The 1954 French flap:

NATIONAL GENDARMERIE
REGIONAL COMMAND OF THE [...]
GENDARMERIE OF THE 2 ° R.M.
2nd Legion bis of the Gendarmerie

AMIENS, September 7, 1954

REPORT
by captain [...], commander of the Gendarmerie Section [...]
on the appearance of a "flying saucer"

Nr 785/2

Reference: article 78 and 87 of the Decree of May 20, 1903.

On 7 September 1954, around 7:30 a.m., two people on a bicycle report having seen a flying saucer between HARPONVILLE and CONTAY.

THE FACTS:

Mr. [...], mason, 27-year-old and his [...] workman Mr de [...] went this day September 7, 1954, from their home [...] to their work place: [...]

Around 7 hours 30' circulating on the C.G. 47 between HARPONVILLE and CONTAY, these two people had their attention attracted by a strange-shaped machine. It was a large cylinder 10 meters in diameter and 3 meters high, the upper surface was curved and a door was visible on the vertical wall. This device that was posed in a field 200 meters from the road took off when the two abovementioned men approached it. This climb was done first on about fifteen meters in oblique then vertically. No sound was heard but a pipe under the device let out blue smoke.

The machine remained 4 to 5 minutes at the sight of the 2 reporters.

VALUE OF INFORMATION:

The Section Commander who interviewed the two witnesses believes that it is not a matter of mystifiers. They declare, moreover, without false shame, that they had been very frightened.

The gendarmerie went to the place with the police dog BOBBI.

The spot where the machine was located according to the witnesses is located 800 meters N.W. of C.D.47, at 1 Km 800 of CONTAY and 4 Km 800 of VARENNES.

No trace exists on the soil composed partly of grass and partly of alfalfa.

The dog did not follow any trail.

This report is prepared for all purposes and with all reservations.

Signed [illegible].

Recipients:

Mr. the PREFET of the Somme
Mr. the Prosecutor of the Republic in AMIENS
Mr. the Colonel, Cdr of the 2nd Legion of the Gendarmerie
Mr. the Colonel Cdr of the Subdivision of the Somme
Mr. the Head of Security Service of the 2nd Military Region in LILLE
Mr. the Head of Air Security Service CAMBRAI.

COPY OF TWO STATEMENTS

Mr [...], 27 years old, Mason, [...] who states:

"Today, September 7, 1954, around 7 o'clock or 7 o'clock 30 in the morning, I was traveling by road from my home to La Houssoye where I worked when between ARPONVILLE [sic] and CONTAY, in the plain, 150 meters from the road, my attention was attracted by the bizarre shape of a haystack with the particularity of an oscillating movement. After pointing this out to my workman [...] with him I approached this object to better look at it. I had arrived at a hundred meters when it took off, first at fifteen meters on a rather slow oblique ascent, then vertically a lot faster and disappear to my sight in the sky.

I can describe the object I saw as follows:

This is a gray cylinder of train wagon color whose upper surface is slightly domed. I saw arounf it a form of door and below a pipe through which escaped smoke during the ascent. The dimensions are in my opinion the following: diameter about ten meters, height 2 meters 50 to 3 meters.

During the ascent of this object I noticed that the smoke exhaust to the exclusion of any sign of light or sound, the device made absolutely no noise.

Having read, I persists and sign.

Mr. [...], 23 years old, mason [...] who states:

I left ACHEUX at 7 am to reach la HOUSSOYE where I work as a mason. I was accompanied by my boss, Monsieur [...]; on a bicycle we took C.D. 47 by HARPONVILLE. Between this locality and the commune of CONTAY, on our right, in a field stripped of harvest and about 150 meters from the road, we saw an uncovered haystack. The latter had the appearance of a water tower sump. We found this haystack very weird and we stopped to watch it. It may have been about ten meters in diameter by about three meters high. It seemed to me that there was an opening wider than it was high for what we took for a haystack and which in reality was not.

.../...

It was a machine. The latter began to rise in the air slowly and without any noise. By climbing the craft allowed us to discover like a tailpipe from which came out a sparse gray-blue smoke. The craft had a dirty color, either black or dark blue. The smoke was visible until the craft reached ten meters. This machine took altitude obliquely. After a height of about 12 meters, it climbed vertically and it seemed to me that it was gaining speed. It disappeared in the air about five minutes after its climb.

I informed about these facts of the guard of la HOUSSOYE, who informed you.

My boss and I did not approach the place as our surprise was great. The place from where the machine left is located near a wood. I did not see anyone near the craft."

Having read, I persist and sign.

SKETCH OF THE CRAFT ACCORDING TO THE STATEMENT OF Mssrs [...]

Nr 273/4

AMIENS, SEPTEMBER 23, 1954

COPY

- REPORT -

of the Squadron Commander [...] Commanding the Somme Gendarmerie Company

on the appearance of a "flying saucer".

REFERENCES: Oral Orders of the General Regional Commander of the Gendarmerie (continuation of report 785/2 of 7.9.1954 -

The facts were set out in the report cited in reference.

They are briefly recalled below:

On September 7, 1954, around 7:30 am, two cyclists going to work circulate on G.C. 47 between HARPONVILLE and CONTAY. They see a craft of circular shape (diameter 10 meters approximately) height 2 m. 50 to 3 m.) 200 meters from the road. This craft has a swinging motion. No noise is heard. The 2 men approach within 100 meters. The craft then rises in 2 steps: at first a rather slow climb oblique up to an altitude of approximately 15 meters, then a vertical climb to disappear at the sight.

Both people had the machine under the eyes for 4 to 5 minutes. This is not a fleeting vision.

INVESTIGATION

The two witnesses immediately went to the CORBIE Gendarmerie Brigade (the closest to their place of work LA HOUSSOYE) from where they were immediately taken to the Amiens Section.

Upon arrival at AMIENS, the two men are interviewed separately and simultaneously in two offices. Their statements are identical.

Personality of witnesses:

1°) - [...], mason, 27 years old

Excellent morality and mentality. Was chosen to occupy at the mobilization an auxiliary job in the Republican Guard.

.../...

Very well known to the local brigade.

2°) - [...], 23 years - [...] worker very well known to the brigade.

It is therefore two men, having a good view, sane and sober. They will lose the pay of a day's work.

Time schedule of witnesses:

To avoid any suspicion of drunkenness or fatigue, the schedule of witnesses was verified by the Commanding Officer.

They went to bed the previous evening around 9 p.m. and got up around 6 a.m.; They left ACHEUX around 7 a.m., after having lunch, to go to work at LA HOUSSOYE. They did not stop along the way to consume [alcohol]. They are therefore well disposed and are not intoxicated.

Transportation on the premises:

Gentlemen [...] and [...] were taken to the place, with the Commander of Company twelve officers and gendarmes and dog BOBBI.

Location: 200 m. North West of C. D. 47 - 1 km 800 from CONTAY and 4 km 800 from VARENNES.

Soil: partly covered with alfalfa and herbs.

Visibility: September 7th at 7 a.m. 30, it is daylight, the weather is clear and without fog.

At the question of the Company Commander, Mr. [...] said that it is not a helicopter because he has already seen these craft closely.

Miscellaneous information:

The craft was not seen by the inhabitants of CONTAY-TOUTESCOURT HARPONVILLE - HERISSANT - VADENCOURT, localities surrounding the place.

.../...

- 3 -

- Consulted, LUCHEUX Radar Master Station 15 km away, in straight line, was not in action at 7 a.m. 30. It cannot provide any indication.

- CONCLUSION -

Gentlemen [...] and [...] are two serious men; the visibility is perfect.

The Company Commander is convinced that these people have actually seen a "craft".

The local press, alerted by the public rumor, sent journalists on the spot. They have the same conviction as the Commander of the Company. It is not possible to say that this machine is what is commonly called "Flying Saucer".

Another "flying saucer" case occurred in the Péronnaise region, the gendarmerie easily demonstrated that it was a hoax.

Mystery in the Picardy sky

Two workers claim
having seen a flying saucer
between Harponville and Contay

This is the news that reached us at the end of the afternoon, news that witnesses to the astonishing event confirmed to us.

This information will not fail to generate perfectly understandable skepticism, but the two men who "saw" the object gave us concordant statements in every respect.

So, yesterday morning, Mr. Emile Renard, who is 27 years old and works as a mason craftsman, route de Doullens, in Acheux-en-Amiénois, had left his home by bicycle to go to his work in Lahoussoye. He was accompanied by his worker, Mr. Yves de Gillaboz, 23, living on the road from Bertancourt to Acheux-en-Amiémois.

Both were driving normally when around 7:15 a.m., as they had crossed Harponville and were heading towards Contay, their attention was drawn to a large object posed in a recently mown field, about 200 meters and to the right of the road.

- It looked like a haystack that was not finished, tells us Mr. Renard whom we found in the middle of his family in the evening.

- Yes, and the top was somewhat rounded and looked like an inverted plate, added M. de Gillaboz, whom his boss had gone to look for at his house at our request.

Intrigued, the two men jumped off their machine and, running, entered the fields in the direction of the craft.

Faster than his companion, Mr. Renard left him somewhat behind.

- As I got closer, he told us, I never took my eyes off the craft. I could thus realize that it was dirty gray in color and it might have been ten meters in diameter...

- And it oscillated a little, specifies Mr. de Gillaboz...

- Did you hear any noise? we ask.

- Absolutely nothing, the two men answer us.

And both said they noticed a sort of door wider than it was tall, but closed, on the wall of the craft.

- I had corssed about fifty meters, says Mr. Renard, when I saw the craft which rose diagonally, while smoke was escaping through a kind of pipe placed in its lower part.

It thus arrived at a height of fifteen meters. At that moment, it abandoned the diagonal and his ascent continued vertically and faster.

For a few minutes, we followed it with our eyes. As it climbed, it was more and more difficult to see it and it eventually disappeared.

- What were your impressions at the time? we ask.

- What do you want, said Mr. Renard, we stayed there, mouths gaping...

- I had only one hurry: get on my bike and get away as soon as possible.

- I was like dumbfounded, adds the mason craftsman. I was wondering what phenomenon we had just witnessed, and then I thought it might be a flying saucer, like the ones we hear about in the newspapers.

- Think, said his companion, we couldn't believe it. Admit that there is reason to be taken aback when one sees such a thing!

As we were questioning Mr. Renard to find out what he would have done if, continuing his race, he had arrived near the craft, he told us:

- I wanted to know what it was because I was so intrigued. I can't say if I would have risked touching it but I might have tried to realize what was inside. How? I don't know.

- Well, for my part, says Mr. de Gillaboz, I would not have touched it and this craft was nothing goo to me...

During their statements, the two men gave us a clear impression of sincerity. They told us that having spoken to residents of Lahoussoye about what they had seen, the latter had alerted the gendarmerie. During the day, MM. Renard and de Gillaboz were interrogated at length and separately. They were taken to the place where they saw the craft. There, no trace was found on the ground.

At the gendarmerie, the most complete silence is observed on the encounter made by the two inhabitants of Acheux-en-Amiénois, and one seems to be careful not to invalidate or confirm, too hastily, what remains for all a mystery.

Nevertheless, the statements of the two men are clear and precise, so we deliver them to our readers as they were given to us...

A flying saucer
landed in the Somme

Amiens, 8 (A.C.P.). - It appears from the testimony of two workers that a mysterious craft flew off on Tuesday morning from a field bordering the road connecting Harponville to Contay, in the Somme.

Having left his home by bicycle to go to his work, in La Houssoye, Mr. Emile Renard, 27, masonry craftsman, living on route de Doullens, in Acheux-en-Amiénois, was accompanied by his worker, Mr. Yves de Gillaboz, 23, living on route de Bertrancourt, also in Acheux.

The two cyclists had crossed Harponville and were heading towards Contay, when, according to them, their attention was attracted by a large apparatus, posed in a field, about 200 meters on the right of the road:

"It looked like an unfinished haystack," he said. "And the somewhat rounded top looked like an upturned plate."

Intrigued, the two men jumped off their machines and ran into the fields in the direction of the gray craft; which could have been about ten meters in diameter. It swayed a little, but made no noise and on its wall one could make out a kind of door wider than it was high, which was closed:

"However, declares Mr. Renard, being ahead of my companion, I had traveled about fifty meters, I saw the apparatus which rose diagonally, while a smoke escaped by a kind of pipe, placed in its lower part. Then at about fifteen meters in height, the machine continued its vertical ascent and more quickly."

It ends up disappearing from the eyes of the two men who, dumbfounded, wondered what phenomenon they had just witnessed.

At the Acheux-en-Amiénois gendarmerie, where they were questioned at length and separately, the most complete silence is kept, one is taking care not to deny nor confirm what remains a mystery for all.

Mssrs. Renard and de Gillaboz were also taken to the spot where they saw the craft. But there, no trace was found on the ground.

Did a flying saucer
land
near Amiens?

Two masons say it
with disturbing precision

According to two workers, a mysterious craft took off on Tuesday morning from a field bordering the road which links Harponville to Contay, near Amiens.

Having left his home on a bicycle to go to work in La Houssoye, Mr. Emile Renard, 27, a mason craftsman, living on the road from Doullens to Acheux in Amiénois, was accompanied by his worker, Mr. Yves de Gillaboz, 23, living on the route de Bertrancourt in the same locality.

IN A FIELD

The two cyclists had crossed Harponville and were heading towards Contay, when their attention was attracted by a large apparatus, posed in a field about 200 meters on the right of the road.

"It looked like an unfinished haystack, they say. And the somewhat rounded top looked like an inverted plate."

Intrigued, the two men jumped from their machine, and while running entered the fields in the direction of the gray-colored object, which may have been ten meters in diameter.

It oscillated a little, but made no noise, and on its wall there was a sort of closed door wider than it was tall.

THE CRAFT DISAPPEARS

"However, declares Mr. Renard, while preceding my companion, I had crossed fifty meters, I saw the apparatus rise in diagonal, while a smoke escaped by a kind of pipe placed in its lower part. About fifteen meters high, the machine continued its vertical ascent and faster."

And it ends up disappearing under the eyes of the two men who, dumbfounded, wondered what phenomenon they had just witnessed.

At the gendarmerie of Acheux-en-Amiénois, where the two men were interrogated at length and separately, one remains completely silent, taking care not to deny or confirm what remains a mystery for all.

MM. Renard and de Gillaboz were also taken to the place where they had seen the apparatus. But there, no trace was found on the ground.

NEW MYSTERY
in the Picardy sky?

Residents of the Péronne region reportedly saw on the ground, yesterday evening, a flying saucer between Estrées-Deniécourt and Foucaucourt-en-Santerre. Like the smoke of powder, the rumor ran yesterday evening in several neighboring municipalities, of the district of Péronne, that a flying saucer would have been seen in the evening, by inhabitants near the wood of Foucaucourt-en-Santerre.

How much credit should be given to these new claims?

At the time when the news reached us, it was not possible for us to carry out an investigation, even a fast one, to hear some of the witnesses of this new and strange appearance.

Be as it may, the skepticism that could arise from the statements of the two workers of Acheux-en-Amiénois may be mitigated by the fact that this time, those who could give a more detailed description of the curious object could be numerous.

Before further information, we are reluctant to insist too much on this new "mystery".

[Photo caption:] Here are the two residents of Acheux-en-Amiénois who, Tuesday morning, saw, between Harponville and Contay, the flying saucer we talked about yesterday. We recognize, on the left, Mr. RENARD and, on the right, Mr. de GILLABOZ.

- MYSTERY IN PICARDY -

Two workers state
to have seen a flying saucer
and describer it in an impressive manner

The craft was on the ground and rose
in diagonal, then vertically

One reads in "Le Courrier Picard":

This is the news that reached us at the end of the afternoon, news that witnesses to the astonishing event confirmed to us.

This information will not fail to generate perfectly understandable skepticism, but the two men who "saw" the object gave us concordant statements in every respect.

So, yesterday morning, Mr. Emile Renard, who is 27 years old and works as a mason craftsman, route de Doullens, in Acheux-en-Amiénois, had left his home by bicycle to go to his work in Lahoussoye. He was accompanied by his worker, Mr. Yves de Gillaboz, 23, living on the road from Bertancourt to Acheux-en-Amiémois.

Both were driving normally when around 7:15 a.m., as they had crossed Harponville and were heading towards Contay, their attention was drawn to a large object posed in a recently mown field, about 200 meters and to the right of the road.

