The 1954 French flap:

NEW APPARITIONS
OF FLYING SAUCERS
In our region

A luminous globe in the sky of Brive

Brive (P.C.) - It might have been ten o'clock in the evening when, on Monday, Mr. Marcel Mazouaud, a painting contractor in Brive, saw from his window moving at a very high altitude and at high speed a mass of a blinding brightness.

He did not believe his eyes at first, but having taken the binoculars, he accepted the obvious, it was indeed a luminous globe and it could in no way be a shooting star, or a jet plane.

M. Mazouaud estimated at several kilometers the altitude at which this machine moved in a straight line without tracing any trajectory.

Mrs. Mazouaud, his wife, was able to attend this strange display, and the next morning a rumor spread in town, a resident of Brive had finally caught sight of something that looked like a flying saucer.

A "flying cigar" in the Corrèze

Tulle (C.P.). - On Monday, around 4 p.m., a brilliant object was moving in the Corrèze sky at a very high altitude and imagination helping, many witnesses identified it as a flying saucer; whereas it was actually only a jet airplane.

But two hours later another much more troubling phenomenon was observed above Forgèse [sic, Forgès], flying at a low altitude. A silent machine in the shape of a cigar moved slowly. Many people saw it and examined it at length, especially in the two villages of Chammard and Brugieux. Two witnesses told us that this curious machine seemed to have a propeller at the front.

At the end of a few minutes the flying cigar suddenly dove vertically and disappeared quickly leaving all those who had followed its evolutions until then literally stupefied.

The "Martian" of the Finistère has the face covered with hair

Around 6 o'clock in the morning, Mr. Pierre Lucas, a baker in Loctudy (the Finistère), who was busy getting water from the bakery yard, suddenly saw in the night a machine in the shape of a saucer of 2 m. 50 to 3 meters in diameter. He saw an individual measuring about 1 m. 20 who approached him and patted him on the shoulder, uttering unintelligible words.

The bakery workman managed to keep his cool and went back to the bakery where the stranger followed him.

In the light, Mr. Lucas was able to stare at the visitor. His face was oval, covered with hair and eyes the size of a raven's egg.

The young man called his boss, but before the latter had time to come down, the nocturnal unknown had disappeared as well as his saucer of which no trace was found.

A beer-dealer of Concarneau, for his part, stated that he had seen in the sky two luminous disks of the form of round tables extended with a kind of tail.

One of the discs was motionless while the other was maneuvering nearby. The two discs disappeared after 10 minutes after launching a rocket.

In Clermont-Ferrand

Two saucers were seen yesterday in the sky of Clermont [missing part]

In Beaulieu, the Corrèze, a mysterious machine was seen Monday by several people worthy of faith.

On the other hand, one of our readers in the Charente, M. Hubert de Saint-Just, asks us to rectify an information to which his name has been associated by mistake, or as a result of a dubious joke. This, moreover, is what M. de Saint-Just writes:

"In the issue 228 for October 6th, 1954, of the" Populaire du Centre", you published on page 3 (5th column) an information according to which I would have written to you to have seen a "luminous object" evolving in the sky above the Montrollet village.

"My wife and I were amazed to read this information because we never wrote to you about this, for the simple reason that we did not see anything like that.

"I do not know who borrowed our identities and for what purpose this was done - I would like to know!

"But I want to formally deny this information which is totally unfounded and would be glad that you would publish this denial, stating that I had nothing to do with the information that provoked it. I am persuaded that your good faith was abused and that this same good faith will lead you to give a favorable result to my request.

"I do not mean to take a position on the problem of the "flying saucers": I know only what the newspapers publish.

Descended from his "saucer" in Loctudy (Finistère)

A MARTIAN, SMALL, HAIRY AND UGLY, TAPPED ON THE SHOULDER
OF A COURAGEOUS BAKERY APPRENTICE

... While in Paris, a cardboard salesman sees a "flying disc" above the Porte Dorée

AGAIN a Martian. Each department will soon have its own. It was in the Finistère that the last specimen of the species appeared. This time, he showed himself without a helmet, with his face uncovered. He was not pretty.

A baker from Loctudy, Mr. Pierre Lucas, saw him disembark yesterday at 4 a.m. in a saucer flying three meters in diameter, in the courtyard of the bakery.

- He was no more than 1 m. 20 tall, he says. He approached me and tapped me on the shoulder with unintelligible words.

"I managed to keep my cool," continues the courageous bakery apprentice. The visitor followed me into the bakery. In the light, I could stare at him. His face was covered with hair and eyes the size of a crow's egg. I called my boss, but the Martian, when he arrived, was already gone. And the saucer was gone."

That same night, a Concarneau beer merchant saw two luminous round tables in the sky, extended by a sort of tail.

