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October 4, 1954, Villers-le-Lac, Doubs:

Reference for this case: 4-Oct-54-Villers.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.

Summary:

In a clipping from a probably Swiss newspaper whose name I don't have, I found an article about a "Miss" who "claims to have seen a flying saucer", "in Villers."

The article said that "on the evening of last Monday", i.e. on October 4, 1954, exactly between 11:30 p.m. and midnight, Miss H. Scalabrino, having trouble sleeping, went to the window, "looking everywhere and nowhere" when suddenly she noticed a white ball that landed a hundred meters away, behind a hedge.

Intrigued and worried, she waited, not daring to leave her observation post to alert her family.

The "thing" remained motionless for about twenty minutes, "without anyone getting out", then it started moving again, and it was then that Miss Scalabrino called her mother, who came running, and witnessed "the flight of the flying saucer (which had no appearance of a saucer)."

The newspaper indicated that first a bright light erupted from below the craft, illuminating only a small area; a crackling, sparks marked the departure, quite slowly. At a certain height, the "ball" stopped and then quickly disappeared. When one went to the indicated place, no trace of the craft were found."

The article indicated that this came from a daily newspaper in Besançon (probably La Bourgogne Républicaine).

We then have Aimé Michelversion, who in his 1956 book "Mystérieux Objets Célestes" indicated that on October 4, 1954, in Villers le Lac, around 8:00 p.m., several people from the Bout-du-Pont neighborhoods and from the Clos-Rondot had seen a whitish glow to their west, which seemed to descend towards the ground.

Two women, "Mrs. X" and her daughter, who were going to bed around 8:30 p.m., felt unpleasant tingling in their eyes. The girl who wasn't sleeping got up around 9:45 p.m. to get some air at the window, and from there saw a luminous mass 200 meters from her house, standing near a hedge between the station and the bridge.

She then called her mother and the two of them observed the phenomenon distinctly and for "a long time." The luminous mass was white on top and dazzling red below, with jets of white sparks shooting out from time to time in jerks.

At one point, a car came near the bridge and honked. Everything then went out and the witnesses saw nothing anymore. As a source, Aimé Michel indicated... the U.S. Fate magazine.

We then find the usual brief summaries, such as those of Jacques Vallée; in 1975, Charles Garreau and Raymond Lavier, in their book "Face aux Extra-Terrestres", give a version similar to that of Aimé Michel, giving as an indication of source "the Press" (probably La Bourgogne Républicaine of which Garreau was a journalist) and their "personal file" but specifying that the absence of trace the next day was noted by the gendarmes who were investigating.

There will still be many other summaries, then, around 2016, the British ufologist Peter Rogerson gave his "evaluation": "Again the moon through clouds?" There will also be a summary taken from the incomplete summary by Charles Bowen, of the ufologist Raoul Robé proposing that this case could have "partial similarities" with a helicopter.

Reports:

[Ref. prs1:] UNKNOWN LOCAL NEWSPAPER FOR OCTOBER 9, 1954:

[Ref. iml1:] "L'IMPARTIAL" NEWSPAPER

[Ref. aml1:] AIME MICHEL:

Aimé Michel indicates that an interesting phenomenon occurred on October 4, 1954 in Villers le Lac.

At about 08:00 P.M., several people of the districts of Bout-du-Pont and Clos-Rondot saw a whitish gleam in their West, which seemed to go down towards the ground.

Two women, Mrs. X and her daughter, who were going to bed at about 08:30 P.M. felt unpleasant tickings in the eyes. The girl who did not sleep went up at about 09:45 P.M. to get some fresh air at the window. There, she saw a luminous mass within 200 meters of their home, which was posed close to a hedge between the station and the bridge.

She then called her mother and both observed the phenomenon distinctly and during a long moment. The luminous mass was white on the top and of a dazzling red in the lower part, with jets of white sparks coming out of it from time to time by jerks.

At one time, a car arrived close to the bridge and hooted. Everything then died out and the witnesses did not see anything any more.

Michel indicates that the case was reported in Fate magazine.

