The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 7-Oct-54-Dommartin.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
The regional newspaper Le Dauphiné Libéré for October 8, 1954, reported from Bourg-en-Bresse, October 7, 1954, that the appearance of a saucer and armed Martians terrified a Bressan schoolgirl.
In Dommartin, near Montrevel, a young local schoolgirl, 12-year-old Miss Manigand, living with her parents in the hamlet of Marsily, had arrived sobbing wildly and seeming to be the prey to fright ".
She said that around 7 a.m., on her way to catechism, she saw a flying saucer hovering close above her head, from which two weird beings armed with long knives had come out.
She said that these beings had left without even touching the ground.
She had been so moved that when she finally got to school, it took all the care of her teacher, Miss Puvilland, to calm her down.
The newspaper says that despite the numerous details of her statement, the girl was the only one in the country to testify, as no other resident in the area reported the passage of any saucer. The paper concluded that it was probably necessary to attribute her fright to a too vivid imagination, the young Manigand having gone alone that day to the village when she usually went there with a few comrades.
Nothing more seems to have surfaced. In the ufology literature, the first to mention the case was Alain Gamard, but he only gave the source, date, hour, witness name and humanoid encounter classification.
Others then said that according to Alain Gamard, the case was "dubious", others still would just publish brief summaries.
[Ref. ldl1:] NEWSPAPER "LE DAUPHINE LIBERE":
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Bourg. October 7. - The small town of Dommartin near Montrevel has been in turmoil on a rather relative manner by the way with the story of a young schoolgirl in the locality, Miss Manigand, 12-year-old, living with her parents in the hamlet of Marsily.
Sobbing a lot and appearing hopelessly plagued by the deepest fear, the girl said that it was around 7 in the morning, going to catechism, that she witnessed the apparition.
She saw, she clarified, a flying saucer hovering close over her head and out of which two strange beings armed with long knives came out.
The emotion of the child was such that when she finally arrived at school, it took all the care of her teacher, Miss Puvilland, to succeed in calming her down.
However, despite the wealth of detail with which she surrounded her statement, the girl is the only one in the country to testify, no other local resident reported the passage of any saucer.
No doubt we should put her fright on the account of a too vivid imagination, the young Manigand having gone alone that day, to the village, whereas she usually goes with a few friends.
As for the Martians - that we "had never seen the weapons in hand" - they went away, as far as the schoolgirl said, without even touching the ground.
M.P.
Chambery, October 7. - A resident of Bellevue, who asked us to conceal his name, has observed this day, at 1 p.m., along with all members of his family, a mysterious machine operating at very low speed above Beauvoir.
The craft, which had a metallic gray color, suddenly accelerated, took altitude and disappeared towards the Cross of Nivolet.
According to the observer, the phenomenon lasted about five minutes.
Could it be a flying saucer... or a large transport aircraft?
Thonon, October 7. - Ms. Elise Blanc, of Lugrin, claims that on August 23, she met two strange men near a contraption that looked like an aluminum camping trailer. The two small beings, about 1 m. 20 tall, were dressed in silvery suits.
When they saw Mrs. Blanc, they grunted like pigs and jumped into their machine that rose, becoming the color of fire, to then disappear in a multicolored cloud.
Some years ago, Ms. Blanc had picked up a brown dog she claimed to be the descendant of the wild beasts that ravaged the flocks in the Valais and the Haut-Chablais.
Montalieu, October 7. -- In the afternoon of Tuesday, while the weather was perfectly clear, several people who were at St. Baudille-de-la-Tour, towards Brotel, not far from President Herriot's residence, saw a mysterious craft at low altitude over the mountains of the Bugey.
According to the testimony of Mr. Vigano, mattress maker in Montalieu, the elongated craft seemed to measure 4 to 6 m. in length. Each end was as bright as a sunbeam.
At the same time, people of St. Sorlain-en-Bugey on the bank of the Rhone on the side of the department of Ain, made a similar observation.