- It looked like a haystack that was not finished, tells us Mr. Renard whom we found in the middle of his family in the evening.

- Yes, and the top was somewhat rounded and looked like an inverted plate, added M. de Gillaboz, whom his boss had gone to look for at his house at our request.

Intrigued, the two men jumped off their machine and, running, entered the fields in the direction of the craft.

Faster than his companion, Mr. Renard left him somewhat behind.

- As I got closer, he told us, I never took my eyes off the craft. I could thus realize that it was dirty gray in color and it might have been ten meters in diameter...

- And it oscillated a little, specifies Mr. de Gillaboz...

- Did you hear any noise? we ask.

- Absolutely nothing, the two men answer us.

And both said they noticed a sort of door wider than it was tall, but closed, on the wall of the craft.

- I had corssed about fifty meters, says Mr. Renard, when I saw the craft which rose diagonally, while smoke was escaping through a kind of pipe placed in its lower part.

It thus arrived at a height of fifteen meters. At that moment, it abandoned the diagonal and his ascent continued vertically and faster.

For a few minutes, we followed it with our eyes. As it climbed, it was more and more difficult to see it and it eventually disappeared.

- What were your impressions at the time? we ask.

- What do you want, said Mr. Renard, we stayed there, mouths gaping...

- I had only one hurry: get on my bike and get away as soon as possible.

- I was like dumbfounded, adds the mason craftsman. I was wondering what phenomenon we had just witnessed, and then I thought it might be a flying saucer, like the ones we hear about in the newspapers.

- Think, said his companion, we couldn't believe it. Admit that there is reason to be taken aback when one sees such a thing!

As we were questioning Mr. Renard to find out what he would have done if, continuing his race, he had arrived near the craft, he told us:

- I wanted to know what it was because I was so intrigued. I can't say if I would have risked touching it but I might have tried to realize what was inside. How? I don't know.

- Well, for my part, says Mr. de Gillaboz, I would not have touched it and this craft was nothing goo to me...

During their statements, the two men gave us a clear impression of sincerity. They told us that having spoken to residents of Lahoussoye about what they had seen, the latter had alerted the gendarmerie. During the day, MM. Renard and de Gillaboz were interrogated at length and separately. They were taken to the place where they saw the craft. There, no trace was found on the ground.

At the gendarmerie, the most complete silence is observed on the encounter made by the two inhabitants of Acheux-en-Amiénois, and one seems to be careful not to invalidate or confirm, too hastily, what remains for all a mystery.

Nevertheless, the statements of the two men are clear and precise, so we deliver them to our readers as they were given to us...

Did a flying saucer
land
in the Somme?

It appears from the statements of two workers, that a mysterious craft, Tuesday morning, flew away from a field bordering the road connecting Harponville to Contay.

Having left his home on a bicycle to go to his work in La Houssoye, Mr. Emile Renard, 27, craftsman-mason, living on the road of Doullens, in Acheux-en-Amiénois, was accompanied by his worker, Mr. Yves de Gillaboz, 23, living on the road of Bertrancourt, in Acheux-en-Amiénois.

The two cyclists had crossed Harponville and were heading towards Contay, when their attention was drawn to a large object placed in a field about 200 meters on the right of the road.

It looked like an un-

Read more on the last page under the title:

SAUCERS

SAUCERS

finished haystack, they say. And the somewhat rounded top looked like an inverted plate. Intrigued, the two men jumped from their machine and, running, entered the fields in the direction of the gray-colored object, which might have been ten meters in diameter. It oscillated a little, but made no noise and on its wall there was a sort of door wider than it was tall, which was closed.

However, declares Mr. Renard, while preceding my companion I had crossed fifty meters, I saw the apparatus which rose in diagonal, while a smoke escaped by a kind of pipe placed in its lower part. Then at a height of fifteen meters, the machine continued its vertical ascent more and more quickly, and it finally disappeared from the view of the two men who, dumbfounded, asked themselves what phenomenon they had just witnessed...

At the gendarmerie of Acheux-en-Amiénois, where the two men were interrogated at length and separately, the most complete silence is kept, taking care not to deny or confirm what remains a mystery for all.

MM. Renard and de Gillaboz were also taken to the place where they had seen the craft. But there, no trace was found on the ground.

BETWEEN HARPONVILLE AND CONTAY
IN THE SOMME

A MYSTERIOUS CRAFT
takes off from a field

It appears from the statements of two workers, that a mysterious machine, Tuesday morning, flew from a field bordering the road connecting Harponville to Contay.

Having left his home on a bicycle to go to work at La Houssoye, Mr. Emile Renard, 27, a mason craftsman, living in Acheux-en-Amiénois, was accompanied by his worker, Mr. Yves de Gillabez, 23.

The two cyclists had crossed Harponville and were heading towards Contay, when their attention was drawn to a large object placed in a field about 200 meters on the right of the road.

It looked like an unfinished haystack, they say. And the somewhat rounded top looked like an inverted plate. Intrigued, the two men jumped from their machine and, running, entered the fields in the direction of the gray-colored object, which might have been about ten meters in diameter. It oscillated a little, but made no noise and on its wall there was a kind of door wider than it was tall and which was closed.

However, declared Mr. Renard, while preceding his companion I had crossed fifty meters, I saw the apparatus which rose in diagonal, while smoke escaped by a kind of pipe placed in its lower part. Then at fifteen meters in height, the machine continued its vertical and faster ascent. And it ends up disappearing in the eyes of the two men who, dumbfounded, asked what phenomenon they had just witnessed...

At the gendarmerie of Acheux-en-Amiénois, where the two men were interrogated at length and separately, the most complete silence is kept, taking care not to deny or confirm what remains a mystery for all.

MM. Renard and de Gillaboz were also taken to the place where they had seen the craft. But there, no trace was found on the ground.

Formal testimony of two workers:

A flying saucer landed in the Somme

Amiens 8 (A.C.P.). - It appears from the testimony of two workers that a mysterious machine flew Tuesday morning from a field bordering the road linking Harponville to Contay in the Somme.

Mr. Emile Renard, a 27-year-old artisanal mason living on the road from Doullens to Acheux-en-Amiénois, was accompanied by his workman, Mr. Vves de Gillaboz, 23, who had left his home on bicycle to go to work at La Houssoye, remaining road of Bertrancourt, also in Acheux.

The two cyclists had crossed Harponville and headed towards Contay when, according to them, their attention was attracted by a large machine, placed in a field about 200 meters on the right of their road:

"It looked like an unfinished millstone," they said, and the slightly rounded top resembled a flattened plate.

Intrigued, the two men jumped down of their machine and ran into the fields towards the gray craft, which might have been about ten meters in diameter. It oscillated somewhat, but made no noise, and on its wall one distinguished a kind of door wider than high, which was closed.

"However," said Mr. Renard, "as I was before my companion, I had traveled about fifty yards, I saw the apparatus rising diagonally, while a smoke escaped through a kind of pipe placed in its lower part, and then at a height of about ten meters, the machine continued to ascend vertically and more rapidly."

It ended by disappearing from the eyes of the two men, who, awestruck, wondered what phenonen they had just witnessed.

At the gendarmerie of Acheux-en-Amienois, where they were long and separately questioned, one keeps the most complete silence, being careful not to inform or to confirm what remains for all a mystery.

MM. Renard and Gillaboz were also taken to the spot where they would have seen the aircraft. But there was no trace on the ground.

A mason and his worker
claim to have seen
a flying saucer
in a field

A mason, Mr. Emile Renard, 27, and his worker, Mr. Yves de Gillebez, 23, claim to have seen in a field, about 200 meters from the road, near Acheux-en-Amiénois, a craft resembling a truncated haystack, on which would have been placed a kind of large inverted plate.

The two men, who were riding their bikes, stated that they then jumped from their machine and ran towards the craft which, they say, was gray in color and about ten meters in diameter approximately. It swung slightly, and a sort of closed door could be seen on the wall. There was no sound from the craft.

Still according to the account of MM. Renard and Gillabez, the apparatus flew away when they had already traveled fifty meters. Smoke came out of a kind of pipe placed at its bottom. After an oblique flight of about fifteen meters, the craft took the vertical and disappeared.

The two men were interrogated at the Gendarmerie of Acheux-en-Amiénois, then taken to the place where they claim to have seen the craft. No trace was found on the ground.

BETWEEN HARPONVILLE AND CONTAY
IN THE SOMME

A MYSTERIOUS CRAFT
flies away froma field

It appears from the statements of two workers, that a mysterious craft, Tuesday morning, flew from a field bordering the road connecting Harponville to Contay.

Having left his home on a bicycle to go to work at "La Houssoye", Mr. Emile Renard, 27, craftsman-mason, living in Acheux-en-Amiénois, was accompanied by his worker, Mr. Yves de Gillaboz, 23 years old.

The two cyclists had crossed Harponville and were heading towards Contay, when their attention was drawn to a large object placed in a field about 200 meters on the right of the road.

It looked like an unfinished haystack, they say. And the somewhat rounded top looked like an inverted plate. Intrigued, the two men jumped from their machine and, running, entered the fields in the direction of the gray-colored object, which could be ten meters in diameter. It oscillated a little, but made no noise and on its wall there was a sort of door wider than it was tall and which was closed.

However, declares Mr. Renard, while preceding his companion I had crossed fifty meters, I saw the apparatus which rose in diagonal, while a smoke escaped by a kind of pipe placed in its lower part. Then at a height of fifteen meters, the machine continued its vertical ascent more and more quickly. And it ended up disappearing from the sight of the two men who, dumbfounded, wondered what phenomenon they had just witnessed...

At the gendarmerie of Acheux-en-Amiénois, where the two men were interrogated at length and separately, the most complete silence is kept, taking care not to deny or confirm, what remains a mystery for all.

MM. Renard and de Gillaboz were also taken to the place where they had seen the craft. But there, no trace was found on the ground.

"200 m. away
from us: a
flying saucer"

... but "the thing"
disappeared when
the two men
approached it

LILLE, Sep 9. (Part. Dept.)

A flying saucer reportedly landed Tuesday morning in the vicinity of Amiens, between Harponville and Contay. This is what two masons from Acheux-en-Amiénois claim, Mr. Emile Renard, 27, and his worker Yves de Gillaboz, 23.

"The craft, gray in color, was two hundred meters from us," they said. It looked like an unfinished haystack, the rounded top of which was like an upturned plate. It might have been ten meters long in diameter.

Mr. Renard was the first to run towards the "saucer", but it did not wait for him.

"I suddenly saw the craft rise silently as smoke escaped from a nozzle at its bottom. The craft went diagonally, then vertically and quickly disappeared.

Questioned separately by the gendarmes, the two men told exactly the same story and gave the same details, but on the spot one could not locate any trace of the "saucer."

However, many inhabitants of the district of Péronne reported that they had seen the craft above the wood of Foucaucourt-en-Santerre.

We saw a flying saucer at a distance of 100 meters

ARRAS. - Two masons, MM. Emile Renard, 27, and Yves de Gillaboz, domiciled in Acheux-en-Amiénois (the Somme), said they observed a "flying saucer" at the exit of the village of Harponville.

"The thing, they said, was in a field, 200 meters from the road. It looked like a huge upturned plate, was gray, and measured ten meters. We dropped our bikes and we started to run in the direction of the machine which was sometimes leaning left, sometimes leaning to the right. On the surface a kind of wider than high door could be seen, and carefully closed.

"While we were still a hundred meters of the saucer, the latter began to rise obliquely, without noise, letting an acrid smoke escape through a tube placed below. Having reached 15 meters height, this weird machine rose in a straight line rather quickly and eventually disappeared. We believed we were dreaming..."

The two men, interviewed separately by the police, provided the same report of what they claim to have seen.

HARPONVILLE

A mysterious machine rises in the Picardy sky! -- Tuesday morning, Mr. Emile Remard, 27, craftsman mason, in Acheux-en-Amiénois, had left his home by bicycle to go to his work in Lahoussoye. He was accompanied by his worker, Mr. Yves de Gillaboz, 23, also living in Acheux-en-Amiénois.

Both were driving normally when, around 7:15 a.m., when they had crossed Harponville and headed for Contay, their attention was drawn to a large object posed in a recently mown field, about 200 meters and to the right of the road.

This machine was in the shape of an unfinished haystack and the top was somewhat rounded and looked like an inverted plate.

Intrigued, the two men jumped from their machine and, running, entered the fields in the direction of the machine.

Faster than his companion, Mr. Renard left him somewhat behind. Approaching and not taking his eyes off the engine, he was able to realize that it was dirty gray in color and could be about ten meters in diameters [sic]... and oscillated somewhat.

Mr. Renard had traveled fifty meters when he saw the craft rise diagonally, while smoke escaped through a kind of pipe placed in its lower part.

He thus arrived at fifteen meters of height. At that moment, it abandoned the diagonal and its ascent continued vertically and more quickly.

For a few minutes, MM. Renard and de Gillaboz followed the craft, as it climbed, it was more and more difficult to see it and it eventually disappeared.

Faced with this strange phenomenon, our two men gaped, as if dumbfounded, wondering if they had not been in the presence of one of these famous... flying saucers!

During their statements, both of them produced a clear impression of sincerity.

Having spoken to residents of Lahoussoyse about what they saw, the latter alerted the gendarmerie.

During the day, MM. Renard and de Gillaboz were interrogated at length and separately. They were taken to the place where they saw the craft. There, no trace was detected on the ground.

Nevertheless, the statements of the two men are clear and precise.

News from Everywhere

Did a flying saucer land near Amiens? Two masons claim this with disturbing precision.

The flying saucers again: a mason and his assistant, of Acheux-en-Amiénois also saw a flying saucer. It is a fact that unfortunately never happens on the terrace of a cafe.

Witnesses statements match:

"The flying saucer takes off at the speed of a helicopter then the acceleration becomes vertiginous"

Amiens, September 14. -- Yesterday we presented, the extraordinary report by Mr. Marius Dewilde, of Quarouble, close to Valenciennes, who stats he saw a flying saucer and two small mysterious beings. This scene, let us recall, occurred Friday, September 10, towards 23:15. Today hereis the story of two resident of Acheux-in-Amienois, misters Emile Renard and Yves de Gillaboz, who, as we had specified briefly, also claim to have seen a flying saucer.

This adventure, which occurred 90 km in straight line from Valenciennes, happened on Tuesday, September 7, towards 7:15 a.m. The craft seemed stopped at a few centimetres of the ground, in a thatch, within 200 meters of the secondary road which goes from Harponville to Contay.

The two witnesses are very honourably known and very esteemed in Acheux-in-Amiénois where they live. It is there, where separately they told us the event, just like, separately, they sketched for us, the general outline of the saucer which we reproduce. But before hearinf their say, let us introduce them briefly:

Mr. Emile Renard is 27 years old, he is owner mason, married and father of four children. Native of Acheux, we weree told by everyone that he is a keen worker. And is the first to express his impatience about the flying saucer.

"For one week, he told us, I waste half of my days to tell this story. I have enough of that, believe me. That's not what puts food on the table for my children."

As of Yves de Gillerboz, he worked as mason with Mr. Renard for one year. He is a strong 23 years old boy, showing health and which, no more than his boss, seems to want to joke around.

A strange haystack

We interrogated them and their accounts agree perfectly, just like the whole agrees on many points with the Mr. Dewilde's vision.

"Instead of using the van whose engine needed repair, Mr. Renard explained to us, my employee and I had left on bicycles to return to our work at the rural policeman's of the commune of Houssoye. Suddenly between Harponville and Contay, the tire of Guillerboz' bicycle deflated. I stopped to hand my pump to him and my eyes were attracted by a kind of disc, within 250 meters of us in a field.

- Look, I told my friend, that's a haystack with a funny color!

But very buzy inflating the tire, he did not answer me. Puzzled, I continued to detail the object when I realized that the latter, while moving compared to the ground, was shaken by a slight swinging, a kind of oscillation around an imaginary axis.

- But look at that, looks at that, it is not a haystack! I shouted to companion.

And both of us, taken by I do not know what presentiment, we rushed through the fields to approach the mysterious apparatus; we had to cross, after a first waste land, a beet field. Hardly had we started to run through the latter that the saucer, for it was now a saucer to us, we were sure, takes off askew during about fifteen meters to then go up vertically."

Craft wingspan: about ten meters

Just like his boss, Mr. Guillerboz, specified to us that the machine was ten meters in width by three meters high approximately.