[Ref. gqy1:] GUY QUINCY:

[Ref. gqy2:] GUY QUINCY:

[Ref. mcs1:] MICHEL CARROUGES:

Michel Carrouges, making some sorting in the French observations of 1954, notes that this observation was made with a distance witness-object of 200 meters.

[Ref. lcp1:] LEONARD G. CRAMP:

[Ref. jve5:] JACQUES VALLEE:

[Ref. jve2:] JACQUES VALLEE:

The author indicates that on October 6, 1954, two women saw a whitish light in the Western sky. It seemed to approach the ground slowly, and it was seen later between the station and the bridge, for it had landed with approximately 100 meters of their house in Villers-le-Lac in the Doubs. When the object moved, a very brilliant light was visible under its dark mass. It projected a shower of sparkles and rose, remained motionless in the air one moment, then moved away very quickly.

[Ref. jve1:] JACQUES VALLEE:

[Ref. ldl1:] UFOLOGY MAGAZINE "LUMIERES DANS LA NUIT":

In a list of cases that the magazine called for investigation or re-investigation, there was:

[Ref. gal1:] CHARLES GARREAU AND RAYMOND LAVER:

The authors indicate that in Villers-le-Lac in the Doubs around 8 p.m., several residents of this village, from the Bout-du-Port district, saw appearing in the west at high altitude a whitish ball which quickly lost altitude.

Among the witnesses there were Mrs. D and her daughter who prepared to going in their bedroom to sleep and looked at this ball a few seconds without caring much about it. They go to bed and are astonished to feel, a few minutes later, tickling in their eyes.

Towards 21:45, the girl is awaked by a strong gleam filtering through the shutters, she stands up, goes to the window and then sees within 200 meters of the house a luminous object which is posed between the station and the bridge.

The higher part is whitish, the lower part is of a dazzling white.

The girl calls her mother and both observe the machine which seemed to project sparks by jerks. They were thrown into a panic, did not dare to go out and thus could not warn anybody.

When a car arrives, with a driver who honks, the craft made a tremendous departure.

No trace was found on the ground the next day by the gendarmes who investigated.

The authors say the sources are newspapers and their personal file.

[Ref. jve7:] JACQUES VALLEE - "HISTORIA" MAGAZINE:

[Ref. rsd1:] RAY STANFORD:

In his book about the famous UFO landing in Socorro, Ray Stanford indicates a number of other sightings of egg-shaped craft that may be significant in this regard.

Among those cases, he indicates that on October 6, 1954, in Villers-le-Lac, the Doubs, France, two women saw a whitish light in the western sky; which came closer to the ground and landed between a railroad station and a bridge at 300 to 400 feet from the home of the women.

When the object moved, a very bright light was seen under its solid form, and on take-off it gave off brilliant light and a flow of sparks for a short distance. Then it remained motionless a little ways above the ground, and finally departed at high speed.

[Ref. fru1:] MICHEL FIGUET AND JEAN-LOUIS RUCHON:

The two authors indicate that in Villers-le-Lac in the Doubs, on October 4, 1954 at 08:00 p.m., residents of the locality observe at high altitude a whitish ball which loses altitude. The witness Mrs Salabrino and her daughter observe this ball during a few seconds. Then they go to bed, and are astonished when a few minutes later they feel tickling in their eyes.

A approximately 09:45 p.m., the daughter wakes up because of a strong light which filters through her shutters. She stands up, moves towards the window of her bedroom, and then sees within 200 meters of the house a luminous shape posed between the station and the bridge. she wakes her mother up and both observe the scene. The craft seems to project sparks randomly.

The arrival of a car, whose driver hoots, causes the very fast departure of the machine.

No trace was found on the ground the following day during the investigation carried out by the gendarmerie.

The authors indicate that the source is C. Garreau and R. Lavier in "Face aux ET" pp 217-128.

[Ref. gep1:] UFOLOGY GROUP "GEPO":

[Ref. gep2:] "GEPO" UFOLOGY GROUP:

[Ref. lgs1:] LOREN GROSS:

[Ref. jsr1:] JEAN SIDER:

The author indicates that on October 4, 1954 at 08:00 p.m. in Villers-le-Lac in the Doubs, Mrs. Salabrino and her daughter observed a whitish ball in flight directed towards the ground, and later, when they went to bed, they fels tickling in the eyes.