In the Nord, one did not see a Martian, but the gendarmes of Beuvry-les-Béthune wrote up a report against a manufacturer of flying saucers. He is a pensioner, named d'Oliveira. He is not Martian, but Portuguese. A whole stock of saucers was found in his attic. In fact, they were paper balloons 1 m. 50 to 5 meters in diameter, and of all colors.

I launched thousands of them, he said. It was so beautiful. In the evening, it looked like fireballs...

The saucer factory is now closed. The industrialist will be prosecuted for "having set off flaming devices within 100 meters of the homes".

Bad day yesterday for the saucers in the Nord: an investigation, carried out at Bray-Dunes, near Dunkirk, allowed to establish that the craft seen in this region were jet planes from the Belgian base of Coxide.

"Flying tram"

A resident of Haubourdin however observed a "flying tram", and a child saw a saucer land at Cheny, near Lille; which left traces "like that, he said, of a frog man". The gendarmes examined these traces; they looked very similar to those of horse hooves.

Paris, which the saucers have neglected until now, was favored by an appearance yesterday afternoon. A flying disc, followed by a plume of smoke, flew at 4:30 p.m. over the Porte Dorée under the eyes of Mr. Allouis, cardboard salesman. Several other people confirmed his testimony. But a spoilsport suggests that the flying disc, which he also observed, was, it seemed, a flying wing.

One saw yesterday a good twenty saucers, cigars, fireballs, light globes, at Limoges, at Brive, at Azat-le-Ris and at Magnac-Laval (Haute-Vienne), at Forgès and Le Mazin (Corrèze), at Payzac (Dordogne), at Chàteau-Chinon, at Nassier, in the Poitou marshes, at Vix (Vendée), at La Rochelle, at Albi.

Near Clermont-Ferrand, two saucers which, in passing, gave off a smell of nitro-benzine; near La Rochelle, another one that left oil stains when it landed in a meadow.

Finally, a technician from the weather station at Mans-Arnage observed yesterday morning at 6:08 a.m. two strong dark red lights.

- They were, he said, neither planes, nor sounding balloons, nor meteors. But I will not go so far as to claim that these are flying saucers...

FLYING SAUCERS
in the sky of Paris
... and elsewhere

Paris, 6. -- Several Parisians have seen flying saucers moving in the sky of the capital. Passers-by claimed to have seen one near the Porte Dorée.

Mr. Pierre Allouis, a cardboard representative, was on his way to his business by taxi when the vehicle was stopped by a red traffic light. Hearing, he said, a shrill whistling sound, he looked out of the door and saw a flying object escaping high, leaving in its wake a plume of smoke.

Mr. Allouis describes the saucer as a disc larger than a normal plane and silver in color.

The same testimony is given by Mr. Gilbert Bacon, living at 25, faubourg St-Antoine, and by Mr. Paul Julien, house painter who lives at 3, rue de la Pompe. The latter, however, believes that it is not a saucer but a flying wing that takes the shape of a triangle with rounded edges.

At Le Bourget, it is explained that, given the intensity of air traffic, it is impossible to confirm by radar the passage of the craft at an insufficiently specified hour. Also, the radar can only record the passage of a heavier-than-air by a luminous spot regardless of the nature of the craft.

Clermont - Ferrand. -- Two saucers were seen in the Clermont sky. The first 10 kms from Beaumont. It was moving West-East. The witnesses declared that the object approached them and became less and less brilliant. When it was only 150 meters away, they felt a "curious feeling" and were like

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'Flying saucers'

(Continued from the first page)

nailed on the spot. At that moment there was a smell of nitro-benzine. Soon the craft moved away, the discomfort ceased and the saucer disappeared.

The other saucer was seen above the hills of Chanturgues near Clermont. It moved vertically and was bright white.

A saucer also appeared in Billom to a group of 30 people. The craft was flying above the city. It was moving horizontally. It was visible for 3 or 4 minutes before disappearing. A bright light was emitted from the craft.

Saint - Brieuc. -- Several residents of Saint-Brieuc saw a flying saucer which took the shape of a cigar before disappearing. They were able to observe it for over an hour.

The same phenomenon was observed in Trégueux where a cyclist went home frightened by what he had seen.

La Rochelle. -- Several people from Thouare-sur-Vie (Vendée) saw in the sky ten luminous objects having an elongated shape and which passed at very high speed and high altitude.

La Rochelle. -- Mr. and Mrs. Guillemoteau were in front of their farm when they saw, about a meter from the ground, a spherical saucer which might have measured 2 to 3 meters in height and with a diameter of 5 meters. The craft, which produced no noise, stopped for a few minutes, then climbed vertically. Mr. Guillemoteau, the next day, went to the place where he had seen the craft and was able to find oily traces on the grass.

