The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 7-Oct-54-Les Aubiers.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
The national newspaper France-Soir for October 9, 1954, reported without giving a date or an hour, that a red disk was seen in Les Aubiers in the Deux-Sèvres department by Mrs. Bremand, Couturie and Girard as well as by Mr. Camille Blain, municipal councilor of Bressuire.
In 1958, ufologist Aimé Michel, referring to this same source, gave the date of this sighting as October 7, 1954.
[Ref. fso1:] NEWSPAPER "FRANCE-SOIR":
[Ref. aml1:] AIME MICHEL:
Aimé Michel indicates that on October 7, in the Aubiers in the department of Deux-Sèvres, Camille Blain, consellor in Bressuire and Mrs, Brémond, Couturier and Girard, reported the passing of red disc.
[Ref. aml2:] AIME MICHEL:
[...]
As of 2 October, the number of daily observations is increasing dramatically. On October 3, there are hundreds, and probably thousands of "witnesses". And the places of observation continue to line up, forming very characteristic networks whose layout evokes a spider's web, with a sort of star-shaped center from which most of the straight lines radiate. A large proportion of cases are also located on several different alignments (at their intersection).
An example of this complex and rigorous provision is offered by the observations of October 7 (see map).
That day, on the territory of France, hundreds of "testimonies" make it possible to plot 23 observation places, of which only one is erratic, in the area of ??Toulouse. The other 22 are organized in 17 alignments:
- One seven spots line: Cherbourg; La Ferte-Macé; Saint-Jean-d'Assé; National 23, east of Le Mans; Lavenay; Montlevic; and finally Cassis.
- Three lines of four spots:
a) Marcillac; Puymoyen; Montlevic; Corbigny.
b) Isles-sur-Suippe; Montlevic; Bournel; Montpezat.
c) Saint-Savinien; Saint-Plantaire; Montlevic; Jettingen.
Finally, thirteen alignments of three spots. One can, at first glance, wonder whether three-spot alignments require an explanation other than chance. But on reflection, chance turns out to be insufficient. Indeed:
In-depth analysis of all these alignments is beyond the scope of an article. A glance at the corresponding map is more eloquent than a long speech. We discover this feature, which I have tentatively called "orthoteny" (2), until further studies allow, if necessary, to relate it to some phenomenon already known and provided with a name existing in the dictionary.
Provisionally, therefore, the "orthoteny" is the rectilinear disposition, generating networks, of the vast majority of flying saucer observations of the Fall of 1954. This arrangement is so surprising that one must, a priori to adopt a systematic distrust about it. Before recognizing it for a real event, one must consider every possible means to reject it.
On October 7, 1954, France is furrowed with observations in a straight line
1. CHERBOURG ...One saw luminous globes! (Paris-Presse - 10-10-1954)
2. DUCLAIR ...Mr. X, blinded by a luminous beam, reopened the eyes, saw a ball that disappeared in a few minutes. (Parisien Libéré - 9-10-54)
3. ISLES-SUR-SUIPPES ...on the edge of the road, an object of more than 3 m in length like a big shell pierced with portholes... (Paris-Presse - 10-10-54)
4. PLOZEVET ...sharp gleam, dense smoke... (France-Soir - 10-10-54)
5. SAINT-BIHY ...luminous globes... (France-Soir - 9-10-54)
6. LA FERTÉ-MACÉ ...a mysterious craft, which was rising vertically, leaving behind itself a white trail... (Black out sur les soucoupes volantes, Jimmy Guieu, Fleuve Noir publishers)
7. HENNEZIES ...A "spaceship" and its occupants seen by two children... Egg-shaped object, red, the top pointed at the yky... (Black out sur les soucoupes volantes, Jimmy Guieu, Fleuve Noir publishers)
8. SAINT-ÉTIENNE ...three craft produced a violent white light; - one of the craft was round like a saucer, the two other elongated like cigars. (France-Soir - 9-10-54)
9. SAINT-JEAN-D'ASSÉ ...a gleam of an intense blue color.. (Aurore - 9-10-54)
10. BALLON ...stars as big as the Moon (sic!). (France-Soir - 9-10-54)
11. LAVENAY ...a flying egg... (France-Soir - 9-10-54)
12. DORDIVES ...a weird object... (France-Soir - 9-10-54)
13. CHALETTE ...an oval-shaped luminous craft. (France-Soir - 9-10-54)
14. LES AUBIERS ...a red disc... (France-Soir - 9-10-54)
15. CORBIGNY Craft of cylindrical shapes, emitting red-orange gleams when they were horizontal and of a dazzling white when they rose vertically. (Aurore -8-10-54)
16. BERUGES ...a lighted mushroom... (France-Soir - 10-10-54)
17. SAINT-SAVINIEN ...a luminous disc. (Sud-Ouest - 14-10-54)
18. SAINT-PLANTAIRE
19. MONTLEVIC ...saucers, cigars, luminous globes and flying discs... (Paris-Presse - 9-10-54)
20. JETTINGEN ...a half-spherical cupola. (France-Soir - 10-10-54)
21. PUYMOYEN ...A the place where a saucer had landed, twelve samll heaps of ash in the middle of a 1,50 m circle and, among the ashes, small sticks... (Paris-Presse - 9-10-54)
22. MARCILLAC ...shape of inverted funnel. (Combat - 12-10-54)
23. BOURNEL ...circular shape... (Combat - 12-10-54)
24. MONTPEZAT ...a luminous circle, orange-colored... (Combat - 12-10-54)
25. BEAUVOIR ...a mysterious craft flying at a rather slow pace. (Parisien Libéré - 9-10-54)
26. MONTEUX ...a phosphorescent craft and of 2,50 m height... (local Press - oct. 54)
27. BOMPAS ...a formation of saucers... (Black out sur les soucoupes volantes, Jimmy Guieu, Fleuve Noir publishers)
28. CASSIS ...the object, which seemed to be in aluminum, was very shiny. (Provençal)
Alignments exist. What do they mean? This is a mystery...