The author indicates that the source is "Figuet, p.121".

[Ref. goe1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:

The Belgian ufologist indicates in her catalogue that in 1954, on October 4, in France in Villers-le-Lac (the Doubs), "Around 20 hours Mrs. Salabrino and her daughter look during a few moments a whitish ball at high altitude then go to bed. A few minutes later their eyes are tickling. Towards 21:45, the girl is awaked by a strong gleam, she stands up and goes to the window. She then sees at 200 m of the house, a luminous object posed between the station and the bridge. The higher part is whitish, the lower part of a dazzling white. She calls her mother. From time to time the object seems to throw sparks, by jerks. A car arrives, the driver honks because he also saw the craft, this causes its fulgurating departure."

She indicates the source as "GARREAU and LAVIER: 'Face aux extra-terrestres' - DELARGE 1975 - J'ai Lu p. 225, 226".

[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH - "*U* COMPUTER DATABASE":

[Ref. fbn1:] FABRICE BONVIN:

Fabrice Bonvin notes:

[Ref. fbn2:] FABRICE BONVIN:

In a table, Fabrice Bonvin notes selected cases of the 1954 Frnech flap, including this one:

[Ref. djn1:] DONALD JOHNSON:

[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN:

Luc Chastan notes in his database that in the Doubs in Villers le Lac on October 4, 1954 at 20:00 hours, "residents of the locality observe at high altitude a whitish ball which loses altitude. The witness and her daughter observe during a few seconds this ball. Then they go to bed and are astonished, a few minutes later, to feel prickling at the eyes. Towards 21:45, the girl is awaked by a strong light which filters through her shutters. She stands up, moves towards the window of her bedroom, and then sees within 200 meters of the house a luminous shape posed between the station and the bridge, she awakes her mother and both observed the display. The craft seems to project sparks by jerks. The arrival of a car, whose driver honks, causes the fulgurating departure of the crft. No trace was found on the ground the next day during a search carried out by the gendarmerie."

Luc Chastan indicates as source: "Ovni, Premier dossier complet... by Figuet M./ Ruchon J.L. ** Alain Lefeuvre pub. 1979".

[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:

The website indicates that on 6 October 1954 at 22:30 in Villers-le-Lac, France, "An object was sighted that had an appearance and performance beyond the capability of known earthly aircraft. One object was observed by two female witnesses in a pasture for 105 minutes (Salabrino)."

The sources are indicated as: "Michel, Aime, Flying Saucers and the Straight-Line Mystery, S. G. Phillips, New York, 1958; Vallee, Jacques, Computerized Catalog (N = 3073); Vallee, Jacques, Challenge to Science: The UFO Enigma, Henry Regnery, Chicago, 1966; Vallee, Jacques, Preliminary Catalog (N = 500), (in JVallee01); Vallee, Jacques, A Century of Landings (N = 923), (in JVallee04), Chicago, 1969; Schoenherr, Luis, Computerized Catalog (N = 3173); Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002".

[Ref. uda2:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:

The website indicates that on 6 October 1954 at 22:30 in Villers-le-Lac, France, "Two women saw a whitish light, 100 meters away."

The website adds: "Two women (Mrs. Salabrino and her daughter) saw a whitish light in the western sky. It seemed slowly to come toward the ground, and was later seen between the railroad station and the bridge 100 meters away from their house. When it moved, a very bright light was visible under its dark mass. It gave off a flow of sparks and rose, hovered for a moment and flew away rapidly. One ball was observed."

The source is indicated as: "Vallee Magonia Database".

[Ref. nip1:] "THE NICAP WEBSITE":

[Ref. ubk1:] "UFO-DATENBANK":

This database recorded this case 8 times instead of one:

[Ref. prn2:] PETER ROGERSON - "INTCAT":

[Ref. rre1:] RAOUL ROBE:

Explanations:

In 1954, Villers-le-Lac had 3237 inhabitants. In 1948, Lac-ou-Villers was renamed Villers-le-Lac.