"It was of a bluish gray color but did not shine", he specified to us. Both finally, affirm that the saucer left without making the least noise. Contrary to Mr. Dewilde, of Quarouble, they did not succeed in approaching the machine at less than 150 meters. But according to these witnesses, this saucer there too, had at its back a kind of tailpipe where smoke came out at the time of takeoff.

Very disturbed by this vision which had lasted at least three minutes, for the machine took some time before disappearing in the clouds, Misters Renard and Guillerboz told their adventure to the forest keeper of Houssaye. It is the latter who insisted that the statement is made to the gendarmerie of Corbie.

The gendarmes came on the spot as well as a specialists in aeronautics. They lengthily investigated but no trace of the passage of the saucer was found in the field. Perhaps it did not land but hovered like a helicopter.

Lastly, the last comparison item between the saucer of Quarouble and that of Acheux-in-Amiénois, the takeoff was achieved initially askew and then vertically. At the start, during the first meters, the witnesses agree to specify that the rise was done about at the same speed as that of a helicopter. It is thereafter that acceleration becomes vertiginous.

Across everything

Phantasms of the night

I admit it. Despite my oath to believe in this only when I see it, with my own eyes, I am weakening.

What, people who do not have the reputation of riding the chimera, "born natives" of Acheux, near Amiens, Picards with a cool head and, on top of the market, masons accustomed to handle material things, had seen them.

And they gave such details! ...

Epidemic

I was going to surrender, make amends.

Occurs the adventure of the inhabitant of Quarouble. It's getting closer to us.

Without doubt, the visionary, who is called Marius by chance, was not satisfied with seeing something like what our two brave masons reported.

He adds a little, up to having been grazed by the passengers of the flying saucer - because it was one, no doubt - little helmets, and saw them rush into the mysterious craft that resumed its backfiring flight.

Maybe like simple aviators more or less at home on a more or less ordinary plane.

The kiss of the Saucerian

And then patatras!

This Corrèze cultivator who lets himself be kissed by the passenger of the flying saucer speaking an unknown dialect, goes a little furtherer: he throws everything on the floor.

Including flying saucers that do not leave a trace of their passage while leaving some.

So, farewell saucer!It will be for another time.

When your passengers are more serious.

In the Amiens region:

A mason and a worker saw
a flying saucer in a field

But no trace was found
on the ground

A mason, Mr. Emile Renard, 27, and his worker, Mr. Yves de Guillaboz, 23, claim to have seen on September 8, in a field, about 200 meters from the road, near Acheux-en-Amiénois, a craft resembling a truncated haystack on which would have been placed a kind of large inverted plate.

The two men, who were riding their bikes, stated that they then jumped from their machines and ran towards the craft which, they say, was gray in color and approximately ten meters in diameter. It swung slightly and on the wall, there was a sort of closed door.

There was no sound from the craft.

Still according to the account of MM. Renard and Guillaboz, the craft flew away when they had already traveled fifty meters. A smoke escaped from a kind of pipe placed at its bottom. after an oblique flight of fifteen meters, the craft took the vertical.

All this happened... this week

Two masons tell the police with disturbing precision that they saw a flying saucer take off near Amiens.

Flying saucers in the sky of France?

The flying saucers multiply at a dizzying rate. Indeed, witnesses to the evolutions of these mysterious craft have been legion in France for some time.

It is first Mr. Marius Dewilde who said he saw a saucer on September 10, at 10 p.m., posed on a railway track near Valenciennes. When he approached the apparatus, two strange and stocky men, whose size did not exceed one meter, moved quickly towards the craft. A few moments later, a square of intense light appeared on the sides of the saucer. The witness was dazzled, and when he opened his eyes, everything was gone.

In Onnaing, 70 kilometers away, a young man, Mr. Auverlot and a pensioner, Mr. Hublard, revealed to have seen on the same day, at the same time, a red glow moving in the sky. As for Mr. Emile Renard, he claims to have seen a saucer which had landed in a field near Acheux-en-Amiénois. The craft hovered slightly above the ground, and when he wanted to approach it, the craft took off and disappeared.

Better still, Mr. Mazaud, farmer of Mourieras (Corrèze), reportedly met an unknown individual, wearing a helmet, on a path, who shook his hand and kissed him, saying unintelligible words. The stranger then climbed into an unlit cigar-shaped craft, four meters long, which, taking off vertically, set off in a westward direction, making no more noise than a bee.

In Origny-en-Thiérache and in the region of Château-Thierry (Aisne), residents claim to have seen a meteor about the size of a motorcycle wheel. Its passage through the Marne valley was accompanied by a blast heard from several localities.

BRIEF NEWS

FRANCE

- In Quarouble, Friday, September 10, at 11 p.m., a gatekeeper reportedly saw a flying saucer posed on the track. Having approached by the light of his electric lamp, he saw two small men surmounted by a "glass head" quickly get inside. The gendamerie investigated without result.

- A farmer from the Corrèze said that he was approached by the passenger in a flying saucer who shook his hand. He was a quite man-like individual. He then climbed into a cigar-shaped craft that rose vertically.

- A "flying saucer" with a diameter of about ten meters, reportedly landed in a field near Amiens. Two masons who were on their way to work approached it by almost 100 m. and saw it disappear quickly, rising diagonally.

MYSTERIOUS CRAFT
IN THE SOMME
AND IN THE NORD

SEE OUR REPORT IN THIS ISSUE

SEPTEMBER 7: A NEW CHAPTER IN THE SAUCERS AFFAIR, IN PICARDY

From OUR SPECIAL ENVOYS: ROBERT LEFEBVRE AND YVES CONTI

[Photo caption:] On the left, the landscape which was the scene of the apparition, between Harponville and Contay. The cross indicates the approximate location from where the unknown craft would have taken off.

In four days, from September 7 to 11, two Picard masons and a metalworker from Quarouble added two new chapters to the fabulous history of flying saucers. The similarities in their statements, days apart, are particularly troubling. Trustworthy testimonies, collected since, did confirm the testimonies. In Quarouble, for the first time, suspicious traces were found. The official services are taking the matter seriously: three Air Police inspectors investigated for 48 hours in Valenciennes, and the Amiens gendarmerie now has a "saucers" file containing the reports of their investigators and the statements signed by Emile Renard, 28, craftsman-mason, rue de Louvancourt in Acheux-en-Amiénois, and his worker, Yves de Gillaboz, 23, rue de Bertrancourt.

The adventure told by the two Picardy men takes place on September 7 at 7:15 a.m.. The gray and overcast skies give the countryside a color of science fiction. On the road, between Harponville and Contay, two men pedal in silence, their bags of tools on their backs. They struggle on the hill, and curse the breakdown which has deprived them since the day before of their solid B-12. At the top of the steep slope, Emile Renard suddenly stops pedalling. His finger points, beyond the millstones, 1,500 meters away, to a grove:

- Funny haystack! Do you see it?

His workmate shrugs. He is much more interested in the disturbing agony of his rear tire. Indeed, one kilometer further on, the inner tube breathed its last air. The two masons dismount. Yves de Gillaboz repairs with a grumble. His boss waits, hands on hips. Suddenly, while handing his worker the pump of his bicycle, Emile Renard again experiences a strange feeling of unease. His eyes stare at the oddly shaped haystack spotted from the top of the hill. It does not have the bronze color that the peasants are familiar with. It is gray, a dull and dirty gray. And it moves... It oscillates on its base.

- Like an upturned plate tossed negligently on a table, Yves de Gillaboz would later say.

The first moment of amazement passed, Emile Renard did not hesitate for a second: "Damn, that's not a haystack! I'll check it out".

The worker is not reassured. Impressed by the legends that run about the mysterious stellar craft, he tries to hold his boss back. But Emile Renard is already far away. He advance towards the strange object, with long strides in the field of freshly harvested wheat. Yves de Gillaboz grew bolder and set off in turn. Emile Fox is only 150 meters from the craft.

- "It was still swinging, noiselessly, about 50 centimeters from the ground".

Suddenly, as the boss mason enters the beet field that still separates him from his goal, the incredible happens. The thing rises rapidly vertically, for about fifteen meters. It slows down, then heads northwest, towards Toutancours, after flying over the nearby grove. It disappears in the fog. On the edge of the beet field, Emile Renard, upset, stopped. Unable to utter a single word, he comes out of his torpor on a nudge from his worker who has joined him, trembling with fear. Slowly, the two men, still silent, return to the road.

Three hours of interrogation

Such is the extraordinary adventure that Emile Renard and Yves de Gillaboz claim to have experienced. It's not a story they tell, in front of a liter of red wine, to impress their friends. On Tuesday noon, they went, of their own free will, to explain the facts to the gendarmes of Corbie.

- We would have done better not to say anything! sighs, however, Yves de Gillaboz. Indeed, the gendarmes, conscientious civil servants, did not smile. They phoned the departmental commander in Amiens. An hour later the

[Photo caption:] Mr. Emile Renard, mason, was the first to see the machine at 7 a.m. 15 in the morning.

[Photo caption:] The two masons retraced the path they took through the fields. On the right, they indicate to our special correspondent the direction taken by the craft.

two heroes of the day were received by the staff of the Picardy gendarmerie. They returned home at nightfall. They had just undergone, each, separately, nearly three hours of interrogation.

- This would disgust you forever of the flying saucers, they throw at us from the top of the scaffolding where we surprised them two days later in Bouzincourt. "And who will compensate us for lost working hours?".

They will probably lose many more if, as they say, they have to be heard by the specialists who have been studying the mystery of the saucers for several years. For their part, the gendarmes were able to establish that the accounts of the two men agreed perfectly, down to the smallest details. They learned, from their colleagues at Acheux, that Renard and Gilleboz [sic] were well regarded, sober and hardworking. They went with them to the scene of the apparition, but no trace has yet been found. They also went to Estrées-Deniecourt, near Péronne, where residents claimed to have seen a craft on Wednesday evening. But their arrival paralyzed the tongues, and it is likely that they were pranksters inspired by the Acheux affair.

"That thing wasn't on the ground"

Emile Renard and Yves de Gillaboz accompanied us to the field from which the mysterious craft is said to have flown away.

- As I got closer, I never took my eyes off it, says Emile Renard. It looked like a haystack that wasn't finished. it was about ten meters in diameter, about three meters high...

- Did the machine spin on itself, like a disk?

- No, it oscillated on its base, but it didn't spin, since I clearly saw, on the left of the wall facing us, a kind of door wider than it was high. But it was closed.

- All the same, it seems incredible that the craft left no trace, and made no noise while fleeing?

The artisan mason purses his willing lips and exclaims:

- What do you want? I can't tell you what I haven't seen or heard! I don't think that thing was on the ground. I also point out to you that I noticed that a slight smoke was escaping through a kind of pipe placed in its lower part.

- I saw it too, confirms Yves de Gillaboz who continues, worried: "Do you think there was someone inside it?".

The boss wanted to know for sure: "I was intrigued to the hilt. If the craft hadn't flown away, I would have tried to find out what was going on inside. How? I don't know..."

Collective hallucination? The two men are not at all the visionary type. They don't know anything about fantasy literature, and the film "War of the Worlds" is not yet distributed in this region. Flying saucer or secret craft of an unknown nation? The mystery is probably far from being solved.

- This is all too complicated for me! Emile Renard told us. I am not a scientist.

- Me, in any case, it doesn't mean anything good to me, concludes Yves de Gillaboz. That bloody saucer is wasting my time. And my sleep: I can no longer sleep at night...

But on the very day the inhabitants of Origny-en-Thiérache came to describe to the gendarmerie a luminous craft which they had seen passing, on September 7 - description that confirms the testimony of the two masons - the news was bouncing in the police station of a village in Valenciennes where, in the middle of the night, a terrified man is going to tell a new and no less extraordinary adventure...

[Photo caption:] The mason worker Yves de Gillabroz [sic]: "Me, all that, it keeps me from sleeping".

DESCRIBING SAUCER TAKE-OFF from field near Amiens, Yves de Gillaboz (left), Emile Renard point to the sky where they saw the Martian machine" belching puffs of smoke as it disappeared from view.

GILLABOZ AND RENARD: AN INVERTED PLATE

Amiens. -- Yves de Gillaboz (left) and Emile Renard point out the direction taken by the flying saucer which they caught landing. While going to work, in a roadside field they saw a big cupola, shaped like an inverted deep dish. They ran toward it. They could easily perceive its color, "dirty grey", they declare, and its dimensions, 10 meters by 3. It was oscillating on its base, but was emitting no sound. On the surface appeared a closed door, which was wider than it was high. Before they were able to get close to it, the machine rose diagonally, a thick black smoke escaping from a pipe on its underside. It climbed then to a height of 15 meters, then rose vertically, at a noticeably increasing speed. The two men, in awe, followed it for a moment with their eyes. The police, on being notified, found no suspicious marks at the indicated place. But the seriousness of the two men was beyond doubt. Moreover, Mr. Chovel and his family, near Hirson, saw during the night time a luminous disc resembling the Amiens saucer.

Flying saucers

What a nice "chit-chat" ground for the Press in search of sensations...

But until proven guilty (and it hasn't been released yet) the flying saucers are just a myth, a big joke. They don't exist!

Certainly the popular imagination often more or less well balanced, multiplied by gossip and malice, this gives fertile results (in all areas).

Most recently, in the Somme department, two men had certified to have seen a flying saucer (which they had approached) land in a field (which they designated) where naturally no trace was found (the thatch was not even crushed).

The cases of individual or collective hallucinations are increasing. We give below a very recent relation (it comes, it is true, from a Mediterranean country where pranks and other jokes...):

The newspaper "Diario de Lisboa" (Portugal) reveals that like a French farmer who recently met a Martian who came to earth aboard a mysterious craft, four Portuguese peasants had also just met visitors who had arrived from another world.

However, they did not kiss them.

"Seeing us," one of the witnesses reports, "they walked towards us and made a few sounds. Faced with our incomprehension, they invited us, by gestures, to get into their craft. But we refused".

It was on September 25, at 6:00 p.m., that these events occurred, to which we would like to be able to add here, at a point located in the Gardunha mountains, on the Spanish-Portuguese border.

A sphere appeared in the sky to the east, witnesses still say. It flew at breakneck speed and threw multicolored lightning flashes. It landed silently 200 meters from us and two figures about 2.50 meters tall got out. They looked like men of aluminum. They first gathered herbs and gathered stones which they placed in a box of blinding glare.

Editor's note. - So they refused to get on the craft! What a great missed opportunity to make a splendid trip.

The silhouettes were 2.50 meters tall. Previously they did not exceed 25 centimeters: they must have grown, like human stupidity.

INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROACASTS

COUNTRY:	Non-Orbit		DATE OF INFORMATION:	1954
SUBJET:	Military - Unidentified flying objects
HOW PUBLISHED:	Dail[y] newspaper		DATE DIST.:	29 oct 1954
WHERE PUBLISHED:	As indicated		NO. OF PAGES:	5
DATE PUBLISHED:	31 Jul - 20 Sep 1954
LANGUAGES:	Various		SUPPLEMENT TO REPORT NO.:
[Blackened out]	[Blackened out]		THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
SOURCE:	As indicated

SIGHTINGS OF UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS,
31 JULY - 20 SEPTEMBER 1954

WESTERN EUROPE

[... (Reports from other countries) ...]

France

[... (Previous reports) ...]

UNIDENTIFIED OBJECTS SEEN IN SOMME DEPARTEMENT -- Dakar, Paris-Dakar, 10 Sep 54

A 27-year-old mason and his assistant report that recently (on September 7, see below) they saw a grey object resembling a truncated millstone with a large inverted plate lying on it in a field at about 200 meters from the road where they were driving, near Acheux-en-Amiénois, Somme Department. The object oscillated slowly, and seemed to have a closed door on its side. When the men had run about 50 meters toward it, the object began to fly away. Smoke was then visible from a sort of exhaust pipe on the underside. After an oblique flight of about 15 meters, the object rose vertically and disappeared. Police later found no trace of the object.

[... (next reports)]

Paris, Le Parisien Libéré, 14 Sep 54

Emile Renard, a Mason, and Yves de Guillerboz, his assistant, saw what they considered to be a "flying saucer" at 0:15 on 7 September. Both men are known to be very reliable. They stated that the object apparently never touched the ground, but hovered above the ground like a helicopter. It was about 10 meters in diameter and 3 meters in height. did not glow, and departed noiselessly, trailing smoke as it took off. They saw the object for at least 3 minutes.

