over the chain of Karawankeuen, in Carinthia.

The round of mysterious craft
continues in the sky of France

Mr. André Lefèbre, taxi driver, who was parked at the port, saw an incandescent disc rising in the sky leaving behind a phosphorescent trail and a light smoke. This phenomenon, which was visible for ten minutes, was also witnessed by several sailors returning to their boats.

- Mr. and Mrs. Tessier, from St-Etienne, who were camping in Aurec-sur-Loire, saw in the sky a luminous object giving the impression of a big headlight which was moving at high speed at about 2,000 meters altitude. The craft emitted an orange-red light beam and followed a North-South trajectory.

At about the same time, several people saw, above the Aurec steeple, similar craft which, after having stopped for a moment, crossed the sky at high speed towards the Southwest.

- A Lyon resident claimed to have observed with a binocular, above the hill of Saint-Foy, at the South of the Fourrière basilica, a bright orange-red disc.

This was followed by other shiny, smaller discs. The phenomenon had lasted about 2 minutes.

- Saucers, cigars, discs, balls and other "flying" objects have been seen in Chancelade (Haute-Vienne), Willer (Haut-Rhin), Gouesnach, near Quimper, Bautignecourt, Ambarac (Haute-Vienne), Dijon, Marcoing near Cambrai, Pommier (Indre), Rouen, Ajaccio, La Rochelle, Quimper, Cholet et Vannes.

The "flying
saucer"
of Maisoncelles was
- the fruit -
of the imagination
of a road mender

Melun, 4. -- Roadmenders who worked on the side of the Coulommiers - Meaux road, said they had seen, several days ago, not far from the Voisins aerodrome, commune of Maisoncelles, a saucer resting on three crutches.

One of them, Mr. Goujon, had even claimed that 150 meters from the craft, he had been paralyzed by an electric beam, while the saucer rose in the sky to disappear. The road mender, who had provided the journalists with all the details, had also shown various witnesses the traces left by the crutches of the saucer.

The gendarmerie of Coulommiers decided to question the witnesses.

Several immediately retracted, stating that they had poor eyesight, that they were not very sure what they saw, or even that they had seen nothing at all. But the main party, Mr. Goujon, remained very firm in his statements.

So the gendarmes took him there, in the presence of several Parisian scientific personalities. The holes left by the saucer were photographed: they had been dug by the hand of the roadmender, whose prints had been kept.

The roadmender admitted that he had fabricated his strange story. He was brought before the Coulommier examining magistrate.

The dance of the flying saucers continues

Two pranksters will be prosecuted

Saucers, cigars, barrels, discs, pots, crescents and other objects continue their dance in the sky.

It even seems that for a few hours, this luminous carrousel intensified, unless the French, worried about the extent taken for some time in their newspaper by "the saucers chronicle" began to scrutinize feverishly the sky in order to finally see one of the mysterious machines one talks about so much.

Here is a new list of the latest public events of the "Uranids" and their extraordinary nacelles.

LE HAVRE. -- Mr. André Lefèbre, cab driver, who was stationed Monday evening, around 8 p.m., on the harbor, saw an incandescent disk which, west of Deauville, rose in the sky, leaving behind a phosphorescent trail and a slight smoke. This phenomenon, which was visible for ten minutes, was also witnessed by several sailors returning to their boat.

LYON. -- A Lyon journalist claimed to have observed with a binocular, above the St Foy hill, south of the Fourvière basilica, an orange red light disc.

This was followed by other shiny, smaller discs. The phenomenon lasted about 20 minutes.

NANCY. -- Thirty people claimed to have seen a luminous disc of green color descending on the village of Benestroff between Vergaville and Kerprich (Moselle) on Sunday evening.

(Read more on page 5)

The dance of the flying saucers

(Continued from page 1)

Several witnesses drove by motorcycle to the alleged landing site of the craft, but when they arrived, the craft had resumed altitude and disappeared.