[Ref. agd1:] ALAIN GAMARD:
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October, 1954: 07.00 hours. Dommartin, near Montrevel (Ain).
Witness: Melle Manigand.
Refs: Dauphine Libéré, 8.10.1954.
[Ref. tbw1:] TED BLOECHER AND DAVID WEBB:
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1954 Addenda
NLT Oct. 7, 1954 0700 Dommartin (Oise), France Type B
Mlle. Manigand, a 12-year-old girl, said that as she was going alone to Dommartin she saw a flying saucer fly close over her head, and that from it came "2 strange beings armed with long knives", who departed without having touched the ground. The girl was put into a hysterical state, but nevertheless some attributed her story to imagination. (French researchers consider this case as "doubtful.")
Investigator:
Source: Personal from A. Gamard, quoting Le Dauphiné Libéré, Oct. 8, 1954.
[Ref. fru1:] MICHEL FIGUET AND JEAN-LOUIS RUCHON:
The two authors indicate that in October of 1954, at 7 o'clock in the morning in Dommartin, according to the newspaper Dauphiné Libéré for the 8th of october 1954, Miss Manigan, a 12 year old schoolgirl, who lived at her parents' in the hamlet of Montessuy, went to catechism, alone, whereas usually she went there in company of some other children.
She saw a flying saucer which hovered "very close above her head" and two odd beings armed with long knives came out of it. The being "left without even touching the ground."
The two authors note that as effect, the child was affected so much that when she went to the school all the care of the teacher, Mrs. Puvilland, was needed to succeed in calming her.
[Ref. mft1:] MICHEL FIGUET:
| CASE Nr | CLASSIFICATION | DATE | HOUR | PLACE | ZIP CODE | CREDIBILITY SOURCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | CE3 | .. 10 1954 | 07.00 | Dommartin | 01 380 B2 | NI-P-AS, OVNI: p. 101 |
[Ref. jsr1:] JEAN SIDER:
25 - Early October, 7 a.m., Dommartin, Ain.
Miss Manigand, schoolgirl.
The child goes to catechism before going to school. Between Montessuy and Dommartin, the little girl sees a flying saucer hovering not far from her at a short distance from the ground. Two bizarre beings come out "armed with long knives", then leave without even having touched the ground. The witness was so moved that the teacher, Miss Puvilland, had to give her medical care.
Source: Figuet, p. 101-102.
[Ref. goe1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:
1954, October
FRANCE, Dommartin (Plouezoch)
At 7 a.m., the young 12-year-old schoolgirl, living in the hamlet of Montessuy, goes to catechism. She sees a flying saucer hovering nearby, above her head, from which two bizarre beings armed with long knives come out. The beings leave without even touching the ground. Child in shock. (M.FIGUET/ J.L. RUCHON: "Ovni, premier dossier complet......" - Alain Lefeuvre 1979, p. 102)
[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH - "*U* COMPUTER DATABASE":
3879: 1954/10/00 07:00 1 5:00:00 E 46:20:20 N 3313 WEU FRN AIN 9:6
DOMMARTIN,FR:GIRL:SCR NEAR GND:2 ODD BEINGS W/'LONG KNIVES':/r217p176
Ref# 30 FIGEUT[sic]&RUCHON: OVNI: Le 1er Dossier Page No. 101 : TOWN &CITY
[Ref. ars1:] ALBERT ROSALES:
132.
Location. Dommartin Oise France
Date: October 7 1954
Time: 0700A
A 12-year old girl, said that as she was going alone to Dommartin she saw a flying saucer fly close over her, and that form it came "2 strange beings armed with long knives," who departed without having touched the ground. The girl was put into a hysterical state, but nevertheless some attributed her story to imagination.