(Source contains three crude sketches of the object drawn by these men.)

DESCRIBING SAUCER TAKE-OFF from field near Amiens, Yves de Gillaboz (left), Emile Renard point to the sky where they saw "Martian machine" belching piuffs of smoke as it vanished from sight.

September 7 [1954]

07:17 a.m.: Contay (Somme): reversed hollow plate on the ground au sol.

Observations such as these, reported with similar care, were numerous during the month of August and the beginning of September. And suddenly, on September 7, came the biggest surprise: for the first time witnesses claimed to have seen a flying saucer land.

This incident took place in the Amienois region, less than 200 kilometers north of Paris.

Around 7:15 in the morning, two masons from Acheux in Amienois, Mr. Emile Renard, 27 years old, and his helper, Yves Degillerboz, 23 years old, were on their way to work on their bicycles between Harponville and Contay when they saw an extraordinary spectacle.

According to the police constabulary the two men were interrogated separately and their statements were strictly in agreement; all the details reported by Renard agree with the details reported by Degillerboz.

"Instead of taking our small truck, because the motor needed repairs, my worker and I left by bicycle," Mr. Renard said. "We were going to work at the Constable's at Houssaye. Suddenly, between Harponville and Contay, Degillerboz' bicycle had a flat. I stopped to lend him my pump and my eyes were attracted to a sort of disc about 200 meters from us in a field.

"'Look,' I said to my worker. 'Don't you find that haystack bas a peculiar color?'

"Intrigued, I was examining the object when suddenly it moved with a slight swinging oscillation.

"'But look! Look there! It isn't a haystack,' I cried to my companion.

"Then we ran across the fields toward the mysterious object. In order to reach it we had to cross a piece of fallow land and a field of beets. We had hardly reached this last than the object came up obliquely, went on its way diagonally for about 15 meters, then started to go up vertically.

"All in all this vision lasted perhaps three minutes, after which the object disappeared in the clouds.

"The object flew off without noise and emitted on the lower right a little smoke. It was of a blue-green color. It could have been about 10 meters in diameter by three meters high and resembled an overturned plate. On the left, below, one could see a sort of plaque which was longer than it was high, like a door. It was about 150 meters from us at the moment of its ascent.

"The Constable of La Houssaye insisted that we report our observations to the Constabulary of Corbie."

Having taken this double statement, the constabulary went to the place but found no evidence except that of the two men who had left their footprints in the fields. This is explainable by the fact that the two witnesses reported the saucer was oscillating, which means that it could not have been on the ground.

Confronted with this story, told by two men who knew each other well and who were together at the time of the supposed incident, the constabulary decided that it was a hoax being perpetrated by two practical jokers. Therefore the affair was not publicized. The first newspapers to mention it were Figaro, Paris-Presse, and France-Soir, in their issues of October 9 [sic, September 9].

[...]

One last detail must be mentioned: The two principal witnesses, Renard and Degillerboz, only told their story unwillingly after the police and the press put them through some vexatious publicity which they did not wish and, indeed, had tried to avoid.

"Instead of taking the van as usual, as its engine was under revision, my workman and I took the bicycles. We were to go to work at the pastoral guard of the community of Lahoussoye. Suddenly, between Harponville and Contay, a tire of Degillerboz' bicycle deflated. I stopped to lend him my pump, and my eyes were attracted by a sort of disc, within 200 meters from us, in a field. You would have thought it was an unfinished haystack, whose top would have been capped by a plate turned upside down."

"- Look at this, I said to my workman, don't you find that this haystack has a strange color?"

"Puzzled, I examined the object, when I realized that it slightly moved with a hardly perceptible swinging, like an oscillation."

"But looks at it! Look at it please! It is not a haystack! I shouted at my companion."

"Then, we both rushed through fields towards the mysterious object. To reach it, we had to cross a waste land, then a beet field. Hardly had we reached this field that the object took off in skew, slipping by in diagonal on about fifteen meters, then started to go up vertically. Maybe, overall, the vision lasted three minutes, after that the object disappeared in the clouds."

"The object flew away without noise, while releasing on it right below, a small puff of smoke. It was of a gray-bluish color. It could have had ten meters in diameter, and three meters height approximately, and, as I said, it resembled a plate turned upside down. On the left, at the bottom, a sort of plate, broader than high, as a door, was observed. It was at approximately 150 meters of us when it took off. It is the rural guard of Lahoussoye who insisted that we report our observation to the gendarmerie of Corbie."

September 7, 1954, 07:15, Harponville (France).

Between Harponville and Contay, two bricklayers, Emile Renard, 27, and Yves Degillerboz, 23 saw an object floating in mid-air over a field: "It looked like an unfinished haystack, with a plate turned upside down on top of it." When they approached, it took off. Diameter 10 m, height 3 m. A kind of door was noticed. The observation lasted over 3 min. The object released smoke when it departed. (6; M 35) (Le Figaro, September 9, 1954).

142) September 7, 1954 07:15, Harponville (France):

Between Harponville and Contay, two bricklayers, Emile Renard, 27, and Yves Degillerboz, 23 saw an object floating in mid-air over a field: "It looked like an unfinished haystack, with a plate turned upside down on top of it." When they approached, it took off. Diameter 10 m, height 3 m. A kind of door was noticed. The observation lasted over 3 min. The object released smoke when it departed. (P 6, M 35).

When hovering, the saucer often wobbles (Contay September 7, 1954) or sways (Poncey October 4, 1954).

317 7 September 1954 07 15 HARPONVILLE (FRANCE)

Between Harponville and Contay, two bricklayers, Emile Renard (27) and Yves Degillerboz (23) saw an object floating in mid-air over a field: "It looked like an unfinished haystack, with a plate turned upside down on top of it". When they approached, it took off. It had a diameter of 10 m, height of 3m. A kind of door was noticed. The observations lasted over 3 minutes. The object released smoke when it departed.

(M142; Le Figaro, 9 September 1954; Michel II, 35)

09/07/1954 Contay (Amiens)

That day, around 7:15 a.m., Messrs. Y. Renard and E. Dégillerboz [sic] observed a craft in the shape of a haystack which oscillated slowly at ground level. The object flew away silently and releasing a small smoke from the right and below. (J. Guieu)

09/07/1954 Contay (Somme)

Around 7:15 a.m., two masons were able to observe a haystack-shaped object oscillating at ground level in a field 200 m away. (A.Michel)

Note also that B&B [Barthel and Brucker], who claim to have found no reliable case for the year 54, carefully avoid talking about [... cases ...], Harponville/Contay, [... cases ...], for which we met the witnesses and collected stories in all respects identical to those reported at the time.

[... Other cases...]

A saucer lands!?

The time and date: 7:15 a.m. September 7th. Witnesses:M. Emile Renard and Yves Degillerboz. The place:200 miles north of Paris on a road between Contay and Harponville. M. Renard told a constable:

"Suddenly, between Harponville and Contay, Degillerboz's bicycle had a flat. I stopped to lend him my pump and my eyes were attracted to a sort of disc about 200 meters from us in a field.

"'Look,' I said to my worker. 'Don't you find that haystack has a peculiar color?'

"Intrigued, I was examining the object when suddenly it moved with a slight swinging oscillation.

'"But look! Look there! It isn't a haystack,' I cried to my companion.

"Then we ran across the field toward the mysterious object. In order to reach it we had to cross a piece of fallow land and a field of beets. We had hardly reached this last than the object came up obliquely, went on this way diagonally for about 15 meters, then started to go up vertically.

"All in all this vision lasted perhaps three minutes, after which the object disappeared in the clouds.

"The object flew off without noise and emitted on the lower right a little smoke. It could have been about 10 meters in diameter by three meters high and resembled an overturned plate. On the left, below, one could see a sort of plaque which was longer than it was high, like a door. It was about 150 meters from us at the moment of its ascent.

"The Constable of La Houssaye insisted that we report our observations to the Constabulary of Corbie." 38.

After hearing the men out, the Constable checked the area of the sight ing finding the footprints of Renard and Degillerboz in the soft dirt but no trace of a landing by the supposed machine. Since the two witnesses were good friends, the officer of the law assumed the story was a practical joke. Later critics of the lawman's judgement suggested that since the UFO was quivering when first spotted, perhaps it never actually touched down. 39.

Word of this report did reach the offices of BLUE BOOK, one of the few European cases to do so, but when and by what means is not known. Judging by the scanty data obtained case project record card below, the sole bit of paper on the incident), the source must not have been a good one.

[... Other cases...]

• 38. Paris, France. Le Parisien Libere. 9 September 54. p.7. Also: Paris, France. Figaro. 9 October 54" Also: Paris, France. France-Soir. 9 October ST.
• 39. Michel, Aime. "Flying Saucers in Europe." Fate. Vol.11, No.l. January 1958. p.33.

SIMILARITIES WITH HELICOPTERS

[... other cases...]

07/09/54 [sic, as "9 July 1954"] between Harponville and Contay (80) at 07:15 - an object like a haystack with a door higher than large, closed, takes off vertically

[... other cases...]

3761: 1954/09/07 07:20 5 2:30:00 E 50:01:00 N 3333 WEU FRN SMM 8:7

nr CONTAY,FR:2 OBS:SLNT 12M SCR/FLD:WIDE DOOR/SIDE:PLATE/TOP:^^:/r197p01

Ref# 2 VALLEE:UFOS IN SPACE:Anatomy/phenon. Page No. 94 : FARMLANDS

September 7

Near Acheux-en-Amiénois (Somme), Emile Renard, a 27 year-old mason, and Yves de Guillerrez, his assistant - both regarded as reliable people - see a gray object resembling a truncated kilometric milestone with a large plate resting on its top, from the road where they work. The object, approximately 10 meters in diameter and 3 meters in height, oscillates slowly in lift like a helicopter above the ground, without it never touches. It does not emit light, and seems to have a door on its side. After the men ran up to 50 meters close to it, it flies away without noise, leaving a trail of smoke escaping from a small conduit. After an oblique flight of about fifteen meters, the object rises vertically, and disappears. The witnesses observed the object during at least 3 minutes. The police forces found no traces.

(Des objets non identifiés vus dans la Somme, Paris-Dakar, September 10, 1954)
(Le Parisien Libéré, September 14, 1954).

On this Day

September 7

[...]

1954 - Between Harponville and Contay, France two bricklayers, Emile Renard, age 27, and Yves DeGillerboz, age 23, saw a bluish-gray object floating in midair over a field. "It looked like an unfinished haystack, with a plate turned upside down on top of it." When they tried to approach it took off. It had a diameter of ten meters (33 feet), and they noticed it had a kind of door. The observation lasted over three minutes, at which point the object released some smoke as it departed straight up.

(Sources: Le Figaro, September 9, 1954; Aime Michel, Flying Saucers and the Straight Line Mystery, p. 35; Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia, pp. 208-209).

September 1954

07

00:15 Between Harponville and Contay, Close to Acheux-en-Amiénois (Somme), Emile Renard (mason, 27 years old) and Yves Degillerboz (or Guillerrez?) (his assistant brick-maker, 23 years old) - all 2 looked as reliable people - see from the road where they work 1 gray phenomenon of 10 m in diameter and 3 m high float in the air above a field resembling a truncated milestone with a great plate resting above: It resembled an unfinished haystack, with a plate turned upside down at the top. The phenomenon oscillates slowly in lift like a helicopter above the ground, without never touching it. It does not emit a light, and seems to have a door on its side. A kind of door is visible. After the men ran up to 50 m of it, it flies away without noise, releasing smoke leaving a trail of smoke escape from a small pipe. After an oblique flight of about fifteen meters, the object rises vertically, and disappears. The witnesses observed the object during at least 3 mn. The police force will not find traces.

*Sep. 7, 1954 - Between Harponville and Contay, Somme department, France two bricklayers, Emile Renard, age 27, and Yves DeGillerboz, age 23, saw a bluish-gray object floating in midair over a field at 7:15 a.m. "It looked like an unfinished haystack, with a plate turned upside down on top of it." When they tried to approach it took off. It had a diameter of ten meters (33 feet), and they noticed it had a kind of door. The observation lasted over three minutes, at which point the object released some smoke as it departed straight up. (Sources: Le Figaro, September 9, 1954; Aime Michel, Flying Saucers and the Straight Line Mystery, p. 35; Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia, pp. 208-209).

Date: September 07, 1954

Location: Harponville France

Time: 0715

Summary: Between Harponville and Contay, two bricklayers, Emile Renard, 27, and Yves Degillerboz, 23 saw an object floating in mid-air over a field: “It looked like an unfinished haystack, with a plate turned upside down on top of it.” When they approached, it took off. Diameter 10 m, height 3 m. A kind of door was noticed. The observation lasted over 3 min. The object released smoke when it departed.

Source: Magonia 142

September 7 1954. 0715hrs.

HARPONVILLE (SOMME : FRANCE)

Two masons from Acheux-en-Amienois, Emile Renard (27) and his helper Yves Degillerboz (23) were bicycling to work, when between Harponville and Contay, Yves suffered a broken tyre. As they were seeing to this, Emile's attention was caught by something like an inverted plate, in a field 200m away. He first thought that it was some peculiar haystack, but then noticed it was oscillating slightly. They ran across the fields to investigate, but as they got within 750m, it took off at an angle, travelled diagonally upwards for about 15m then rose up vertically. It was observed for three minutes in all. The blue-grey object was about 10m in diameter, 3m high. On the left side of the bottom they saw something like a plate or door, wider than it was high. The object disappeared in the clouds, emitting smoke from the underside. The matter was reported to the police.

• Michel 1958b p35 citing Le Figaro + Paris-Presse + Le Soir all of 9 September 1954
• Patrick Gross [*] citing La Nouveau Nord Maritime 9 September 1954. + Var Matin Republique 15 September 1954.

The observation of Harponville

The so-called Harponville sighting, which occurred on September 7, 1954, 19 km from Amiens, was perceived as the quasi-landing of a flying saucer, and it was the first observation of this type, after only aerial observations. It is therefore important because it showed that the saucers were threatening to land, and prompted the journalists to see in the Quarouble observation the first landing of a saucer of this memorable wave.

We call it the Harponville sighting, because it is known as such in the catalogs, because it took place between Harponville and Contay, but in fact, the witnesses had not passed through Harponville, and the observation took place on the terroir of the commune of Vadencourt. The first newspaper to talk about this case, is the local newspaper, Le Courrier Picard.

Mystery in the Picardy sky

Two workers say
they saw a flying saucer
between Harponville and Contay

That is the news that reached us at the end of the afternoon, news that the witnesses of the amazing event confirmed to us.

This information will not fail to generate perfectly understandable skepticism, but the two men who "saw" the machine made consistent statements in all respects.

So yesterday morning, Mr. Emile Renard, who is 27 years old and works as a mason craftsman on the road from Doullens to Acheux in Amiens, had left his home by bicycle to get to work in Lahoussoye. He was accompanied by his worker Mr. Yves de Gillaboz, 23 years old, living on the route from Bertrancourt to Acheux in Amiens.

The two of them normally drove when around 7:15, when they had crossed Harponville and were heading towards Contay, their attention was attracted by a big machine placed in a recently mown field, about 200 meters and on the right of the road

- It looked like a haystack that was not finished, says Mr. Renard that we found among his family during the evening.

- Yes, and the top was somewhat rounded and looked like a plate turned over, adds Mr. de Gillaboz, that his boss had sent home at our request.

Intrigued, the two men jumped out of their machine and ran across the fields toward the craft.

Faster than his companion, Mr. Renard left him a little behind.

- As I got closer, he tells us, I did not leave the craft from my sight. I could see that it was dirt gray, and it could be about ten meters in diameter...

- And it was swaying a little, says M. de Gillaboz...

- Did you hear any noise? we ask.

- Absolutely nothing, the two men answered to us.

And both say they noticed on the wall of the machine a sort of door wider than it was high, but closed.

- I had advacned about fifty meters, Mr. Renard told us, when I saw the apparatus rising diagonally, while a smoke escaped by a kind of pipe placed in its lower part.

It arrived at a height of about fifteen meters. At that moment, he gave up the diagonal and his ascent continued vertically and faster.

For a few minutes we watched it. As it climbed, one saw it with more and more difficulty and it finally disappeared.

- What were your impressions at the moment? We asked?

- What do you want, Mr. Renard tells us, we stayed there with our mouths gaping...

- I was just looking forward to getting on my bike and getting away as soon as possible.