A few hours later, a disc of the same color was observed over the same region. A circular craft had been seen the day before at the same hour.

Saucers, cigars, discs, balls and other "flying" objects were seen at Chancelade (Haute-Vienne), Willer (Haut-Rhin), Gouesnach, near Quimper, Beutignecourt, Ambazac (Haute-Vienne), Dijon, Marcoing near Cambrais, Pommier (Indre), Rouen, Ajaccio, la Rochelle, Quimper, Cholet and Vannes.

LE PUY. -- Mr. and Mrs. Teyssier, of Saint-Etienne, who camped at Aurec-sur-Loire (Haute-Loire), saw in the sky a luminous object giving the impression of a large headlight which moved at a rapid pace at about 2000 meters of altitude.

The craft emitted an orange-red light beam and followed a north-south trajectory. When it had disappeared, a second craft similar to the first and seeming to follow it appeared, followed the same direction and also disappeared.

At about the same time, several people saw similar apparatuses flying over the Aurec steeple which, after stopping for a moment, crossed the sky at a brisk pace towards the southwest.

ANGOULEME. -- Sunday evening, around 11:15 p.m., on the road to Montmoreau - Villebois - Lavalette (Charente), Mr. Jean Allary, 22, saw very clearly, in the light of his moped headlight, a kind of barrel about 1 m 80 high, studded with golden nails, which swayed on the edge of the road.

When Mr. Allary had passed the mysterious craft, he looked back, at a distance of about 10 meters, but saw nothing.

Witnesses saw Monday afternoon at the exact spot indicated by Mr. Allary, traces of about seven meters in length in the grass that borders the road.

LYON. -- Several people reported seeing a kind of large luminous ball in the Epinac-les-Mines (Saône-et-Loire) region moving in a weird way in the sky.

A similar phenomenon has been observed in the Ain and in the north of the Rhône department, at the Col des Echarmaux, as well as in the Isère, near Morestel.

Should the witnesses who reported all these things be held to be sincere? It is hard to say. But in general, let us welcome their statements with a lot of reservations. Many mystifications have already been discovered, mystifications that will also cause some trouble to their authors. One does not joke with the saucers with impunity.

He made saucers

LILLE. -- A retired miner from Beuvry-les-Bethune, known in his community as a joker, did not miss the opportunity offered to him by flying saucers, for to have fun at the expense of people in nearby communities.

Inspired by the hot-air balloon system, the happy retiree made craft that was three meters in diameter. The envelope was made up of sheets of gray paper that had been carefully glued. At the base of the "saucer" was a small receptacle in which rested a tuft if rags soaked in a flammable liquid. It was enough then to ignite the tow to see the craft rise and disappear with the winds, surrounded by yellowish and orange reflections.

It was the discovery near a straw stack to which one of these machines had almost set fire, that the gendarmes were brought to suspect the retiree. One also found many models of "flying saucers" prototypes that their inventor was preparing to launch in the northern sky.

The hoaxer claimed that he had already built and launched more than a thousand of these machines. The ex-miner will probably be sentenced to a fine for dangerous amusement.

The Uranids had left too human traces

Melun. -- Roadmenders who worked along the Coulommiers-Meaux road, said they had noticed, several days ago, around 5 p.m., in a field not far from the aerodrome of Voisins, Maisoncelles commune, a flying saucer resting on three crutches.

One of them, Mr. Goujon, even said that 150 meters from the machine, he had been paralyzed by an electric beam while the saucer rose slowly in the sky to disappear. The roadmender, who had provided the journalists with all the details, had also shown to various witnesses the traces left by the crutches of the saucer.

The Coulommiers gendarmerie decided to question the witnesses. Many retreated immediately stating that they had bad eyesight, that they were not very sure of what they had seen, or even that they had not seen anything at all. But the principal concerned, Mr. Goujon, remained very firm in his statements.