The case seems quite interesting, but unfortunately the available sources contain at least some contradictions concerning the time, and are very incomplete since it would seem that there were other witnesses than Mrs. Scalabrino and her mother, but in circumstances that are very poorly reportd.

There maybe a gendarmerie report (Charles Garreau mentions a gendarmerie investigation), and there is certainly a more complete, or different, information in the primary source which would be "a newspaper from Besançon", which haven't found it yet.

The best would be for the moment not to comment on what would be the explanation of the case, which I leave as "unidentified".

A few remarks however:

If the way in which the supposed craft leaves may recall a helicopter departure, the description hardly matches it. Helicopters, for example, do not throw sparks.

Above all, I do not see how a helicopter in a quiet little village in the Doubs, around 8 p.m. or at midnight, landing, taking off again, would not have attracted attention by its noise.

Peter Rogerson wondered whether the thing was "the moon through clouds?" I don't see how the moon would start such a lift off, or throw sparks.

At 8 p.m., the Moon was in direction 206°, elevation 14°; at 10:10 p.m., it set behind the horizon. A two-hour descent, its absence from the sky at midnight, all of this was verifiable. So how should I believe that this descending moon changes into a thing that lands behind a hedge, stays there for about 20 minutes, then "gets moving again", takes off again, climbs a little, stops at a certain height and then quickly disappears? This doesn't sound quite convincing to me.

Keywords:

(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)

Villers-le-Lac, Doubs, Salabrino, Scalabrino, light, white, object, landing, bright, sparks, manoeuvers, fast

Sources:

[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.