- I was dumbfounded, adds the bricklayer. I was wondering what phenomenon we had just witnessed, and then I thought it might be a flying saucer, like the one that are talked about in the newspapers.

- Think, his companion tells us, we could not believe it. Admit that there is reason to be taken aback when you see such a thing!

As we question Mr. Renard to find out what he would have done if, having continued his run, he had arrived at the craft, he told us:

- I wanted to know what it was because I was intrigued to the highest degree. I cannot say if I would have ventured to touch it, but I might have tried to find out what was inside. How? I do not know.

- Well, for my part, said Mr. de Gillaboz, I would not have touched it and this craft looked nothing good to me...

During their statements, the two men gave us a clear impression of sincerity. They told us that having talked about what they had seen to Lahoussoye residents, they had alerted the gendarmerie. In the course of the day, MM. Renard and Gillaboz were interviewed at length and separately. They were taken to where they had seen the craft. There, no trace was found on the ground.

At the gendarmerie the most complete silence is observed on the encounter made by the two inhabitants of Acheux-en-Amiénois, and one seems to be careful not to confirm or deny too hastily, what remains a mystery for all.

Nevertheless, the statements of the two men are clear and precise, so we deliver them to our readers as they were made to us.

(Le Courrier Picard, September 8, 1954, page 2)

[Photo:] Voici les deux habitants d'Acheux en Amiénois qui, mardi matin, aperçurent, entre Harponville et Contay, la soucoupe volante dont nous avons parlé hier. On reconnait, à gauche, M. RENARD et, à droite, M. de GILLABOZ.

(Le Courrier Picard, 9 septembre 1954, page 2)

Arrivé là, nous savons que l'observation a eu lieu le 7 septembre vers 7H15, que les deux témoins en ont d'abord parlé à des habitants de Lahoussoye, que les gendarmes les ont interrogés séparément dans la journée, et que les journalistes du Courrier Picard, sont venus les interroger le soir même chez M. Renard, ce qui leur permit de publier leur article le 8.

Mais cet article du 8 va donner des idées à une poignée de plaisantins, et dès le 8 au soir, la rumeur d'une autre observation courait:

NEW MYSTERY
in the sky of Picardie?

The inhabitants of the Péronne area have seen on the ground, in the evening of yesterday, a flying saucer between Estrées-Deniécourt and Foucancourt-en-Santerre. Like a smoke of gunpowder, the noise ran last night in several neighboring communes, the district of Peronne, a flying saucer would have been seen in the evening, by residents near the wood Foucancourt-en-Santerre.

How much credit is to be given to these new claims?

(Le Courrier Picard, 9 septembre 1954, page 2)

Les autres journaux répercutent l'information du Courrier Picard.

Le 9 septembre, différents journaux vont reprendre les informations du Courrier Picard du 8 septembre en les résumant plus ou moins.

Le Nouveau Nord Maritime copie tout simplement le texte de l'article, en le faisant précéder de On lit dans « le Courrier Picard ».

La Voix du Nord, en reprend le texte en le raccourcissant un peu:

Did a flying saucer
land
near Amiens?

Two masons say it
with disturbing precision

According to two workers, a mysterious craft took off on Tuesday morning from a field bordering the road which links Harponville to Contay, near Amiens.

Having left his home on a bicycle to go to work in La Houssoye, Mr. Emile Renard, 27, a mason craftsman, living on the road from Doullens to Acheux in Amiénois, was accompanied by his worker, Mr. Yves de Gillaboz, 23, living on the route de Bertrancourt in the same locality.

IN A FIELD

The two cyclists had crossed Harponville and were heading towards Contay, when their attention was attracted by a large apparatus, posed in a field about 200 meters on the right of the road.

"It looked like an unfinished haystack, they say. And the somewhat rounded top looked like an inverted plate."

Intrigued, the two men jumped from their machine, and while running entered the fields in the direction of the gray-colored object, which may have been ten meters in diameter.

It oscillated a little, but made no noise, and on its wall there was a sort of closed door wider than it was tall.

THE CRAFT DISAPPEARS

"However, declares Mr. Renard, while preceding my companion, I had crossed fifty meters, I saw the apparatus rise in diagonal, while a smoke escaped by a kind of pipe placed in its lower part. About fifteen meters high, the machine continued its vertical ascent and faster."

And it ends up disappearing under the eyes of the two men who, dumbfounded, wondered what phenomenon they had just witnessed.

At the gendarmerie of Acheux-en-Amiénois, where the two men were interrogated at length and separately, one remains completely silent, taking care not to deny or confirm what remains a mystery for all.

MM. Renard and de Gillaboz were also taken to the place where they had seen the apparatus. But there, no trace was found on the ground.

(La Voix du Nord, 9 septembre 1954, page 3)

Nord Matin et Le Journal du Pas de Calais et de la Somme, donnent le même texte que La Voix du Nord. LA CROIX DU NORD raccourcit davantage le texte:

Un maçon et son ouvrier
affirment avoir vu
une soucoupe volante
dans un champ

Un maçon, M. Emile Renard, 27 ans, et son ouvrier, M. Yves De Gillebez, 23 ans, affirment avoir vu dans un champ, à environ 200 mètres de la route, prés d'Acheux-en-Amiénois, un engin ressemblant à une meule tronquée, sur laquelle aurait été posée une sorte de grande assiette retournée.

Les deux hommes, qui circulaient à bicyclette. ont déclaré avoir alors sauté de leur machine et couru en direction de l'engin, qui, disent-ils, était de couleur grise et d'un diamètre d'une dizaine de mètres approximativement. Il oscillait légèrement et sur la paroi on distingait une sorte de porte fermée. L'appareil n'émettait aucun son.

Toujours, selon le récit de MM. Renard et De Gillabez, l'engin s'envola alors qu'ils avaient déjà parcouru une cinquantaine de mètres. Une fumée s'échappait d'une sorte de tuyau placé à sa partie inférieure. Après un vol oblique d'une quinzaine de mètres, l'appareil prtit la verticale et disparut.

Les deux hommes ont été interrogés à la Gendarmerie d'Acheux-en-Amiénois, puis conduits à l'endroit où ils affirmaient avoir aperçu l'appareil. Aucune trace n'a été relevée sur le sol.

(LA CROIX DU NORD, 9 septembre 1954, page 1)

Le Parisien libéré raccourcit encore plus:

DEUX HABITANTS DE LA SOMME DÉCLARENT AVOIR VU
UNE SOUCOUPE VOLANTE POSÉE DANS UN CHAMP

AMIENS, 8 septembre; (de notre corr. part.)

Deux habitants d'ACHEUX-en-AMIENOIS, M. Emile RENARD, artisan maçon, et son ouvrier, M. Yves de GILLABOZ, sont formels dans leur déclarations: Ils ont vu, entre HARPONVILLE et CONTAY (SOMME), une soucoupe volante posée dans un champ à 200 mètres environ de la route qu'ils empruntaient pour se rendre à leur travail.

- On aurait dit une meule qui n'était pas terminée, déclare M. Renard.

- Oui, et le dessus était quelque peu arrondi et ressemblait à une assiette retournée, ajoute son ouvrier.

Les deux hommes s'approchèrent jusqu'à 50 mètres environ de l'engin, d'une couleur gris fer, qui pouvait avoir une dizaine de mètres de diamètre.

Soudain l'appareil s'éléva en diagonale cependant que de la fumée s'échappait par une sorte de tuyau placé dans la partie basse de l'engin. A 15 mètres de hauteur, cecui-ci abandonna la diagonale pour poursuivre une ascension verticale et beaucoup plus rapide, puis il disparut à l'horizon.

(LE PARISIEN LIBERE, 9 septembre 1954, page 7)

Donc, ce 9 septembre, les différents journaux ne font que reproduire, en les recopiant plus ou moins partiellement, les informations du Courrier Picard, dont les journalistes étaient alors les seuls à avoir été interroger les témoins.

Mais ce même 9 septembre, les journalistes de l'hebdomadaire SEMAINE DU NORD vont faire mieux: ils vont aller enquêter sur les lieux de l'observation, et en prendre des photos. Leurs investigations vont nous être précieuses.

La soucoupe du bois de Foucancourt-en-Santerre est de moins en moins crédible:

"Flying saucers in the sky of Picardie?
The investigation opened in Estrées-Deniécourt
hits the "wall of silence"

As we told yesterday, the charming town of Estrées-Deniècourt, following "statements worthy of faith", as the saying goes, was in turmoil, the evening of Wednesday because, it seems, a crowd of people had noticed, in a wood, on the way of Soyécourt, between the localities of Estrées-Deniècourt and Foucancourt-in-Santerre, the presence of a flying saucer.

Under the cloak first, then publicly, the assertions of the ones and the others had spread rapidly, even in the town of Assevillers, where a resident of the place, farm worker at the brickyard of Villers-Carbonnel had "pushed the audacity" to touch the curious craft.

The official inquiry provoked by the public rumor first and our article afterwards seems to have momentarily paralyzed the language of the "privileged" who approached "the strange luminous body".

Indeed, including a team of electrical workers of Amiens, working near the "landing area", all the eyewitnesses to the strange phenomenon have kept of the Martian machine only a very fugitive vision and are unable to give, in default of dimensions, even approximate, a very vague idea of ??this "ghost" craft.

(Le Courrier Picard, 10 septembre 1954, page 2)

Le Parisien libéré mélange les cas d'Harponville et de Quarouble.

La soucoupe décolle d'abord à la vitesse d'un hélicoptère puis l'accélération devient vertigineuse

AMIENS,13 septembre.- "Le PARISIEN LIBERE" a présenté, hier, l'extraordinaire récit de M. Marius DEWILDE, de QUAROUBLE, près de VALENCIENNES, qui assure avoir aperçu une soucoupe volante et deux petits êtres mystérieux.

Cette scène, rappelons-le, s'est déroulée le vendredi 10 septembre vers 22 h 15. Aujourd'hui, voici le récit de deux habitants, MM. Emile RENARD et Yves de GILLABOZ, d'ACHEUX-en-AMIENOIS, qui, comme nous l'avions déja précisé succinctement, affirment avoir vu, eux aussi, une soucoupe volante.

Cette aventure, qui s'est passée à 90 Kilomètres à vol d'oiseau de VALENCIENNES, remonte au mardi 7 septembre, vers 7 h 15 du matin. L'engin semblait arrêté à quelques centimètres du sol, dans un chaume, à 200 mètres de la route départementale qui va de HARPONVILLE à CONTAY.

Les deux témoins sont fort honorablement connus et très estimés à ACHEUX-en-AMIENOIS où ils demeurent. C'est là que, séparément, ils nous ont conté l'évènement, tout omme, séparément, ils ont croqué, pour nous, les lignes générales de la soucoupe que nous reproduisons. Mais avant de leur donner la parole, présentons-les succinctement.

M. Emile RENARD a 27 ans. Il est patron maçon, marié et père de quatre enfants. Natif d'ACHEUX, c'est nous a-t-on dit de toutes parts, un travailleur acharné. Et lui-même est le premier à manifester son impatience au sujet de la soucoupe volante.

- Depuis une semaine, nous dit-il, je gaspille la moitié de mes journées à raconter cette histoire. J'en ai assez, croyez le. Ce n'est pas cela qui nourrit mes enfants!

Quant à Yves de GUILLERBOZ, il travaille comme manoeuvre avec M. RENARD depuis un an. C'est un solide garçon de 23 ans respirant la santé et qui, pas plus que son patron, ne semble avoir envie de plaisanter.

Une curieuse "meule"

Nous les avons interrogés et leur récit, comme le dessin qu'ils nous on fait chacun de la soucoupe, concordent parfaitement comme le tout concorde sur bien des points avec la vision de M. DEWILDE.

- Au lieu d'utiliser la camionnette dont le moteur avait besoin d'une réfection, nous a expliqué M.RENARD, mon commis et moi étions partis à bicyclette pour nous rendre à notre travail chez le garde champêtre de la commune de la HOUSSOYE. Soudain, entre HARPONVILLE et CONTAY, le pneu du vélo de GUILLERBOZ se dégonfla. Je m'arrêtai pour lui passer ma pompe et mes yeux furent attirés par une sorte de disque, à 250 mètres de nous, dans un champ.

« Regarde, dis-je à mon commis, en voilà une meule qui a une drôle de couleur

« Mais tout occupé à gonfler, il ne répondit pas. Intrigué je continuai à détailler l'objet lorsque je m'aperçus que celui-ci, tout en remuant par rapport au sol, était secoué par un léger balancement, sorte d'oscillation autour d'un axe imaginaire.

« Mais regarde, regarde donc, ce n'est pas une meule ! hurlai-je à mon compagnon.

« Et tous deux, pris par je ne sais quel pressentiment, nous nous précipitâmes à travers champs pour nous approcher de l'engin mystérieux. Il nous fallait traverser, après une première friche, un champ de betteraves. A peine avions-nous commencé à courir à travers celui-ci que la soucoupe, car maintenant pour nous, nous en étions sûr, c'en était une, décolla en-biais pendant une quinzaine de mètres pour ensuite monter verticalement.

Envergure de l'appareil: une dizaine de mètres

Tout comme son patron, M. GUlLLERBOZ nous a precisé que l'engin avait une dizaine de mètres d'envergure sur trois environ de hauteur.

Il était d'une couleur gris-bleuté mais ne brillait pas, nous a-t-il spécifié.

Tous deux enfin affirment que la soucoupe est partie sans faire le moindre bruit. Contrairement à M. DEWILDE, de QUAROUBLE, ils n'ont senti aucun déplacement d'air. ll est vrai qu'ils n'ont pas réussi à approcher la machine à moins de 150 mètres. Mais, d'après ces témoins, cette soucoupe-là aussi avait à l'arrière une sorte de tuyau d'échappement d'où est sorti de la fumée au moment du décollage.

Très troublés, par cette vision qui avait duré au moins trois minutes, car l'engin mit un certain temps avant de disparaitre dans les nuages, MM. RENARD et GUILLERBOZ racontèrent leur aventure au garde-champêtre de La HOUSSAYE. C'est celui-ci qui insista pour que la déclaration en soit faite à la gendarmerie de CORBIE.

Les gendarmes vinrent sur place ainsi que des spécialistes de l'aéronautique. lls ont longuement enquêté mais on n'a retrouvé aucune trace du passage de la soucoupe dans le champ. Il semble que celle-ci, qui, comme les témoins l'ont précisé, a toujours été agitée de légers balancements, ne s'est pas posée mais a fait du sur-place comme un hélicoptère.

Enfin, dernier point de comparaison entre la soucoupe de QUAROUBLE et celle d'ACHEUX-en-AMIENOIS, le décollage s'est accompli d'abord de biais et ensuite à la verticale. Au départ, pendant les premiers mètres, les témoins sont d'accord pour préciser que l'ascension s'est faite à peu près à la même vitesse que celle d'un hélicoptère. C'est par la suite que l'accélération devint vertigineuse.

(LE PARISIEN LIBERE, 14 septembre 1954, page 9)

Note: Il y a des informations nouvelles par rapport à celles du Courrier Picard, et d'autres tout à fait fausses, dans cet article qui mélange les cas d'Harponville et de Quarouble. Il est exact que les témoins étaient partis à vélo, au lieu d'utiliser une camionnette, et qu'ils durent s'arréter à cause d'un pneu dégonflé. Mais aucun spécialiste de l'aéronautique n'est venu sur place, et l'engin n'est pas parti, comme à Quarouble à une vitesse vertigineuse: au contraire, les témoins disent bien qu'ils ont pu l'observer au moins 3 minutes (quelques minutes d'après Le Courrier Picard, et jusqu'à 5 minutes d'après le rapport de gendarmerie). Cette durée s'accorde d'ailleurs bien avec l'hypothèse d'un hélicoptère, que LE PARISIEN LIBERE semble le premier à mentionner. On peut aussi s'étonner que M. Yves de GILLABOZ devient ensuite M. GUlLLERBOZ. Ces informations ont tout l'air de venir indirectement d'une source qui n'est pas précisée.

C'est malheureusement qur cet article que va se baser Aimé Michel, suivi par Michel Carrouges, et jusqu'à Michel Figuet.

La revue SEMAINE DU NORD publie ses résultats.

[Couverture]

Beaucoup de choses sont exactes dans ce dessin de couverture: L'habillement des témoins, l'aspect du ciel, le paysage, le fait que M. Renard ait été plus près de l'objet, l'inquiétude de M. De Gillaboz, et même quelques détails de l'engin: dessus comme une assiette retournée, porte latérale et tuyau d'échappement.