So the gendarmes took him there, in the presence of several Parisian scientific personalities. The holes left by the saucer were photographed; they had been dug out by the hand of the roadmender, whose fingerprints the earth had kept.

The roadmender admitted to having made up this strange story from scratch. He was brought before the judge of Coulommiers.

DAILY SAUCERS
In the Nord, a mystifier built machines with yellowish and orange reflections!

A retired miner, of Beuvry-les-Béthune, known in his commune as a prankster, did not miss the occasion offered to him by the mystery of the flying saucers, to have fun on the residents of the nearby localities...

Inspired by the system of the Montgolfier, the restired chap manufactured machines which reached three meters in diameter. The envelope was made of strong gray paper sheets, carefully stuck. At the "saucer's" base was a small receptacle in which a tuft of packing soaked with a flammable liquid rested. It was then enough to ignite the packing to make the machine to rise and disappear at the liking of the winds, surrounded by yellowish and orange reflections. It is after the discovery, close to a haystack in which one of these machines had nearly set fire, that the gendarmes were brought to suspect the pensioner. One was to discover besides at his place many "flying saucers" models, prototypes which their inventor was preparing to launch in the sky of the Nord. The mystifier claimed that he already had built and launched more than one thousand of these machines. The ex-miner will undoubtedly be condemned to infringments for dangerous recreations.

THE FLYING SAUCER OF MAISONCELLES WAS THE RESULT OF THE IMAGINATION OF A ROADMENDER

Roadmenders who worked at the edge of the road of Coulommiers-Meaux, had stated to have seen, several days ago, in a field, community of Maisoncelles, a flying saucer resting on three crutches. One of them, Mr. Goujon, had even claimed that within 150 meters of the machine, he had been paralysed by an electric ray. The Gendarmerie of Coulommiers decided to question the witnesses. Several retracted immediately by declaring that they had a bad sight, that they were not sure of what they had seen, or that they saw nothing at all. The principal interested, Mr. Goujon remained very firm in his statements. So the Gendarmes took him along on the location, in the presence of some scientific personalities, on the other hand one photographed the holes left by the machine.

ON BOARD FLYING SAUCERS, GEOGRAPHERS OF ANOTHER WORLD DRAW UP THE MAP OF THE EARTH!

In the worldwide controversy on the flying saucers, a man comes to take a categorical position, which will not fail to cause many comments. Mr. Duncan Fletcher, vice-president of the astronomical association of Kenya, and a known astronomer, claims that "on board flying saucers, visitors from another world observe the earth and probably draw up the geographical map of it! For Doctor Flecher, innumerable reasons militate in favor of the existence of many planets able to harbour life. This life probably differs in a very considerable way of life as we know on Earth. Are the beings visiting the earth large or small, do they have blood in the veins, do they even have veins? Many questions which will have a response only to the moment when these beings decide to contact the humans. The most encouraging fact of the affair, added the Nairobi scientist, is that the unidentified flying objects do not appear to be piloted by beings having hostile intentions with regard to the inhabitants of our planet...

'Flying Cigar' Reported Seen

Le Mans, France, Oct. 9. (Reuters) -- A 'flying cigar' which can stop cars and put out their lights was reported today by Alexandre Tremblais, a milkman.

Tremblais said he was driving his milk truck along a road when suddenly the engine stopped and the headlights went out. He got out and saw a shining red and blue "cigar" about three feet long speed over his vehicle.

A few minutes later his engine started and the lights worked again.

Meanwhile a "flying saucer" reported to have crashed near Abbeville turned out to be a meteorological balloon used by the British Royal Air Force. It had burst on touching the ground.

Other reports of strange objects seen in the sky all over France included a "flying illuminated mushroom," a bright smoking orange disc and a gray machine making a loud whistling noise.

news across France

According to the account of some people who have seen flying saucers and Martians, the latter do not measure more than 1 m to 1.20 m., wear a helmet and do not speak French.

