The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 3-Sep-54-Vouziers.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
In a 3 October 2004 article on the 1954 wave in the Ardennes region, the newspaper L'Union, from Reims, indicated that on September 3, 1954, in Vouziers, a couple distinguished a "half-sphere surrounded by a fluorescent circle moving vertically and horizontally."
I was able to find this contemporary source, more detailed than that, the newspaper L'Union of Reims from September 6, 1954, which reported that "Friday," therefore October 3, 1954, at 8:55 p.m., a resident of Vouziers, described as "trustworthy," had told the newspaper that he had seen a flying saucer in the sky over the town.
He was walking that evening with his wife along the Syrienne path, out in the open countryside. He had turned around and seen a red glow in the direction of Reims, vertically above the transformer.
He had very clearly distinguished "a half-sphere surrounded by a fluorescent circle moving vertically and horizontally." In its oblique position, the phenomenon "truly gave the impression of what is called a flying saucer."
His wife also saw it, as did a Republican Guard who, accompanied by a young woman, was walking along the same path.
The flying saucer "disappeared over the horizon" in the direction of Reims without emitting the slightest sound, but giving off reddish glows.
It reappeared a few moments later, moving across the sky at a very great speed and coming, this time, from the direction of Rethel. The mysterious craft disappeared a second time and then appeared again around 9:10 p.m. The witnesses then saw it moving at a dizzying speed, covering an enormous distance across the sky in just a few fractions of a second. The "flying saucer" finally vanished for good.
The newspaper added that residents of Chemin-Salé street had also seen red glows that evening.
[Ref. unn1:] NEWSPAPER "L'UNION":
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VOUZIERS. -- On Friday evening, a flying saucer was seen in the sky over Vouziers. This was reported to us by a trustworthy reader who was taking a walk that evening with his wife along the Syrienne path, out in the open countryside.
It was 8:55 p.m. This resident of Vouziers turned around and, in the direction of Reims, saw a red glow vertically above the transformer. He very clearly distinguished a half-sphere surrounded by a fluorescent circle moving both vertically and horizontally. In its oblique position, the phenomenon truly gave the impression of what is called a flying saucer.
The person in question was not the only one to see this surprising thing. His wife also saw it, as did a Republican Guard who, accompanied by a young woman, was walking along the same path.
The flying saucer disappeared over the horizon in the direction of Reims without emitting the slightest sound, but giving off reddish glows. It reappeared a few moments later, moving across the sky at a very great speed and coming, this time, from the direction of Rethel. The mysterious craft disappeared a second time and then appeared again around 9:10 p.m. The witnesses then saw it moving at a dizzying speed, covering an enormous distance across the sky in just a few fractions of a second. The flying saucer finally vanished for good.
Let us add that residents of the Chemin-Salé street also noticed red glows that evening.
[Ref. cnu1:] CNEGU - "LES MYSTERES DE L'EST":
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L'Ardennais for October 3, 2004
[.. other cases...]
On September 3 in Vouziers (08), a couple distinguishes a "half-sphere surrounded by a fluorescent circle moving vertically and horizontally."
[.. other cases...]
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Unexplained, but insufficient information.
Update as of March 13, 2026:
With the information from [unn1], the information is no longer insufficient, even if it is not complete. The events are described well enough to render obsolete, or at least doubtful, all so-called "ordinary" explanations such as meteors, airplanes, balloons, etc.
I therefore change my assessment to "unidentified."
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Vouziers, Ardennes, couple, sphere, luminous, circle, fluorescent, manoeuvers
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | June 16, 2019 | First published, [cnu1]. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | March 13, 2026 | Addition [unn1]. In the Summary, addition of the information from [unn1]. In the Explanations, addition of the "Update as of March 13, 2026" part. |