Mais il y a tout de même quelque chose de grossièrement faux: L'objet ne planait pas au dessus de M.Renard, et était nettement plus loin et plus bas sur l'horizon. Mais la couverture est là pour faire vendre, n'est ce pas?

Nous aurons l'occasion d'étudier les photos dans l'analyse finale. Le texte, lui, nous raconte l'affaire d'une façon très vivante, et nous donne quelques détails que ne donnait pas Le Courrier Picard, comme le fait que les deux maçons faisaient d'habitude le trajet dans une camionnette B-12, mais que ce jour là, ils étaient à vélo.

EN quatre jours, du 7 au 11 septembre, deux maçons picards et un ouvrier métallurgiste de Quarouble ont ajouté deux nouveaux chapitres à la fabuleuse histoire des soucoupes volantes. Les similitudes que présentent leurs déclarations, à quelques jours d'intervalle, sont particulièrement troublantes. Des témoignages dignes de foi, recueillis depuis, sont venus confirmer les dépositions. A Quarouble, pour la première fois, des traces suspectes ont été relevées. Les services officiels prennent l'affaire au sérieux: trois inspecteurs de la Police de l'Air ont enquêté pendant 48 heures dans le Valenciennois, et la gendarmerie d'Amiens possède désormais un dossier « soucoupes » où figurent les rapports de ses enquêteurs et les dépositions signées d'Emile Renard, 28 ans, artisan-maçon, rue de Louvancourt à Acheux-en-Amiénois, et de son ouvrier, Yves de Gillaboz, 23 ans, rue de Bertrancourt.

L'aventure que racontent les deux Picards se déroule le 7 septembre à 7 h. 15. Le ciel gris et brouillasseux donne à la campagne une couleur de roman d'anticipation. Sur la route, entre Harponville et Contay, deux hommes pédalent en silence, leur sac d'outils sur le dos. Ils peinent dans la côte, en maudissant la panne qui les prive depuis la veille de leur solide B-12. Au sommet du raidillon, Emile Renard cesse brusquement de pédaler. Son doigt désigne, au-delà des meules, à 1.500 mètres, un bosquet:

- Drôle de meule ! Tu la vois?

Son camarade hausse les épaules. Il s'intéresse beaucoup plus à l'inquiétante agonie de son pneu arrière. Effectivement, un kilomètre plus loin, la chambre à air rend le dernier soupir. Les deux maçons mettent pied à terre. Yves de Gillaboz répare en maugréant. Son patron attend, les mains sur les hanches. Soudain, en tendant à son ouvrier la pompe de sa bicyclette, Emile Renard éprouve à nouveau un curieux sentiment de malaise. Ses yeux fixent la meule aux formes étranges repérée du haut de la côte. Elle n'a pas la couleur mordorée que les paysans connaissent bien. Elle est grise, d'un gris mat et sale. Et elle bouge... Elle oscille sur sa base.

- Comme une assiette retournée jetée négligemment sur une table, dira plus tard Yves de Gillaboz.

Le premier moment de stupéfaction passé, Emile Renard n'hésite pas une seconde: « Bon sang, c‘est pas une meule, ça ! Je vais y voir »

L'ouvrier, lui, n'est pas rassuré. Impressionné par les légendes qui courent sur les mystérieux engins stellaires, il tente de retenir son patron. Mais Emile Renard est déjà loin. Il avance vers l'étrange objet, à grandes enjambées dans le champ de blé fraîchement moissonné. Yves de Gillaboz s'enhardit, et s'élance à son tour. Emile Renard n'est plus qu'à 150 mètres de l'appareil.

- « Il se balançait toujours, sans bruit, à environ 50 centimètres du sol »

Soudain, alors que le patron maçon s'engage dans le champ de betteraves qui le sépare encore de son but, l'incroyable se produit. La « chose » s'élève rapidement à la verticale, pendant une quinzaine de mètres. Elle ralentit, puis file vers le nord-ouest, vers Toutancourt, après avoir survolé le bosquet tout proche. Elle disparaît dans le brouillard. Sur la lisière du champ de betteraves, Emile Renard, bouleversé, s'est immobilisé. Incapable de rononcer une seule parole, il sort de sa torpeur sur une bourrade de son ouvrier qui l'a rejoint, tremblant de peur. Lentement, les deux hommes, toujours silencieux. regagne la route.

Trois heures d'interrogatoire

Telle est l'extraordinaire aventure qu'affirment avoir vécue Emile Renard et Yves de Gillaboz. Ce n'est pas une histoire qu'ils racontent, devant un litron de rouge, pour épater leurs amis. Dès le mardi midi, ils sont allés, de leur plein gré, exposer les faits aux gendarmes de Corbie.

On aurait mieux fait de rien dire ! soupire cependant Yves de Gillaboz. En effet, les gendarmes, fonctionnaires consciencieux, n'ont pas souri. Ils ont téléphoné au commandant départemental, à Amiens. Une heure plus tard, les deux héros du jour étaient reçus par l'état-major de la gendarmerie picarde. Ils rentrèrent chez eux à la tombée de la nuit. Ils venaient de subir chacun, separément, près de trois heures d'interrogatoire.

- De quoi vous dégoûter à jamais des soucoupes volantes, nous lancent-ils du haut de l'échafaudage où nous les avons surpris le surlendemain à Bouzincourt. « Et qui est-ce qui nous dédommagera des heures de travail perdues? »

Ils en perdront sans doute bien d'autres si, comme on le dit, ils doivent être entendus par les spécialistes qui se penchent depuis quelques années sur le mystère des soucoupes. De leur côté, les gendarmes ont pu établir que les récits des deux hommes concordaient parfaitement, jusque dans les moindres détails. Ils ont appris, par leurs collègues d'Acheux, que Renard et Gilleboz étaient bien considérés, sobres et travailleurs. Ils sont allés, avec eux, sur les lieux de l'apparition, mais aucune trace n'a pu encore être relevée. Ils sont allés, aussi, à Estrée-Deniécourt, près de Péronne, où des habitants prétendaient avoir aperçu un engin, mercredi soir. Mais leur arrivée a paralysé les langues, et il est probable qu'il s'agissait de fumistes inspirés par l'affaire d'Acheux.

«Cette chose n'était pas posée sur le sol»

Emile Renard et Yves de Gillaboz nous ont accompagnés, jusque sur le champ d'où se serait envolé le mystérieux engin.

- En me rapprochant, je ne le quittais pas des yeux, nous dit Emile Renard. On aurait dit une meule qui n'était pas terminée. Ça avait une dizaine de mètres de diamètre, sur trois mètres environ de hauteur...

- L'engin tournait-il sur lui-même, comme un disque?

- Non, il oscillait sur sa base, mais il ne tournait pas, puisque j'ai nettement aperçu, sur la gauche de la paroi qui nous faisait face, une sorte de porte plus large que haute. Mais elle était fermée.

- Tout de même, cela semble incroyable que l'engin n'ait laissé aucune trace, et n'ait fait aucun bruit en s'enfuyant

L'artisan maçon crispe ses lèvres volontaires et s'écrie:

- Que voulez-vous? Je ne peux pas vous dire ce que je n'ai pas vu ou entendu ! Moi je pense que cette chose n'était pas posée sur le sol. Je vous signale aussi que j'ai remarqué qu'une légère fumée s'échappait par une sorte de tuyau placé dans sa partie basse.

- Moi aussi, je l'ai vu, confirme Yves de Gilleboz qui poursuit, inquiet: « Vous croyez_ qu'il y avait quelqu'un dedans vous? »

Le patron, lui, voulait en avoir le coeur net: « J'étais intrigué au plus haut point. Et si l'appareil ne s'était pas envolé, j'aurais essayé de me rendre compte de ce qui se passait à l'intérieur. Comment? Je ne sais pas...

Hallucination collective? Les deux hommes n'ont pas du tout le genre visionnaire. Ils ne connaissent rien de la littérature fantastique, et le film « La Guerre des Mondes » n'est pas encore distribué dans cette région. Soucoupe volante ou engin secret d'une nation inconnue? Le mystère est sans doute loin d'être élucidé.

- Tout ça, c'est trop compliqué pour moi ! nous a dit Emile Renard. Je ne suis pas un savant.

- Moi, en tous cas, ça ne me dit rien de bon, conclut Yves de Gillaboz. Cette sacrée soucoupe me fait perdre mon temps. Et mon sommeil: je ne sais plus dormir le soir...

Mais le jour même où les habitants d'Origny-en-Tiérache venaient décrire à la gendarmerie un engin lumineux qu'ils avaient vu passer, le 7 septembre - description qui confirme la déposition des deux maçons - l'actualité rebondissait dans la salle de commissariat d'un village du Valenciennois où, en pleine nuit, un homme terrifié, vint raconter une nouvelle et non moins extraordinaire aventure...

Note: En fait l'affaire d'Origny est hors sujet, car non seulement elle a eu lieu le 8, vers 0 h 30, mais c'était probablement la lune.

(SEMAINE DU NORD Magazine, 16 septembre 1954, page 12-13)

De nouvelles informations sur la soucoupe du bois de Foucancourt-en-Santerre lui font boire définitivement la tasse:

THE FYLING SAUCER
OF ESTREES-DENIECOURT

On September 8, the village of Estrèes-Deniècourt was in turmoil: several electricians from company of Amiens assured that a saucer had landed near a wood, 600 meters from the road Paris - Saint-Quentin.

Most of the inhabitants wisely stayed at home. The boldest and most curious went to the place indicated; the gendarmerie itself was alerted, and did not notice any trace of the famous saucer, but noticed inconsistencies in the assertions of the electricians.

Finally, one of them admitted:

- All this is not true: there was no flying saucer at Estrèes-Deniècourt. We invented this story to fool the population, but we did not think that the case would be so important.

It was then established that it was Serge Grimbert, 20, 43, rue Rembault, Amiens, who had launched the "hoax": he recognized it willingly. With him passed confessions his comrades Christian Coulevern, 24 years old, living 29, rue de Job, in Amiens, Roland Gourguechon, 22 years old, 31, rue Bazin, in Doullens and René Cléret, 20 years old, 40, rue de l'Abreuvoir, in Albert.

In such circumstances, the gendarmes thought it necessary to write up a report which was sent to the prosecutor of the Republic office of Amiens. Will the magistrates decide to prosecute the young people who "fooled everyone"? We will know it soon. But one fact is certain: no flying saucer landed in Estrèes-Deniècourt, but even an imaginary saucer can cost a lot.

(LA VOIX DU NORD, édition Artois-Somme, 17 septembre 1954, page 5)

Note: Déja suspecte le 10 septembre, cette affaire est déinitivement enterrée le 17, et pourtant elle sera utilisée comme renfort par Jimmy Guieu, Aimé Michel, Michel Carrouges et Charles Garreau.

Radar montre les témoins "in situ".

Les journalistes de Radar, sont allé sur les lieux avec les témoins. Hélas, au lieu, comme SEMAINE DU NORD, de photographier le paysage dans lequel l'engin aurait été visible, ils ont photographié les témoins dans l'une des deux attitudes réglementaires. Ici c'est: "il était dans cette direction" (l'autre, avec les deux bras étendus est "il était grand comme ça"). Nous ne sommes guère plus avancés, d'autant qu'il semble que les témoins aient exagéré la hauteur angulaire de l'engin.

AMIENS. Yves de Gillaboz (à g.) et Emile Renard montrent du doigt la direction prise par la soucoupe volante qu'ils ont surprise à l'atterrissage. En se rendant à leur travail, ils ont vu, dans un champ, au bord de la route, une grosse coupole, en forme d'assiette creuse retournée. Ils coururent vers elle. Ils en distinguèrent aisément la couleur: « gris sale » assurent ils, et les dimensions: 10 mètres sur 3. Elle oscillait sur sa base mais n'émettait aucun son. Sur la paroi, une porte fermée, plus large que haute. Bien avant qu'ils aient pu s'en approcher, l'appareil s'éleva en diagonale tandis qu'une épaisse fumée noire s'échappait d'un tuyau fixé à sa partie inférieure. Il monta ainsi jusqu'à 15 mètres et se mit alors à la verticale. Son allure s'accéléra notablement. Les deux hommes, éberlués, le suivirent un moment des yeux. La gendarmerie, alertée, n'a relevé aucune trace suspecte sur les lieux indiqués. Mais le sérieux des deux personnages ne fait pas question. D'autre part, près d'Hirson, M. Robert Chovel et sa famille ont vu, en pleine nuit, un disque lumineux qui ressemble à la soucoupe d'Amiens.

(Radar, 26 septembre 1954, page 3)

Les journaux parus ultérieurement ne nous apprennent plus rien sur l'observation d'Harponville. Plusieurs journaux s'étaient contentés de recopier la dépèche de l'Agence Centrale de Presse (A.C.P) du 8 septembre, qui reprenait les informations du Courrier Picard.

Les seules investigations sûres sont celles du Courrier Picard, faites le 7 au soir, et de SEMAINE DU NORD, faites le 9.

Mais il y a aussi celles des gendarmes, faites le 7 dans l'après midi, mais dont on aura connaissance que bien plus tard.

[Note PG: Suite une transcription du rapport des gendarmes, que je ne reprends pas ici, disponible en haut de mon dossier.]

Les ufologues entrent en scène.

A partir de 1956, les ufologues vont raçonter l'histoire à leur façon, aucun d'entre eux n'ayant lu, ni Le Courrier Picard, ni SEMAINE DU NORD.

Jimmy Guieu cafouille et dédouble le cas:

Le 8 août 1954, près d'Acheux-en-Amiénois, un maçon, M. Emile Renard et son ouvrier, M. Yves Degillabez, virent une soucoupe posée dans un champ. Les deux hommes coururent en direction de l'engin dont la forme rappelait « une meule de foin tronquée recouverte d'une immense assiette retournée ». L'appareil oscillait légèrement (preuve qu'il n'était pas posé) et sur la paroi on distinguait une « porte ». Alors que les témoins s'approchaient, une fumée s'échappa de la partie inférieure de la soucoupe qui prit alors son vol et disparut. Les gendarmes qui ouvrirent une enquête ne relevèrent aucune trace à l'endroit indiqué par les deux maçons.

Ce détail n'a rien de surprenant du fait que l'appareil ne reposait pas sur le sol et « oscillait légèrement ».

Cette information, qui fit sourire les sceptiques, n'était qu'un avant-goût de la plus fantastique série d'atterrissages qui ait jamais été enregistrée!

Note: Jimmy Guieu se trompe d'un mois, et surtout dédouble le cas.

( Jimmy Guieu, Black Out sur les Soucoupes Volantes, Fleuve Noir 1956, page 68)

Le 7 septembre, dans la matinée, une soucoupe volante atterrit dans un champ aux environs d'Amiens, entre Harponville et Contay.

M. Emile Renard, 27 ans, maçon, et son ouvrier, M. Yves Gillabez, 23 ans, affirment en eflet avoir vu dans un champ, à environ 200 mètres de la route près d'Acheux-en-Amiénois, un engin ressemblant à une meule tronquée sur laquelle aurait été posée une sorte de grande assiette retournée. Les deux hommes, qui circulaient à bicyclette, sautèrent de leur machine et coururent en direction de l'engin qui était de couleur grise et d'un diamètre d'une dizaine de mètres environ. Il oscillait légèrement (donc, il ne reposait pas sur le sol) et, sur sa paroi, se distinguait une sorte d'écoutille fermée.

- Cependant, déclara M. Renard, alors que précédant mon compagnon, j'avais parcouru une cinquantaine de mètres, je vis l'appareil s'élever en diagonale, tandis qu'une fumée s'échappait par une sorte de « tuyau » placé dans sa partie basse. Puis, à une quinzaine de mètres de hauteur, l'engin poursuivit son ascension à la verticale et disparut rapidement. Yves et moi, nous pensions rêver ! »

Interrogés séparément par la gendarmerie d'Acheux-en-Amiénois, les deux hommes ont fait exactement le même récit et donné les mêmes détails.

Note [par Dominique Caudron]: C'est à la gendarmerie d'Amiens que les témoins furent interrogés séparément.

Sur place, les gendarmes s'étonnèrent de ne trouver aucune trace de la soucoupe. Cela n'a pourtant rien de surprenant puisque les témoins précisèrent que l'appareil « oscillait légèrement », ce qui prouve évidemment qu'il ne touchait pas le sol !