In the Dordogne, a farmer claims to have been accosted by two passengers in a flying "tureen". This time, both men were perfectly normal.

Flying saucers continue to fly over the skies of France. Near Le Mans, at Châteauroux and at Quimper, these luminous apparatuses were seen.

But The More Paris Changes...

"Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose."

By HENRI DE TURENNE
Special correspondent of The Sun

Paris, Oct. 16 -- The skies of France are as crowded with flying saucers this fall as Times Square is with people on New Year's Eve.

Squadrons of saucers, plates and soup tureens - in fact, practically the whole crockery family - are zooming through the atmosphere and occasionally landing in a friendly manner near schoolchildren, railway workers, farmers or even sailors at sea.

For many years the French knowledge of these foreign elements was only from scattered reports of far-off countries where they had been seen. At long last, this unhappy situation has been corrected and for the past months, all French newspapers have opened special daily columns to dozen of French citizens who give detailed accounts of their strange encounters with people from another planet.

Recognize Paris?

While the whole world is still wondering about the mystery of the flying saucers, the French have solved the problem.

In their minds there is no question that this foreign craft is coming from Mars and, judging by the newspapers, you have to be almost unsociable nowadays to miss running into one of these Martian gentlemen here while taking an afternoon stroll.

In other countries, everyone has talked about vague luminous balls circling through the skies, but in France more is known about them because they come down (preferably on railroads) and hang around for a while, letting you have a good look.

It is probably that in going over France and recognizing Paris from far away, Martian pilots cannot resist landing to get a close view of the Eiffel tower and the French girls. At least this is the way the French like to interpret it.

Shiny Object Lands

In this vein, the most detailed reports about flying saucers and their occupants are originating here. For instance, Bernard Goujon who lives in Coulommiers, a western suburb of Paris, to take one of the testimony out of thousands gathered by the gendarmes - did not believe in their existence until a few days ago. He is a 30-year-old highway engineer in good health and apparently normal without any unusual complexes. Last Thursday, while on the road with a co-worker, Armand Picket, a shiny object landed in a field half a mile from them.

Goujon gave the following account of this exciting experience:

"I told Picket 'This looks to me like a flying saucer.' He was so frightened that he jumped into a ditch to hide. 'You can go over there if you want,' he said, 'but I'm staying here.'

"Like Big Mushroom"

"I ran toward the saucer that looked as if it were made of aluminum and about 25 feet wide. Resting on a sort of tripod, it looked like a big mushroom. On top was a cockpit with three round windows. As I got about 100 yards from it, something stopped me. I couldn't move forward or backward, and I had a strange tingling sensation throughout my body as if I had received an electric shock.

"I was stuck to the spot some 30 or 40 seconds while the ship went up, started circling on itself and suddenly took off like lightning through the clouds."

Poor Goujon probably had to deal with some shy Martians. Many other Frenchmen were more lucky than he. According to them, the Martian is not very attractive, averages 5 feet in height, has a very thick, bearlike beard all over his face, wears a pointed glass helmet and does not speak any of our languages.

Like Caricatures

All in all, he looks pretty much like the caricature of him made by cartoonists all over the world. Three children in the village of Moselle (noted for its wine), in eastern France, have even seen one dressed like a priest - with a hairy face too. He talked to them, but they could not understand him.

To add support to their stories, French newspapers recalled that - according to American sources - one of these travelers has been captured in the United States. He is kept in an incubator at the Pentagon, where intelligence officers are trying to teach him basic english. "But is not easy," they claim.

In general, the French public accept the flying saucer with light irony - like other things. However, police and national scientists had started the difficult job of veryfying the hundreds of testimonies that have poured in from all over France in an attempt to separate pure fantasy or hallucination from objective facts.

Keep An Open Mind

Their position is that in the interest of science, one must keep an open mind on such matters - such is the official attitude.