• [prs1] Article in a local newspaper whose name is unreadable to me, noted #41, page 9, October 9, 1954.
• [iml1] Article in the foreign newspaper L'Impartial, Switzerland, October 9, 1954.
• [----] Fate magazine, USA.
• [aml1] "Mystérieux Objets Célestes", book by Aimé Michel, Arthaud publisher, 1958.
• [aml1] "Flying Saucers and the Straight Lines Mystery", book by Aimé Michel, English version of "Mystérieux Objets Célestes", S.G. Phillips publisher, USA, 1958.
• [gqy1] "Observations 1954", monograph by Guy Quincy, France - Algeria, private publication, page 12, the 1950's.
• [gqy2] "Atterrissages au XXe siècle", monograph by Guy Quincy, France - Algeria, private publication, unnumbered pages, the 1950's.
• [mcs1] "Les Apparitions de Martiens", book by Michel Carrouges, (aka Louis Couturier), Fayard publisher, France, page 79, 1963.
• [lcp1] "Piece for a Jigsaw", book by Leonard G. Cramp, Somerton Publishing Co publishers, U-K., 1966.
• [jve5] "Catalogue préliminaire de 500 observations", listing in "Les Phénomènes Insolites de l'Espace", book by Jacques and Jannine Vallée, Table Ronde publisher, France, 1966.
• [jve2] Summary by Jacques Vallée in "The Humanoids: A Survey of World-Wide Reports of Landings of Unconventional Aerial Objects and their Alleged Occupants", book by Charles Bowen, Neville Spearman publishers, U-K., 1969.
• [jve1] "Un Siècle d'Atterrissages", catalogue by Jacques Vallée, in the ufology magazine Lumières Dans la Nuit (LDLN), France, #101 bis, page 3, November 1969.
• [jve1] "Passport to Magonia - On Ufos, Folklore, and Parallel Worlds", book by Jacques Vallée, Contemporary Books publishers, USA, 1969.
• [aml1] "A Propos des Soucoupes Volantes", book by Aimé Michel, reprint of "Mystérieux Objets Célestes", Planète publishers, France, 1972.
• [ldl1] "Réenquêtes 1954", in the ufology magazine Lumières Dans La Nuit (LDLN), France, #118, page 4, June 1972.
• [jve1] "Chronique des Apparitions Extra-Terrestres", French translation of "Passport to Magonia", book by Jacques Vallée, Denoel publisher, France, page 269, 1972.
• [jve2] Summary by Jacques Vallée in "En Quête des Humanoïdes", book by Charles Bowen, French translation of "The Humanoids", J'ai Lu publisher, France, page 43, 1974.
• [gal1] "Face aux Extra-Terrestres", book by Charles Garreau and Raymond Lavier, Delarge publisher, France, pp 217-218, 1975.
• [gal1] "Face aux Extra-Terrestres", book by Charles Garreau and Raymond Lavier, Delarge publisher, J'ai Lu, France, pp 225-226, 1975.
• [rsd1] "Socorro saucer - the closest encounter of them all", book by Ray Stanford, Blueapple Books publisher, USA, 1976.
• [aml1] "Mystérieux Objets Célestes", book by Aimé Michel, Seghers publisher, France, pp 189-190, 1976.
• [jve5] "Catalogue préliminaire de 500 observations", listing in "Les Phénomènes Insolites de l'Espace", book by Jacques and Jannine Vallée, Robert Laffont publisher, France, page 250, 1978.
• [jve7] "1954: 7 jours, 40 observations", article by Jacques Vallée, in "Les Soucoupes Volantes", History magazine Historia, France, Special Issue #46, page 45, 1976.
• [rsd1] "Socorro saucer - the closest encounter of them all", book by Ray Stanford, Fontana-Collins publisher, U-K., page 146, 1978.
• [fru1] "OVNI, Premier Dossier Complet des Rencontres Rapprochées en France", book by Michel Figuet and Jean Louis Ruchon, Alain Lefeuvre publisher, France, pp 121-122, 1979.
• [gep1] "Fichier de Recensement Pasqualini, list, in the ufology bulletin GEPO Informations, ufology group GEPO, France, #20, May / August 1980.
• [gep2] "Catalogue mondial Pasqualini, list, in the ufology bulletin GEPO Informations, ufology group GEPO, France, #21, September / December 1980.
• [lgs1] "The Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse - UFOs: A History - 1954 October", monography by Loren E. Gross, USA, page 14, 1991.
• [lcp1] "UFOs and Anti-Gravity: Piece for a Jigsaw", book by Leonard G. Cramp, Adventures Unlimited Press publishers, U-K., page 261, 1997.
• [jsr1] "Le Dossier 1954 et l'Imposture Rationaliste", book by Jean Sider, Ramuel publishers, France, page 245, 1997.
• [----] "Computerized Catalog", compiled by Luis Schoenherr.
• [lhh1] "*U* Computer Database", database by Larry Hatch, USA, circa 2002.
• [goe1] "Chronologie OVNI", web page compiled by Godelieve Van Overmeire, Belgium, circa 2002, at users.skynet.be/sky84985/afin54.htm
• [fbn1] "Epistémologie de l'Insaisissable", article by Fabrice Bonvin, Switzerland, on the Internet, March 2001.
• [fbn2] "Epistémologie de l'Insaisissable", article by Fabrice Bonvin, Switzerland, on the Internet, March 2001.
• [djn1] "Encounters with Aliens on this Day - October 6", UFOCAT website by Donald Johnson, USA, circa 2004, at www.ufocat.com/on_this_day/October06.html.
• [lcn1] Base OVNI France, website by Luc Chastan, France, circa 2006, at baseovnifrance.free.fr/detobs.php?numobs=648
• [uda1] "6 Oct 1954 - Villers-le-Lac, France", web page by the website UFOdna, circa 2008, at www.ufodna.com/uf02/uf2/022079.htm
• [uda2] "6 Oct 1954 - Villers-le-Lac, France", web page by the website UFOdna, circa 2008, at www.ufodna.com/uf18/uf9/189076.htm
• [nip1] List on The NICAP Website, USA, found in 2014, at http://www.nicap.org/reports/1954_ufocat.htm
• [ubk1] Online database UFO-Datenbank, Germany, found in 2016, at ufodatenbank.de
• [prn2] "INTCAT 1954", catalogue compiled by Peter Rogerson, U-K., circa 2016, at https://intcat.blogspot.com/search?q=1954
• [rre1] Catalogue by Raoul Robé, in "OVNI sur le Grand-Est - 40 ans de recherches", electronic book by the ufology federation CNEGU, France, page 16/18, 2018.

Document history:

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