Toutefois, venant ainsi confirmer la présence de l'astronef dans la région, de nombreux habitants de l'arrondissement de Péronne signalèrent qu'ils avaient aperçu, à l'heure indiquée par les deux témoins, au-dessus du bois de Foucancourt-en-Santerre, un engin dont le signalement correspond exactement à celui fourni par MM. Renard et Gillabez.

Note: Jimmy Guieu considèrent systématiquement que les OVNIs sont des astronefs. Ici, il joue de malchance, non seulement cette seconde observation aurait eu lieu le lendemain soir, mais on apprit bientôt que la soucoupe du bois de Foucancourt-en-Santerre, n'était qu'un canular inspiré de l'observation d'Acheux.

(Jimmy Guieu, Black Out sur les Soucoupes Volantes, Fleuve Noir 1956, page 107)

Aimé Michel reprend les informations du Parisien libéré, et les fait confirmer par le canular des électriciens.

L'« atterrissage » de Contay. La région où se situe cet incident est l'Amiénois, moins de 200 kilomètres au nord de Paris.

Vers 7 h 15 du matin, deux maçons d'Acheux-en-Amiénois, MM. Emile Renard, vingt-sept ans, et son ouvrier, Yves Degillerboz, vingt-trois ans, se rendaient à leur travail à bicyclette lorsque, entre Harponville et Contay, sur la départementale 47, ils purent contempler un spectacle surprenant.

Voici leur récit, tel qu'il résulte du rapport établi par la gendarmerie. Soulignons que les deux hommes ont été interrogés séparément par la police et par les autorités militaires d'Amiens, que les deux récits sont rigoureusement concordants, et que tous les détails rapportés par chacun d'eux se confirment l'un l'autre.

Au lieu de prendre comme d'habitude la camionnette dont le moteur devait être revisé, mon ouvrier et moi étions partis à bicyclette, raconte M. Renard. Nous devions aller travailler chez le garde champêtre de la commune de Lahoussoye. Soudain, entre Harponville et Contay, un pneu de la bicyclette de Degillerboz se dégonfla. Je stoppai pour lui prêter ma pompe, et mes yeux furent attirés par une sorte de disque, à 200 mètres de nous, dans un champ. On aurait dit une meule non terminée, et dont le dessus aurait été coiffé par une assiette retournée.

« - Regarde, dis-je à mon ouvrier, ne trouves-tu pas que cette meule a une curieuse couleur?

« Intrigué, j'examinais l'objet, lorsque je m'aperçus que celui-ci se déplaçait légèrement avec un balancement à peine perceptible, comme une oscillation.

« - Mais regarde ! Regarde donc! Ce n'est pas une meule ! criai-je à mon compagnon.

« Alors, nous nous précipitâmes tous deux à travers champs vers le mystérieux objet. Nous devions, pour l'atteindre, traverser une friche, puis un champ de betteraves. A peine avions-nous atteint celui-ci que l'objet décolla en biais, fila ainsi en diagonale sur une quinzaine de mètres, puis se mit à monter verticalement. En tout, la vision dura peut-être trois minutes, après quoi l'objet disparut dans les nuages.

« L'objet s'est envolé sans bruit, en lâchant sur la droite, par-dessous, une petite fumée. Il était de couleur gris bleuté. Il pouvait avoir une dizaine de mètres de diamètre sur trois mètres de hauteur environ, et, comme je l'ai dit, ressemblait à une assiette renversée. Sur la gauche, en bas, on pouvait voir une espèce de plaque plus large que haute, comme une porte. Il était à environ 150 mètres de nous au moment de l'envol. C'est le garde champêtre de Lahoussoye qui a insisté pour que nous rapportions notre observation à la gendarmerie de Corbie. »

Ayant reçu cette double déposition, la gendarmerie se rendit sur les lieux en même temps que les spécialistes de l'aéronautique.

Note [Par Dominique Caudron]: Mais ce n'est pas la gendarmerie de Corbie, qui se déplaça, mais celle d'Amiens, prévenu par celle de Corbie. Et les spécialistes de l'aéronautique ne sortent que du Parisien Libéré, qui a confondu cette affaire avec celle de Quarouble.

Elle ne découvrit aucune trace autre que celles des deux hommes, ce qui, d'ailleurs, dans l'hypothèse d'un engin, s'explique fort bien, puisque les témoins l'ont vu osciller: il ne touchait donc pas le sol.

Devant un tel récit, fait par deux hommes qui se connaissaient bien et qui se trouvaient ensemble au moment de l'incident supposé, la gendarmerie pensa d'abord qu'il s'agissait d'une plaisanterie, d'un coup monté par deux jeunes gens facétieux.

Note [Par Dominique Caudron]: Le rapport de gendarmerie montre au contraire que le capitaine pensait que les deux témoins n'étaient pas des mystificateurs.

L'affaire ne fut donc pas ébruitée: les premiers journaux qui en parlent sont Le Figaro, Paris-Presse et France-Soir du 9 septembre.

Note [Par Dominique Caudron]: Le premier journal à en parler fut Le Courrier Picard du 8, sans lequel les journaux cités n'auraient rien su.

Or, pendant cette même journée du 7 septembre, alors que le nombre des personnes au courant n'excédait guère la dizaine, toutes groupées, de nombreux habitants de l'arrondissement de Péronne, dans plusieurs villages répartis sur un diamètre de 30 kilomètres, rapportèrent qu'ils avaient aperçu un objet survolant le bois de Foucaucourt-en-Santerre. Et le signalement qu'ils en donnaient correspondait exactement de l'un à l'autre et avec le récit des deux maçons: même heure, mêmes détails, mêmes dimensions, même couleur, etc.

Note: Il n'y a rien de vrai. Ce ne fut pas le 7, mais le 8 au soir. Les prétendus témoins s'étalaient plutôt sur 3 killomètres que sur 30. L'objet aurait été vu au sol, et non au dessus du bois. Il n'aurait pas eu le même aspect gris sale, mais aurait été lumineux, et surtout, il n'avait jamais existé, puisque c'était un canular.

(Aimé Michel, Mystérieux Objets Célestes, Arthaud 1958, p. 49-51)

Michel Carrouges fait confiance à Aimé Michel.

Deux ans plus tard, le 7 septembre 1954, éclate le premier incident de la grande série.

A 7 h 15, M. Emile Renard, 27 ans, et M. Yves Degillerboz, 23 ans, un maçon et son compagnon, roulent en bicyclette sur la route entre Harponville et Contay (Somme), pour se rendre au chantier.

Il fait grand jour.

Soudain, Degillerboz s'aperçoit qu'un de ses pneus s'est dégonf1é. Les deux hommes s'arrêtent et, pendant que Degillerboz s'occupe de regonfler son pneu, Renard oisif regarde machinalement le paysage. C'est alors qu'intervient le plus grand imprévu sous une forme qui semble d'abord anodine:

« Mes yeux, raconte M. Renard, furent attirés par une sorte de disque, à 250 m de nous, dans un champ.

« - Regarde, dis-je à mon commis, en voilà une meule qui a une drôle de couleur !

« Tout occupé à gonfler, il ne me répondit pas.

« - Mais regarde, regarde donc, ce n'est pas une meule! hurlai-je à mon compagnon.

« Et tous deux, pris par je ne sais quel pressentiment, nous nous précipitâmes à travers champs pour nous approcher de l'engin mystérieux. Il nous fallait traverser après une première friche, un champ de betteraves. A peine avions-nous commencé à courir à travers celui-ci que la soucoupe, car maintenant, pour nous, nous en étions sûrs, c'en était une, décolla en biais pendant une quinzaine de mètres pour monter ensuite verticalement. » (Parisien Libéré, 14-9-54).

M. Degillerboz confirme le récit de M. Renard et ajoute que l'engin gris-bleuté avait une dizaine de mètres d'envergure pour 3 mètres environ de hauteur.

Ils se bornèrent d'abord à raconter l'histoire au garde-champêtre chez lequel ils allaient ; ce fut celui-ci qui insista pour que les deux témoins aillent faire une déposition à la gendarmerie de Corbie. Aimé Michel ajoute qu'à leur tour, après les gendarmes, les journalistes purent constater quel ennui éprouvaient visiblement les deux témoins « d'une publicité qu'ils n'avaient pas cherchée et qu'ils s'eflorçaient de fuir ». (M. II., p. 53).

Ce dernier détail est important, au point de vue psychologique, mais plus importante encore est la manière dont s'amorce l'observation. Renard ne pense pas à une soucoupe volante, il voit d'abord une meule. Pourquoi rêverait-il de soucoupes? Il voit seulement des champs qui sont là autour de lui et, d'emblée, il interprète tout ce qu'il voit en éléments de la vie agricole. Sur cette forme qu'il aperçoit, à 250 m, il plaque d'instinct la notion de meule, parce qu'elle ressemble à une meule.

Au récit que nous avons reproduit, Aimé Michel ajoute cette explication fournie par le même témoin: « On aurait dit une meule non terminée » (M. 11. p. 50)

Mais, cette apparence de meule qui forme la première représentation de l'objet dans l'esprit du témoin reçoit presque aussitôt un premier coup: cette couleur s'accorde mal avec la couleur raisonnablement admise pour les meules. D'où la première exclamation de Renard.

Alors, l'attention aiguisée, il regarde davantage et cette fois, il prend garde à ce nouveau détail: la prétendue meule oscille très légèrement sur le sol. Voilà qui n'est plus compatible avec le paisible objet champêtre qu'il avait supposé.

D'où la seconde exclamation: « Ce n'est pas une meule. » C'est alors qu'emportés par la curiosité, les deux hommes laissent les bicyclettes, bondissent hors de la route et courent à travers champs, sûrs, cette fois, qu'ils ont devant eux, posée au sol, une de ces incroyables soucoupes dont parlent les journaux, mais que personne, sauf quelques illuminés, n'a jamais vu descendre de leurs repaires de nuages et d'étoiles.

Elle est là, dans le champ, mais pas pour longtemps: à l'approche des deux hommes, elle part à toute vitesse.

La preuve est faite que ce n'était pas une meule.

[Note D.C.:] Tant d'arguments pour ça! L'engin n'est pas parti à toute vitesse, et rien ne prouve que ce n'est pas un engin terrestre.

Non moins remarquable est le fait qu'il y a deux témoins dont les déclarations sont concordantes (1)

Au moment où ils sont le plus près de l'objet, ils se trouvent encore à 150 m. (P. L. du 14-9-54). Cette évaluation concorde avec le fait que la route est à 200 m de l'endroit où stationnait l'objet. 150 m, c'est la distance qui sépare les deux extrémités du pont de la Concorde, à Paris. Pas besoin d'être un astronome pour voir une voiture à cette distance et être sûr de sa couleur. A la rigueur, on pourrait hésiter sur la réalité du léger mouvement d'oscillation, mais l'envol qui le complète est une indication décisive.

Il pourrait, il est vrai, s'agir d'un hélicoptère en panne. Mais la soucoupe est partie « sans faire lemoindre bruit » or l'on sait que le bruit est un des aspects les plus gênants du fonctionnement des hélicoptères.

[Note D.C.:] Carrouges ignore que la propagation du son n'est pas isotrope: Elle dépend des gradients de température, surtout le matin et le soir, et peut rendre un bruit audible ou inaudible, pourvu qu'il ne soit pas très proche.

Nul d'ailleurs n'a jamais signalé le moindre hélicoptère comme s'étant posé à l'endroit indiqué.

Nul n'a jamais dit non plus que les hélicoptères en panne se posaient toujours au même endroit.

Soulignons enfin que l'incident s'est passé le matin à 7 h 15. Ce jour-là, 7 septembre, le soleil était levé depuis 5 h 16; il faisait donc grand jour.

[Note D.C.:] Note: En réalité, c'est 5 H 16 en Temps Universel (celui de Greenwich), mais 6 h 16, en temps civil.

(1) L'incident était d'ailleurs corroboré par de nombreux témoignages signalant un objet semblable, durant la même heure, trente km plus loin, à Foncaucourt en Santerre (M. II. p. 51).

Carrouges recopie l'erreur d'Aimé Michel: l'observation de Foncaucourt en Santerre n'était qu'un canular.

(Michel Carrouges, Les apparitions de martiens, Artheme Fayard 1963, page 86-89)

Jacques Vallée résume de façon à peu près exacte.

142) 7 septembre 1954, 7:15. Harponville (France)

Entre cette ville et Contay, deux maçons, Emile Renard (vingt-sept ans) et Yves Degillerboz (vingt-trois ans), ont vu un objet flottant à une certaine hauteur au-dessus d'un champ: « Il ressemblait à une meule de foin inachevée avec une assiette renversée au sommet ». Lorsqu'ils s'approchèrent, il s'envola. Diamètre: dix mètres, hauteur: trois mètres. Une sorte de porte était visible. L'observation dura plus de trois minutes. L'objet lâcha de la fumée en partant (P. 6, M. 35).

P.6: Le Figaro, 9 sept. 1954; M.35: Michel, F.S. and the Straight-line mystéry p.35

Note: C'est De Gillaboz et non Degillerboz. L'objet a été vu osciller légèrement, mais pas vraiment flotter.

(Jacques Vallée, Un siècle d'atterrissage UFO, in Chronique des apparitions extraterrestres, Denoel 1972, page 281)

Charles Garreau prétend citer les renseignements de la gendarmerie.

- Contay (Somme), le 7 septembre 1954, vers 7 h 15. Références: rapport de gendarmerie, dossiers personnels.

Ce matin-là, deux maçons d'Acheux-en-Amienois, Emile Renard, vingt-sept ans, et son ouvrier, Yves Degillerboz, vingt-trois ans, se rendent sur un chantier, à Lahoussoye. Ils roulent à vélo, sur la RD. 47, car la camionnette, dont ils se servent habituellement, est immobilisée pour une révision du moteur.

Entre Harponville et Contay, Yves Degillerboz doit s'arrêter, l'un des pneus de sa bicyclette s'étant dégonflé. Emile Renard met pied à terre lui aussi pour prêter sa pompe à son camarade. Pendant que celui-ci regonfle le pneu défaillant, Emile Renard regarde machinalement le paysage.

« A deux cents mètres de nous, a-t-il raconté aux gendarmes, j'ai aperçu, dans un champ, quelque chose qui m'intrigua. Ça ressemblait une meule inachevée, et coiffée d'une sorte d'assiette retournée. En fixant ce truc, je me suis rendu compte qu'il se déplaçait légèrement avec un imperceptible balancement. J'ai poussé une exclamation de surprise. Yves s'est relevé. Il a vu, lui aussi. Nous nous sommes lancés en courant vers ce mystérieux objet. Il nous fallait traverser une friche, puis un champ de betteraves. Au moment où nous atteignions celui-ci, l'engin a décollé en oblique, sur une quinzaine de mètres, puis il a grimpé verticalement et a disparu dans les nuages. Aucun bruit. Il y a eu comme une petite traînée de fumée. »

Les deux hommes ont eu le temps de bien observer l'engin, dont ils n'étaient plus qu'à 150 mètres environ quand il s'est élevé du sol. Ils en ont fait une assez bonne description aux gendarmes: un disque, ou plus exactement une sorte d'assiette renversée, de couleur gris bleuté, d'une dizaine de mètres de diamètre, et de 3 mètres de haut environ. Sur la gauche de la partie inférieure, ils ont cru voir une sorte de porte.

Note [D.C.:]: Il y a une incohérence avec le passage précédent où l'objet ressemblait à une meule coiffée d'une assiette reournée. Ici, ne n'est plus qu'une assiette retournée, ce qui plus conforme à la mythologie des soucoupes.

Le témoignage des deux maçons a été largement confirmé par de nombreux autres qui, dans un rayon de 15 kilomètres, signalèrent à cette même heure, le survol de la région de Peronne par un objet en tous points identique.

Note: Et encore le canular d'Estrées-Deniécourt, connu de la gendarmerie, et concernant un prétendu objet, non identique, et allégué comme du lendemain, à une heure différente!.

(Charles Garreau, Raymond Lavier, Face aux extraterrestres, Jean Pierre Delarge 1975, p. 189-190)

Michel Figuet n'utilise pas les bonnes sources

07 09 1954 7 h 15 Entre Harponville et Contay 80920 C5, 80920 C4 M52/9, RD47.

TÉMOINS. M. Émile Renard, 27 ans, artisan maçon, habitant Acheux en Amienois. M. Yves de Gillaboz, 23 ans, ouvrier maçon.