This is especially true since the French have noticed that as soon as flying saucers begin appearing over French skies, the Russian press published a multitude of articles on soviet progress in building space ships designed to go the moon "in a relatively near future." Is it pure coincidence?

Collective hallucinations are one thing - the public and the press may have fun with them - but politics and science are another - and governments have to keep their eyes open.

In France, Rumors Are Flying...
Or Maybe They Are Saucers

PARIS. -- Readers of the classical ad columns of the Brest Telegramme blinked recently at the following notice:

REWARD

Offer of 10 million francs (1000000) to any one who brings me a live inhabitant of planet Mars. Contact PRE in LOCRONAN (Finistère).

It may that that Mr. Pre has his tongue in his cheek and a good more than 10 million francs in his pockets. But considering what is going on in Europe these says you never know...

Cedric Allingham, if his interest has been more mercenary than scientific, might have warmed up. Mr Allingham is a [unreadable]. He is also a professional ornithologist and an amateur astronomer. His big chance came last February 18, about 3:30 p.m. on his course of a stroll between [... unreadable]

[(Allingham claimed to have met Venusians...] chances of earning Mr. Pre's reward, he has no corner on the Martian market. Within recent weeks, European newspapers have been flooded with scores of hardly less intriguing reports:

On the night of September 10, near Quarouble in Northern France, an oblong machine about 10 feet long landed on a railroad track a few yards from the house of farmer Marius Dewilde. Two small man-like creatures emerged, dressed in costumes that looked like divers' suits. As Mr. Dewilde walked towards the machine, he was paralyzed by a green light. By the time he recovered, the machine was high in the sky. Further investigations showed symmetrical scrapes on the wooden railroad ties, suggesting that the object had rested on a tripod undercarriage.

The same evening a farmer named Antoine Mazaud of the Plateau of Millevache in Southern France turned in a similar report to the local authorities. Walking home, Mr. Mazaud had found himself suddenly face to face with a small, mysterious stranger, wearing something that looked like a crash helmet. Farmer Mazaud prudently extended his pitchfork. The stranger, on the contrary, held out his hands in a gesture of friendship, walked up, uttered a few sounds, and kissed Mr. Mazaud on the cheek. Before the farmer could recover his poise, the amiable intruder has climbed the roadside hedge and entered a cigar-shaped contraption which took off with a faint buzzing sound.

On September 24 at 10 a.m. in the Gardunha Mountains near the Spanish border, three Portuguese peasants were stratled by a fast flying sphere which landed in a field 200 yards from them. This time, two tall creatures emerged in shiny metallic outfits and started collecting grass and stones in a brightly polished box. Spotting the peasants, they strolled over and invited the men by gestures to climb into their machines, where moving shadows could be seen behind the semitransparent center section. when the offer was declined, the strangers disappeared through a hatch. A few seconds later, the sphere took off vertically and rapidly disappeared. [In Portugal, a hoax, case file here.]

"Flying Mushroom"

On September 30 at 5:10 p.m. Bernard Goujon and Armand Pichet were working on the road between Maisoncelles and Meaux when a "flying mushroom" eight feet wide settled gracefully nearby. Mr. Pichet, from a vantage point in the roadside ditch, urged Mr. Goujon to "run over and have a look." According to Mr. Goujon's report to the gendarmes, the mushroom seemed to be made out of aluminum and rested on three crutches. It took off as he approached "spiraling like an autumn leaf" and was lost in the clouds. Next morning the

authorities duly noted three deep imprints in the ground.

On October 5 at 7:16 a.m. another roadworker named Gustave Narcy was bicycling to work near Wassy near Paris when he noticed an unusual looking creature climbing out of a 30-foot cigar. Mr. Narcy's description was very precise. The stranger was 3 feet 11 inches tall. His body was covered with hair. He was wearing a large orange corset and a helmet made of plush. A moment of mutual staring ensued after which Mr. Narcy said good-morning. The stranger, apparently unreassured, scrambled back into his fuselage and flew away. An investigation of the spot revealed skid-marks on the grass and a strange milky substance.