The case file is not faked
First question to ask: Is it true that the observation spots are aligned as this article claims?
To check this, just look for the spots in question on a chosen map in such a way that the lines of the map correspond as exactly as possible to the great terrestrial circles in the considered place. For France, it is the millionth map, Bonne projection, in the trade by Michelin (Michelin map nr 989). Ones locates the spots by looking for them in a dictionary of the communes, for example that of Berger-Levrault.
Second question: did the author invent all or part of these observations in order to find alignments? To enable researchers to answer this question, I have used in my research only observations that were already made public.
Third question: Did the author choose the observations that are aligned, creating a phenomenon that would not exist if other unreported observations restored the disorder of chance?
Of course, I cannot hope to know all the sightings because many of the witnesses did not say anything. But I used in my work all observations made public, as one can check by studying my book. To prepare the maps, I therefore only used published cases, and I used them all. There was no invention, no selection. Anyone can completely redo the work I did: one only needs to consult the collection of newspapers of the time, taking care though, however, of dates, not of the newspapers publication of course, but of the reported phenomena.
We come to the most delicate aspect of the problem posed by these strange alignments. What do they mean?
I have shown in detail the results of my research to several prominent scientists, including two Masters of Research at the C.N.R.S. It is very unfortunate that orthotenia is linked to the "saucer phenomenon", so discredited, because all these scientists, whom I cannot name, are now convinced that the alignments show a real and original phenomenon.
Real, that is, objectively taking place in space, not in the imagination of the witnesses.
Original, that is, not related to anything known so far. Neither airplanes, sounding balloons, sundogs, meteors, lightning bolts, nor hallucinations, lies, and facetious inventions are observed along lines forming networks. It is something else. What is it?
In my opinion, we are not close to knowing it. But perhaps the demonstration of the geometric superstructure revealed by the wave of 1954 will finally incite a greater number of scientists to worry about it. Allow me to express the wish here. Personally, the discredit that is attached to this research begins to put me down. It is overwhelming in the long run to have my curiosity viewed like a sin.
Aimé Michel
Note:
[Ref. aml3:] AIME MICHEL:
Aimé Michel explained that since December 1957, he was convinced that the "alignments" of cases on straight lines, such as those of October 7, 1954, are inexplicable, or more exactly, that they can only be explained "by the reality of the flying saucers", and that his opinion "is also that of a large number of scientists, among whom several are world-renowned."
He published a map of these alignments for this date, indicating that all the observations of October 7, 1954, are reported there:
For the case of this file, he noted:
14. LES AUBIERS: ..a red disc.. (France-Soir for 9-I0-54).
[Ref. gqy1:] GUY QUINCY:
October 7 [, 1954]
[... other cases...]
? [= unknown hour]: Les Aubiers (Deux-Sèvres): lumin. sph.
[... other cases...]
[Ref. pis1:] UFOLOGY BULLETIN "PHENOMENES INCONNUS":
This ufology bulletin published a map supposed to show alignements of cases of October 7, 1954, and it included a cas in Les Aubiers:
[Ref. gep1:] UFOLOGY GROUP "GEPO":
10/7/54 | ( ) | Les Aubiers | 107V2 |
[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN:
Luc Chastan indicates that in the Deux Sèvres in Les Aubiers, on October 7, 1954, at an unknown hour, there was an "Observation of a red disc."
Luc Chastan indicates that the source is "M.O.C. par Michel Aimé ** Arthaud 1958".
[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on 7 October 1954 in Les Aubiers, France, "An unidentified object was sighted, but with appearance and behavior that most likely would have a conventional explanation. One object was observed by four witnesses (Blain)."
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).
[Ref. ubk1:] "UFO-DATENBANK":
This database recorded this case three times:
Case Nr. | New case Nr. | Investigator | Date of observation | Zip | Place of observation | Country of observation | Hour of observation | Classification | Comments | Identification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
19541007 | 07.10.1954 | Les Aubiers | France | NL | ||||||
19541007 | 07.10.1954 | Les Aubiers | France | NL | ||||||
19541007 | 07.10.1954 | Les Anbiers [sic] | France |
Insufficient information.
Les Aubiers was a town in 1954, it was later joined to Nueil-sur-Argent to become Nueil-les-Aubiers.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Les Aubiers, Deux-Sèvres, Camille Blain, Brémond, Couturier, Girard, disc, red
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
---|---|---|---|
0.1 | Patrick Gross | March 19, 2005 | First published. |
1.0 | Patrick Gross | May 6, 2009 | Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Additions [lcn1], [uda1]. |
1.1 | Patrick Gross | January 3, 2017 | Additions [fso1], [ubk1]. |
1.2 | Patrick Gross | October 7, 2019 | Additions [aml2], [aml3], [pis1], Summary. Explanations changed, were "Not looked for yet." |
1.3 | Patrick Gross | April 28, 2022 | Additions [gqy1], [gep1]. |