Finally, saucers, discs, cigars, spheres and other flying objects were seen in Quend (Somme), Grandvilliers (territory of Belfort), in Magnac-Laval (Haute-Vienne), in Saint-Jean-d'Angély (Charente-Maritime), in Forges (Corrèze), Perros-Guirec (Côtes du Nord), etc., etc.

Saucers
Italian style

Mantua, 6. -- Traffic was interrupted for more than an hour in central Mantua by groups of people gathered to observe a strange "white object" which, at a high height, was clearly visible on the blue sky background.

After having carried out extremely rapid moves, the craft, of spherical shape - and which according to certain witnesses, was part of "a formation of flying saucers" - remained for some time motionless in the sky, before disappearing on the horizon.

Also, the "Martians" seem to also want to visit Italy. Indeed, a Roverbella fisherman in the province of Mantua, said that he had been approached by a "mysterious individual", dressed in red, who reportedly talked to him in "unintelligible words" and who reportedly quickly moved away before the fisherman had time to call his wife.

Finally! Paris had his saucers too!

(Continued from the first page.)

LEZIGNAN. -- Two inhabitants of Lezignan, Messrs. André Garcia and André Darzens, who were driving in a truck on the departmental road D3, claimed to have seen a disc-shaped machine land in a field between the village of Lagrasse and the hamlet of Villemagne (Aude).

The craft, they said, was about ten meters in diameter. Before they could get close, it surrounded them in a bright glow and disappeared.

BERGERAC. -- Mr. Jean Defix, firefighter at Bergerac, and Mr. Jean Labonne, said that they saw a luminous disk about 3 meters in diameter, supported by three crutches, in the garden of the latter.

DINAN. -- In Megrit (Côtes du Nord), a young farmer, Mr. Henri Leherissé, said he saw in the yard of his farm a craft with a diameter of about 1 meter, around which appeared two human forms, immobile and the size of a child.

NEVERS. -- In Nevers, five residents of Château-Chinon said they saw Monday evening, at very high altitude, a kind of bright spot that split into two discs. These, they say, began to turn by changing color several times.

DUNKIRK. -- A Dunkirk merchant had, several days ago, said to have seen strange luminous objects in the sky of Bray-Dunes. An investigation had been opened. It concluded that they were two military planes whose metal coating had been misleading.

CLERMONT-FERRAND. -- Two saucers were seen Tuesday in the sky of Clermont. The first 10 kilometers from Beaumont at 03:45 p.m. It was moving west-east. Witnesses testified that the craft got closer to them and became less and less brilliant.

When they were only 150 meters away, they felt a "curious sensation" and were nailed to the spot. At that moment there was a smell of nitro-benzene. Soon the machine moved away, the discomfort ceased, and the saucer disappeared.

The other saucer was sighted over the hills of Chanturgue, near Clermont. It was moving vertically and was bright white.

A saucer was also sighted in Billom by a group of 30 people. The craft was moving over the city. It was moving horizontally. It was visible for 3 to 4 minutes before disappearing. An intense light emanated from the craft.

SAINT-BRIEUC. -- Several residents of Saint-Brieuc saw, during the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, a flying saucer that took the shape of a cigar before disappearing. They could watch it for over an hour.

The same phenomenon was noted in Trégueux where a cyclist returned home frightened by what he had seen.

LA ROCHELLE. -- In the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, several people from Thouare-sur-Vie (Vendée) saw in the sky a dozen luminous objects having an elongated shape and passing at a very high speed and high altitude.

LA ROCHELLE. -- Mr. and Mrs. Guillemoteau were standing in front of their farm when they saw about one meter from the ground, a spherical saucer measuring 2 to 3 meters in height and 5 meters in diameter.

The machine, which produced no noise, stopped for a few minutes, then climbed vertically. Mr. Guillemoteau went to the place where he had seen the machine the next day and was able to note oily traces on the grass.

QUIMPER. -- Around 4 o'clock Tuesday morning, Mr. Pierre Lucas, baker worker in Loctudy (Finistère), who was busy drawing water from the bakery yard, suddenly saw in the night a craft of the shape of a saucer 2 m 50 to 3 m in diameter. He saw an individual about 1m20 come out of it and hit him on the shoulder while uttering unintelligible words.

The baker's worker managed to keep his cool and returned to the bakehouse where the stranger followed him. In the light, Mr. Lucas could stare at the visitor. His face was hairy and his eyes were the size of a raven's egg. The young man called his boss, but before he had time to go down, the stranger had disappeared as well as his saucer of which no trace was found.

A Concarneau beer merchant, for his part, said he saw in the sky two luminous discs of the shape of round tables prolonged by a kind of tail. One of the disks was motionless while the other was moving nearby. Both disks disappeared after ten minutes after having launching a rocket.

Italy does not stay on the sidelines of this invasion

MANTUA. -- The traffic was interrupted for more than an hour in the center of Mantua by groups of people gathered to observe a strange "white object" which, at a high height stood out clearly on the background of the blue sky.