Reports like these are run-of-the mill, chosen at random from literraly hundreds of similar incidents that have been brought to public attention within the last few weeks. The stories have an interesting mixture of variety consistency. The flying whatnots are always luminous by day or night. They are described as saucers, mushrooms, cigars, barrels, spheres and chamber pots. The pilots vary in size as well as wardrobe, ranging in size from dwarfs to giants. In all cases, the visitors have been pictured as mannerly but timid. In several cases the use of harmless weapons has been reported - in several others the intruders have shown an interest in collecting vegetable and mineral specimens near at hand.

The scientists have come up with plenty of explanations. A report from Russia that the past summer has been unusually hot on Mars has led to the journalist deduction that the Martians are coming over for a breath of fresh air. The summer in Western Europe has been anything but hot. In Africa, the vice-president of the Astronomic Association of Nairobi suggests that Mars in conducting a geographic survey of the Earth, concentrated presently on Europe and Africa. Professor Herman Oberth, the German scientist who designed the V-2, has a theory that the unearthly visitors are really intelligent plants called "Uranides", millions of years more advanced than human beings. The politicians are also getting into the act: in France Jean Nocher, Gaullist deputy from the Loire District, has formally demanded an investigation by the Secretary for Air.

All of which, probably, proves very little. Except that people in Europe today have more serious things to worry about than rearming the Germans. And that if Mr. Pre of Locronan is daft, he has, at least, plenty of company.

On September 30 at 5:10 p.m. a flying mushroom, which seemed to be made from aluminum, left three deep inprints on the ground, apparently made by three crutches it had rested on. Bernard Goujon and Armand Pichet were working on the road between Maisoncelles and Meaux when the eight ft. contraption settled gracefully nearby. When they started to take a closer look at it, the mushroom took off, "spiralling like an autumn leaf." One of the men said as he got close to it he seemed to become paralyzed. "I felt like pricklings as though I were being electrocuted. My head swam and I had the coldest sweat of my life."

Case No. 11

FRENCHMEN CLAIM SEEING "FLYING SAUCERS" VERY NEAR

Melun, 2 (AFP) - For the first time, a "flying saucer" was seen on the ground in broad daylight near Coulommiers.

That at least is what emerges from the formal and categorical testimonies of several road workers who worked alongside the Coulommiers-Meaux road, not far from the airfield of Quincy-Voisins.

One of the roadmenders stated to have seen in a field a strange oval device mesuring about three meters in diameter and of a height of 2 meters 50. The craft, in the form of a "saucer" was placed on the ground with the help of three rather high crutches. It had at its top, according to witness statements, a small translucent dome seeming to be made of plastic. The whole of the craft was of a shiny metal that seemed quite light and evoked some aluminum.

Several others said they saw the craft. One of them, who wanted to approach "to get to the bottom of the story", was taken by tingling as if an invisible electric ray was darted at him and he had to stop within 150 meters of the "saucer" he saw rise slowly and silently.

The "saucer" left traces of crutches about 10 centimeters deep on the ground. All testimonies are formal and consistent, although witnesses were not able to clarify whether it was or not of an earthly vehicle.

09/30/1954 Coulommiers-Voisin (Seine et Marne)

A mushroom-shaped craft resting on three crutches placed in a triangle. (J. Giraud "Centre Matin" for 10/04/54)

The "Very Structured Saucers"

[... other cases...]

Nr 6. 09/30/1954 Coulommiers Voisin (Seine-et-Marne) 05:10 p.m.; diameter 3m.

