The 1954 French flap:

Saucer, meteor, or anti-fog rocket?

After the passage of a flying saucer (?) over the St-Nicolas marsh, seen by two S.N.C.F. employees and whose report caused a stir at the time, the sky over Redon was recently again the scene of a luminous phenomenon.

Around 7:15 a.m., more than fifty workers from the Garnier factory, on their way to work and living in the Morbihan (Aneler, Rieux, St-Jean-la-Poterie), saw above them a glowing ball moving at high speed and emitting sparks.

At the same time, a driver from the C.G.E.A. bus, on his way to Muzillac, was surprised by the light spread abundantly along his route, wondering what kind of vehicle could produce headlights with such intensity. It was the famous phosphorescent object he saw for a few seconds.

The ball must have traveled across the sky of the Redon region for several minutes, as Messrs. Guyot and Jolivet, postmen in Bains-sur-Oust, saw it heading south; people from Laillé and Maure reported it moving from west to east; and Mr. Cavard, tobacconist on Grande-Rue in Redon, saw it head west.

Additionally, the phenomenon was also observed at around the same time in Sables-d'Olonne, Nantes, St Nazaire, La Baule, La Roche Bernard, Pontivy, and Brest.

To date, no one has been able to determine the nature of the object, except our colleague La Résistance de l'Ouest, who, appearing well-informed, writes:

"The flying saucers, streaking, blazing, or detonating, seen in the sky last Thursday would in reality be nothing more than a peaceful 'anti-fog' rocket currently being tested at a secret location, which we know is situated between St-Nazaire and Donges. This rocket, now in development, is expected to provide great service to navigation."

On Thursday November 4, numerous residents of Pontivy going to their work saw an atmospheric phenomenon in the sky. It was nearly 7 when they saw a dazzling light which lighted the space during a few seconds. Several people whom we questioned declared that it was a luminous ball projecting a white light like a flash. This phenomenon was also seen in the surrounding countryside.

November 4 [1954], 7 a.m., Le Sourn, Morbihan

(This case is more or less well corroborated by other sightings made that same morning in the region, some of which deserve a short quotation. J.S.)

Leaving their farm at 6:30 a.m., MM. Jacques Leclainche and Joseph Postic, farmers in Locmaria, were surprised to find that one was able to see as clearly as in daylight. They distinguished, at a low height, an oval craft, white and of great luminosity; which disappeared towards the south, as if rolling on itself.

It is apparently the same phenomenon that Mrs. Le Corre, from Kervern, witnessed, also at 6:30 a.m. Other witnesses, in Guériellec, in Kermer, in Kerlay and in Melrand, provided very similar testimonies.

At 7 a.m., the phenomenon was observed by several residents of Pontivy. Around the same time, a farmer from Kerhulu [a place near Le Sourn], who was driving his horse to the blacksmith, arriving near Kerserre [?], near of Le Sourn, was literally dazzled by two very bright lights, seeming to come from two headlights. The man and the animal remained for a moment frozen in place by fear. Almost immediately, a craft rose from the ground, gained height, and disappeared.

Dazzled by the light, the man could not make out many details. He estimates that the craft could measure between 5 and 7 m in length.

Later, when the day came, he returned to the scene to search for possible traces, but found none. It should be noted that at the time of his observation, a resident of the town noticed a luminous ball in the sky, so luminous "that one could have seen a pin on the ground."

source:

Les Nouvelles du Morbihan, Vannes, 11/14/54. p.4