After making extremely rapid maneuvers, the spherical machine - which according to some witnesses, was part of "a flying saucer formation" - remained motionless for some time in the sky, before disappear on the horizon.

On the other hand, the "Uranids" seem to want to visit the whole peninsula. Indeed, a fisherman from Roverbella, in the province of Mantua, said he was approached during the night by a a mysterious individual, dressed in red, who would have told him "unintelligible words" and who would have moved away quickly before the fisherman had time to call his wife.

Finally, a host of testimonials of saucers, disks, cigars, spheres and other flying objects having been seen in Quend (Somme), in Grandvillars (Belfort territory), in Magnac-Laval (Haute-Vienne), in Saint-Jean-d'Angely (Charente-Maritime), in Forges (Corrèze), in Perros-Guirrec (Côtes-du-Nord).

Finally, to a host of testimonials that may be doubted can be added some information such as the one we produce below, the indisputable seriousness of which leaves the most skeptical speechless.

MELUN. -- The Coulommiers newspaper, "Le Pays Briard", publishes a letter sent by one of their readers, Mr. Eugène Farnier, a member of the Society of Civil Engineers of France, about a flying saucer.

In this letter, Mr. Farnier states that he saw above his property, in Jouy-sur-Morin, a big disc of 8 to 10 meters in diameter "turning on itself", letting out red-violet gleams, with a tail reminding a little of the arrival of a jet plane. "The craft was about 400 meters above the ground and it was more above me for than 20 minutes," said Mr. Farnier, "so I had the opportunity to examine it well." The craft then disappeared in the direction of Coulommiers."

In his letter Mr. Farnier said: "Former Commissioner of the French Flying Club, having been in the aviation, I could not be a victim of hallucination. This machine was not a balloon but a thick wing hovering on the spot and moving at a very high speed while gradually taking height."

SAUCERS AND CIGARS

IN THE CORREZIAN SKY

Disturbing observations, certainly, but nothing that could help to unravel the mystery

In the incredible sarabande that every day (or every night) saucers and cigars and apparatuses of all kinds lead in the sky of our planet, the Corrèze has not, so far, gotten the lion's share.

But I am tempted to write that if we did not get the quantity however we got the quality.

By this I mean that the few observations made in our region were made by serious people whose good faith and judgment cannot be doubted.

Mr. Mazaud of Bugeat gained a solid reputation not because he was the first to see the "flying cigar" even before the findings made in the sky of Rome, but also because his encounter with a curious person, Which one assumes to be the pilot or passenger of the mysterious machine, a character of the most "terrestrial" type that is contrary to what some write with a little too much fantasy.

Several weeks after other witnesses just as serious as M. Mazaud saw in the sky between Forgès and Saint-Chamont another flying cigar which moved a bit in the manner of an aircraft and which suddenly dove vertically.

But to these two serious observations must be added a third observed by a government employee who wishes to remain anonymous. I understand this a little.

"Saturday," he said, "I drove on the road from Egletons to Lapleau in the company of my wife, enjoying a nice morning we went to the neighboring woods to pick up mushrooms. Suddenly I saw in the sky an elongated machine, very bulging in the center, throwing metallic reflections towards the ground, the apparatus descended gradually, then disappeared suddenly behind the wooded hill in a south-easterly direction. When I reached a ridge I scanned the sky but I realized that the mysterious machine had disappeared.

My informant is formal, he did observe this extraordinary aerial ship; it was not a plane, at least not a plane of any known type. There was no [?]. It therefore belongs to the category of the flying cigars.

In the "flying saucer" category, the most serious observation seems to be that of Mr. Besse, which we did report in detail. He was able to observe the machine using binoculars. Other troubling facts were noted. But they do not have the precision of Mr. Besse's observations.

Thus in Puy-de-Noix, commune of Sainte-Fortunade on the road from Tulle to Beaulieu, several people observed a phenomenon inexplicable in their eyes.

It was Mr. Sol who gave the "alarm". At the moment when he was entering his house, from which he oversees a vast [hamlet?], he perceived at the height of a distant ridge in the direction of Falazinges a luminous ball which was moving, while changin in intensity. Mr. Sol called his son. Mr. Lherbe, a neighbor was also invited to come and observe the luminous ball, it moved irregularly, at one time it seemed that it wanted to go towards the village of Puy-de-Noix, but it returned to Falazinges. The night was dark, so we consider several explanations, an automobile headlight, the headlight of a tractor performing its nocturnal plowing. But we were obliged to consent that it could not be a headlight, since we could not see the luminous beam on the ground.

In the village of Puy-de-Noix, one still wonders about it.

Such are, among the various observations made in Correze, and have come to our knowledge, those that seem the most serious to us. They are troubling but they do not, alas, bring the final word of the enigma. -- V.A.