OBSERVATION. Disque dans un champ « comme une meule », une assiette retournée d'une dizaine de mètres de diamètre oscillant autour d'un axe imaginaire. Sur sa paroi se distinguait une sorte de porte, plus large que haute, fermée.

DÉROULEMENT. Les témoins se rendent à leur travail lorsqu'ils voient l'objet à deux cents mètres de la départementale. Ils voient l'appareil s'élever en diagonale, tandis qu'une fumée s'échappe par une sorte de tuyau placé dans sa partie basse. Puis, à une quinzaine de mètres de hauteur, l'objet poursuit son ascension verticale plus rapidement et disparaît.

A NOTER. La brigade de gendarmerie d'Acheux-en-Amienois assure n'avoir jamais traité de cette affaire d'OVNI (lettre aux auteurs en date du 3 avril 1976) contrairement aux affirmations de la presse de l'époque. Même réponse de la brigade de Corbie.

Note [par D.C.]: Ce n'est pas la presse de l'époque, mais les ufologues qui ont allégué une enquète de la gendarmerie d'Acheux (Jimmy Guieu), ou de Corbie (Aimé Michel). Le Courrier Picard dit que le garde-champètre insista pour que les témoins préviennent la gendarmerie de Corbie. Ils ne dit pas que les gendarmes qui vinrent sur place étaient ceux de Corbie. SEMAINE DU NORD précise que les gendarmes de Corbie prévinrent le commandant de gendarmerie à Amiens. Ce sont les gendarmes d'Amiens qui enquêtèrent et se renseignèrent après de leur collègues d'Acheux.

CE MÊME JOUR.

0 h 30, Origny-en-Thiérache (02550 E2). Un disque lumineux longe la voie ferrée. S'agit-il d'une confusion du témoin avec un appareil S.N.C.F.? Il faut signaler aussi que cette même localité verra un atterrissage avec êtres le 28/02/ 1974.

Note [par D.C.]: Cette observation a eu lieu le 8. Il s'agit probablement de la lune.

20 h, Marseille (13000). Trois témoins observent une sphère lumineuse durant sept minutes; elle stationnera trente secondes dans le ciel. (Le Provençal du 9 septembre 1954.) [Mote par Patrick Gross: explicable comme ballon.]

SOURCES. Catalogue Vallée, cas n° 142. - La Montagne, sept. 1954. - Parisien libéré du 9 sept. 1954 et du 14 oct. 1954. - Nice-Matin, 9 sept. 1954. - Figaro, 9 sept. 1954. - M. Carrouges: les Apparitions de Martiens, p. 86-87. - A. Michel: A propos des S-V, p. 47.

Note [par D.C.]: Les deux périodiques qui ont enquêté sur place, Le Courrier Picard, et SEMAINE DU NORD ne sont pas cité[s].

(Michel Figuet, OVNI: Le premier dossier complet des rencontres rapprochées en France., Alain Lefeuvre 1979, p. 73)

Les autres auteurs ne font que recopier l'une des sources précédentes. On peut en juger sur la page de Patrick Gross

ANALYSE

Nous venons de voir que si la presse locale donnait des renseignements importants, les livres des ufologues n'ont fait qu'embrouiller le problème: Ils ont utilisé le théme de la soucoupe volante, comme un fait démontré servant d'explication plausible, transformé la meule en assiette renversée soucoupisable, ignoré le temps anormalement long de disparition de l'engin pour le remplacer par une disparition "à toute vitesse", plus conforme à la mythologie soucoupique, et conforté l'observation par un canular, pourtant dénoncé dans les jours suivants.

Autant dire que leur prose est bonne pour la poubelle.

Heureusement, ils nous reste les investigations plus objectives faites à l'époque. Ce sont:

- le rapport de gendarmerie, fait le jour même, sur la base d'investigations faites sur les lieux dans l'après midi.

- l'article du Courrier Picard du 8 septembre, basé sur les investigations faites le soir du 7, chez Emile Renard.

- l'article de SEMAINE DU NORD du 16 septembre, basé sur les investigations faites le 9, avec photos des lieux à l'appui.

Circonstances de l'observation

L'observation dite d'Harponville, a été le premier atterrissage connu du public lors de la vague de 1954, mais survenait, après quelques observations aériennes, mentionnées par la presse et la radio. Rappelons qu'une vague de soucoupes volantes avait déjà eu lieu en 1952, et qu'on avait commencé à en reparler au mois de juillet, et surtout au mois d'Aout. Pour nous en tenir à ce qu'avait rapporté Le Courrier Picard, nous trouvons:

- L'observation de Vernon, rapportée le 25 aout.

- L'atterrissage de Mosjoeen, Norvège, rapporté le 26.

- les observations de Bludenz, Autriche, et d'Obersuessbach, Bavière, rapportées le 6 septembre.

Rien d'étonnant donc à ce que M. Emile Renard, observant ce qui était manifestement un engin, ait pensé à une soucoupe volante.

D'après les trois sources de base, MM. Renard et De Gillaboz, venaient d'Acheux en Amiénois, d'où ils étaient partis vers 7 h, et se dirigeaient vers leur chantier à La Houssoye, roulant à vélo, car leur camionnette B-12 étaient en panne.

Selon SEMAINE DU NORD, c'est parce qu'un pneu du vélo de M. De Gillaboz s'était dégonflé qu'ils s'arrétèrent, et pendant que son ouvrier regonflait son pneu, M. Renard observait, à droite de la route, un curieux objet, une sorte de meule, mais gris sale, et dont il remarqua qu'elle oscillait.

Il était alors 7 h 15, selon Le Courrier Picard et SEMAINE DU NORD, mais plutôt 7 h 30 selon le rapport de gendarmerie. Cette heure parait plus probable, car ils avaient parcouru 7.8 km depuis leur départ d'Acheux à 7 h.

M. Renard fit remarquer l'objet à son ouvrier puis s'élança vers l'objet à travers un champ de chaume. Son ouvrier hésita, puis le suivit.

D'après Le Courrier Picard, M. Renard avait parcouru une cinquantaine de mètres, et d'après SEMAINE DU NORD, allait s'engager dans un champ de betteraves, lorsque l'objet décolla en oblique. D'après le rapport de gendarmerie, il était à 100 mètres de l'objet, mais cette distance estimée est beaucoup moins fiable que celle effectivement parcourue.

Grace aux photos de SEMAINE DU NORD, nous pouvons retrouver l'endroit où se trouvaient les témoins.

(Nous avons du réorienter la photo de 3.5° dans le sens anti-horaire). Le bosquet du fond est à 660 m de la route. Celui de droite n'est qu'un rideau d'arbres bordant un chemin de terre. Au premier plan le champ de betteraves. A gauche le champ de chaumes dans lequel M. Renard s'est élancé, et dont la limite avec le champ de betteraves indique un changement de pente. La croix indique le position estimée de l'engin, mais cette position n'est pas sûre comme nous allons le voir.

En effet, en comparant avec une photo de Google Street de 2018, la perspective parait bizarre:

Il n'y a plus, au premier plan, qu'une seule parcelle, et le rideau d'arbres à droite a disparu, mais c'est l'effet classique du remembrement.

Les arbres du bosquet du fond ont poussé, surtout ceux de la partie gauche, qui avait été coupée à l'époque, c'est encore normal.

Ce qui n'est pas normal, par contre, c'est que puisque nos témoins étaient à pied, et que la caméra google est juché à 2.75 mètre, le paysage devrait être vu dans une perspective verticalement plus ramassée, alors que c'est l'inverse, comme si la photo avait ètre prise à environ 5 mètres au dessus de la route.

L'explication se trouve de l'autre coté de la route: il y a un talus sur lequel le photographe est monté pour avoir une meilleure vue d'ensemble. Mais ce faisant, il nous a privé d'avoir exactement la même perspective que voyait le témoin.

Nous pouvons néanmoins retrouver les lieux sur les photographies aériennes de l'époque, où le rideau d'arbres est en place, et où les parcelles sont les mêmes.

Grace à la position sur la photo du bosquet, du rideau d'arbres et des parcelles, nous savons retrouver l'endroit exact où se trouvait le photographe.

Il est moins facile de retrouver la position du témoin. Nous savons qu'il se trouvait d'abord devant le champ de chaumes, et qu'il allait entrer dans le champ de betteraves, après avoir parcouru une cinquantaine de mètres quand l'objet s'est envolé. Si l'azimut de la position de l'objet sur la photo est correct, et si c'était bien 50 mètres qu'il a parcouru, nous pouvons trouver la position qui l'obligeait à faire 50 mètres jusqu'au champ de betteraves en allant vers l'objet. Nous avons représenté sa position par une minuscule figurine.

Nous savons donc à peu près où se trouvait le témoin, et dans quelle direction il a vu l'engin. Mais pouvait il voir réellement la position de l'engin? Rappelons nous que si le photographe de SEMAINE DU NORD est monté sur la talus, c'est pour avoir une bonne vue d'ensemble, ce qui signifie qu'on voyait moins bien l'endroit où se serait trouvé l'engin depuis la position effective du témoin.

La deuxième photographie nous interpelle sur ce point: elle montre, en contre-plongée, les deux témoins refaisant leur trajet à travers champs, et cette fois plus rien n'est visible au dessus de l'horizon apparent. C'est le moment de se souvenir que la première photo montrait un changement de pente. Il nous faut donc établir le profil altimétrique selon la direction témoin-objet. Le diagramme que nous fournit Géoportail est révélateur: De l'endroit où le témoin a vu l'engin s'envoler, le changement de pente cachait le reste du paysage.

Dès lors la position de l'engin sur la photo est tout à fait arbitraire. Il pouvait aussi bien se trouver au delà du chemin de terre qu'en deça.

Un détail nous fait penser que l'engin pouvait se trouver au dela du chemin: les gendarmes sont venus à 12, avec un chien et n'ont trouvé aucune trace. Mais ils ont probablement cherché là où le témoin croyait avoir vu l'engin, c'est à dire en deça du chemin.

Remarquons que, quand bien même l'engin se serait trouvé là où le situe la photo, il aurait été découvert par le témoin alors qu'il en était à 340 m, et non 150 ou 200.

Il nous reste à examiner le comportement de l'engin. Il décolle en oblique, puis, arrivé à une altitude de 12 ou 15 mètres, il part verticalement. Il ne faut pas en déduire que l'engin est monté vers le zénith, car les témoins auraient du se tordre le coup pour continuer à le voir monter, et l'auraient vu disparaitre au dessus d'eux, et non vers Toutencourt. Il faut plutôt comprendre qu'il a pris une direction où il s'éloignait des témoins en restant dans un même plan vertical, après avoir survolé le bosquet, ce qui correspond bien à la direction de Toutencourt indiquée dans SEMAINE DU NORD. Il est resté visible plusieurs minutes, près de 5 minutes selon Yves De Gillaboz, avant de disparaitre dans le ciel.

Justement, quelle était l'état du ciel?

Temps clair et sans brouillard, dit le rapport de gendarmerie établi 16 jours plus tard.

Ciel gris et brouillasseux, dit SEMAINE DU NORD, qui a enquété 2 jours après.

A 7 h, nébulosité de 8/8, visibilité de 4000 m, dit la station météo d'Abbeville. Le visibilité passant à 15000 m à 10 h

A 7 h 30, nous pouvons donc nous attendre à un ciel gris, avec une visibilité inférieure à 10 km. Si l'engin à mis toutes ces minutes pour parcourir ces quelques kilomètres, alors sa vitesse ne devait guère dépasser 2 km/mn soit 120 km/h.

Et l'engin fait de la fumée par un tuyau d'échappement, comportement bien terrestre.

Un tel comportement, décollage en oblique, puis vertical, émission de fumée, vitesse modérée, est celui d'un hélicoptère, et absolument pas celui d'un engin interplanétaire.

On peut objecter, avec Michel Carrouges, qu'un hélicoptère est bruyant alors que les témoins n'ont rien entendu.

Nous avons déjà répondu que la propagation du son n'est pas isotrope. De fait, tant le vent que les gradients de température créent des "zones d'ombre" (de silence, en fait), comme on nous l'explique sur cette page, cette page, ou encore cette page.

Maintenant, le rapport de gendarmerie dit bien: "Mr. RENARD précise qu'il ne s'agit pas d'un hélicoptère car il a déjà vu et de près ces appareils."

Mais quels appareils? M. Renard ne nous fera pas croire qu'il connaissait tous les modèles d'hélicoptère en service à l'époque. Et de fait, les hélicoptères ont des aspect beaucoup plus variés que les avions. Si M. Renard n'a jamais vu que des engins à verrière, il ne pouvait pas reconnaitre un gros hélicoptère sans verrière, surtout à plusieurs centaines de mètres.

Bell 47

Sikorsky S 51

Nous savons alors que l'engin doit être un gros hélicoptère, sans verrière, bombé sur le dessus, avec une large porte latérale, et de couleur gris sale, ou couleur wagon de chemin de fer (de l'époque).

Or un tel hélicoptère existait à l'époque: c'était le Sikorski S-55.

Le S-55, sa large porte, et sa couleur wagon de chemin de fer

Les caractéristiques sont: Longueur: 13.84 m, Hauteur: 4,07 m, Vitesse maxi: 163 km/h, rayon d'action: 652 km

Voila des valeurs compatibles avec ce qu'ont signalé les témoins, qui, ne l'oubliont pas, ont mal situé sa position et donc mal estimé sa distance, et donc, ses dimensions:

Mais cet appareil était il vraiment en service en France à l'époque?

La réponse est oui. Arrivé en France en septembre 1952, il fut réceptionné en Indochine en septembre 1953, et utilisé dès mars 1954, pour le transport des blessés. Sa silhouette massive lui valu le surnom "d'éléphant joyeux". C'est en en France métropolitaine qu'était formé les pilotes et les mécaniciens. En 1953 fut créé un centre d'essai en vol, à Buc, près de Versailles. Il y avait donc en France quelques hélicoptères de ce type, surtout pour la formation des élèves pilotes.

Maintenant, où allait cet appareil? Vers le Nord-Ouest. Or il se trouve qu'à 19 km, au Nord-Nord-Ouest, il y avait la base aérienne 922, de Doullens-Lucheux, sans aérodrome et surtout consacrée à la détection radar, mais qui accueillit des hélicoptères jusqu'en 2004. Comme l'engin était manifestement un hélicoptère militaire, il est assez probable qu'il se dirigeait vers cette base.

En sens inverse, en prolongeant sa trajectoire vers le sud, on passe à proximité de l'aérodome de Montdidier-Fignières, ancien aérodrome militaire, reconverti depuis en aérodrome civil, mais qui était encore en service à l'époque.

La distance des deux aérodromes est de 58 km, ce qui conviendrait tout à fait à une mission d'entrainement, et la position observée de l'hélicoptère n'est qu'à 1.1 km de la ligne qui les joint.

Conclusion

Il est maintenant quasiment certain que l'engin vu par MM. Renard et De Gillaboz était un Sikorsky S-55, engin qui était nouveau en France, et qu'il est logique que M. Renard n'ai jamais vu.

Il est probable que cet engin se dirigeait vars la BA 922 de Doullens-Lucheux. Un détail cocasse, est que, ce même jour, les gendarmes d'Amiens ont interrogé la station radar de Lucheux, c'est à dire cette même base, qui n'a pu fournir aucune indication... alors que la prétendue soucoupe s'y était probablement posée.

Il est vraisemblable, mais pas certain du tout, qu'il venait de l'aérodrome de Montdidier-Fignières. Mais, s'il venait d'ailleurs, ce n'était certainement pas de la planète Mars.

Nous pouvons maintenant tenter de reconstituer l'envol de l'appareil, mais dans le paysage d'aujourd'hui, vu de la route, en corrigeant la perspective selon ce que nous avons vu du profil altimétrique. Nous supposons donc que le S-55, devant se poser, a choisi de se poser sur le chemin, qui est en replat, dans l'axe du chemin, et donc vu de profil par les témoins.

Nous ne pouvons malheureusement pas reconstituer la phase d'éloignement avec diminution de sa taille apparente

Nous pouvons aussi imaginer ce qu'aurait du être la couverture de SEMAINE DU NORD, si les journalistes avaient compris que la "soucoupe" était en réalité un Sikorsky S-55.

Notons que le titre n'est toujours pas faux: Pour nos deux témoins, c'était bel et bien un engin mystérieux.