09/30/1954 Coulommiers-Voisin (Seine et Marne)

Around 5:10 p.m., two road-menders, Mr. Goujon and Pichet saw in a field 500m away a sort of enormous mushroom shining like aluminum. This craft was about 3m in diameter and 1m high. On the upper part was a cabin with three portholes. The craft rested on three crutches arranged in a triangle. Mr. Goujon rushed towards the object, arrived at 150m, he experienced electric tingling, his sight was blurred and he was completely paralyzed. After 40 seconds, the craft rose slowly up to 20 or 25m and disappeared at lightning speed in the clouds. On the ground, the gendarmes found the prints left by the three crutches, they were 10cm deep. (J. Giraud; "Centre Matin" for 10/04/54)

This observation corresponds to the greatest recorded range of the stun "weapon" and one of the greatest intensities of paralysis. Not only was the witness unable to move, but his condition was accompanied by visual disturbances and electrical effects. Mr. Goujon was probably not paralyzed because he had entered a safe zone but because a paralyzing ray had been directed at him. His behavior could be interpreted as aggressive and the "occupants" of the "Flying Saucer" considered themselves in a state of self-defense.

3871: 1954/09/30 17:00 3 2:53:00 E 48:54:00 N 3333 WEU FRN S&M 7:7

QUINCY-VOISINS,FR:3M ALUM.MUSHROOM SCR/GND:3 PORTHOLES:2 OBS STOPPED/SHOCKS

Ref#197 WEINSTEIN, D: French Newsclips 1954 Page No. 39 : ROAD+RAILS

"Flying mushroom."

According to our source:

"On September 30 at 5:10 p.m. Bernard Goujon and Armand Pichet were working on the road between Maisoncelles and Meaux (in France) when a 'flying mushroom' eight feet wide settled gracefully nearby. Mr. Pichet, from a vantage point in the roadside ditch, urged Mr. Goujon to 'run over and have a look.' According to Mr. Goujon's report to the gendarmes, the mushroom seemed to be made out of aluminum and rested on three crutches. It took off as he approached 'spiraling like an autumn leaf and was lost in the clouds. Next morning the authorities duly noted three deep imprints in the ground." 160.

• 160. "Saucers." ed. Max B. Miller. Published by Flying Saucers International Los Angeles, California. Vol.11, No.4. December 1954. p6.

32 - Case of Maisoncelles-en-Brie, Seine-et-Marne.

Pages 116 and 117 are detailed this hoax without interest for the reader. B& B write, triumphant: "... And our interlocutors did not hide a mocking smile when we explained to them why, what was important to us, we wanted to talk to Mr. Goujon".

These smiles, if one can smile on the phone, no offense to our door openers, should rather be addressed to their naivety. Indeed, had they consulted L'Ardennais for October 6, 1954, page 5, they could have learned that the Gendarmerie had obtained the confessions of Mr. Goujon, who had made a joke to make his entourage.

2? October. 30 miles east of Paris, France. (no time)

According to our source, a sailor named Bernard Coujon viewed an object that landed near a road at a location about 30 miles from Paris. The thing came down about 150 yards away and he suffered from a 'prickly' sensation as the object stood still for a moment. After that, the object took off at high speed. No sound was heard and no trail was left behind it. Checking the site of the landing, holes four inches deep were found apparently from the landing gear. (xx.)

(xx.) Paris, October 2. (Reuters - AP)

! 1954/09/30 MAISONCELLES-en-BRIE, FR: Brilliant mushroom: HOAX per /r30 p656

Ten appearances of UFO in the French sky in 1954

[... Other cases ...]

9 - Quincy-Voisins (Seine-et-Marne)

On September 30, 1954 a group of roadmenders working on the road connecting Coulommiers to Meaux were witnesses of the landing of a flying saucer, approximately three meters in diameter, in a field, at the foot of a thicket of poplars. At the end of a few minutes it rose slowly in the sky, leaving on the ground the deep trace of the three crutches on which it rested.

[... Other cases ...]

More about this:
Le Dictionnaire de la France Insolite et Bizarre, Marc Lemonier, City Publishers, 2009