Humcat 1954-24
Source: Alain Gamard
Type: B
[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on 7 October 1954 at 07:00 in Dommartin, Oise, France, "A 12-year old girl, said that as she was going alone to Dommartin she saw a flying saucer fly close over her, and that form it came "2 strange beings armed with long knives," who departed without having touched the ground. The girl was put into a hysterical state, but nevertheless some attributed her story to imagination."
The source is a broken link.
[Ref. prn1:] PETER ROGERSON:
Early October 1954, 0700hrs.
DOMMARTIN (AISNE: FRANCE)
A 12 year old schoolgirl was going to her catechism, when she saw an unidentified object hovering over her head. Two strange beings, armed with long knives got out. The girl was terrified.
Alain Gamard, citing Le Dauphine Libre 8 October 1954. Gamard considered the case "dubious".
[Ref. tai1:] "THINK ABOUT IT" WEBSITE:
Location: Dommartin Oise France
Date: October 7 1954
Time: 0700A
A 12-year old girl, said that as she was going alone to Dommartin she saw a flying saucer fly close over her, and that form it came “2 strange beings armed with long knives,” who departed without having touched the ground. The girl was put into a hysterical state, but nevertheless some attributed her story to imagination.
Source: Alain Gamard
[Ref. jgz1:] JULIEN GONZALEZ:
The author indicates that there was a close encounter of the third kind in Dommartin, the Ain, at the beginning of October 1954, at 7:00.
Miss Manigand, a 12-year-old schoolgirl who lived with her parents in the hamlet of Montessuy, went to the catechism when she saw a "flying saucer" at a low altitude hovering close to her head, from which two strange beings armed with "long knives" emerged. The beings left without even touching the ground. The emotion of the child was such that when she went to school, it took all the care of her teacher, Miss Puvilland, to succeed in calming her down.
The sources are indicated as Le Dauphiné Libéré for October 8, 1954; Michel Figuet and Jean¬-Louis Ruchon, "OVNI: le premier dossier des rencontres rapprochées en France", pages 101 - 102, Jean Sider, "Le dossier 1954 et l'imposture rationaliste", page 176.
[Ref. prn2:] PETER ROGERSON - "INTCAT":
Early October 1954. 0700hrs.
DOMMARTIN (AISNE : FRANCE)
A 12 year old schoolgirl was going to her catechism, when she saw an unidentified object hovering over her head. Two strange beings, armed with long knives got out. The girl was terrified.
Gamard considered the case "dubious")
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Maybe the date was not October 7, 1954, but maybe one or two days before.
If these UFO occupants were extraterrestrials, the "knives" were perhaps only the girl's interpretation of objects they would have held.
The notes by the newspaper about the girl being alone on her trip when she was usually with other kids, and that nobody else saw anything, are likely the reason whc Gamard found the case "dubious." It makes sense.
Let's note that the description is totally lacking details although the newspaper was apparently aware that the girl gave much details, and that no investigation was conducted.
The fact is that we were hardly told anything: craft in the air, on the ground? Silent, noisy? In what way were the "beings" strange? What distance? Etc. etc.
Was it a helicopter? Maybe, but then again, there were no other reports of it. Imagination? Maybe...
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Dommartin, Oise, child, saucer, close, floating, occupants, two, objects, weapon, hysterical, knives
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | February 24, 2005 | First published. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | May 1, 2009 | Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Additions [lcn1], [uda1]. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | August 13, 2013 | Addition [prn1]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | September 25, 2014 | Addition [ldl1]. |
| 1.3 | Patrick Gross | October 7, 2014 | Addition [tai1]. |
| 1.4 | Patrick Gross | February 10, 2017 | Addition [jgz1]. |
| 1.5 | Patrick Gross | October 13, 2019 | Additions [agd1], [mft1], [lhh1], [prn2], Summary. Explanations changed, were "Not looked for yet." |
| 1.6 | Patrick Gross | August 31, 2021 | Additions [tbw1]. |
| 1.7 | Patrick Gross | June 25, 2022 | Additions [goe1], [jsr1]. |
