The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 9-oct-54-Carcassonne.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
The national newspaper La Croix for October 12, 1954, reported that "Sunday" - therefore October 10, 1954 - in the evening, while driving his car, Mr. Jean Bertrand, a mechanic in Carcassonne, had seen, flying at low altitude, a spherical machine of shiny metal, the upper part of which seemed to be made of plastic. He says he was able to easily distinguish two human forms in this craft which disappeared at high speed in the east direction.
The national newspaper Paris-Presse of the same October 12, 1954, reported the same thing, but gave the date as "Saturday", so October 9, 1954.
In his 1956 book "Black-Out sur les Soucoupes volantes", the French pioneer of ufology Jimmy Guieu gave his interpretation of the case: it was a spaceship.
The Press version will be published in the ufological literature, and it is in 1975 that the ufologist Charles Garreau and Raymond Lavier will give a version of which they did not specify the source (probably La Charente Libre, Angoulême issue of October 12, 1954: on October 9, 1954, around 4 p.m., a mechanic from Carcassonne, Jean Bertrand, was returning from Castelnaudary, and arrived 10 kilometers from Carcassonne, he saw the shiny metallic sphere in front of him on the road. The upper half of the sphere seemed to him to be made of a transparent plastic material, through which he distinguished two silhouettes of human appearance. The craft rose quickly in the direction of the East.
In 1979, the two "skeptical" ufologists Gérard Barthel and Jacques Brucker would tell the version of Paris-Presse, then assure that according to the very words of the witness: "It was a good laugh... the photographers came, we had a good time..." This will go unnoticed in subsequent publications of this case, just as no one seems to have realized that the craft with its two human-looking "occupants" looks very much like a helicopter.
[Ref. lcx1:] NEWSPAPER "LA CROIX":
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In France
On Saturday and Sunday, the "saucers" were particularly numerous to fly over our country. Here are some witness reports:
Riding a bike towards Rânes (Orne) Mr. C. Couette, son of a plumber from Tesse-la-Madeleine, was overtaken by a strange luminous craft which, at high speed, shaved the treetops. The craft, about 4 feet in diameter, had the shape of a ball of fire domed on top. It was observed for ten seconds.
At 17 km from Angouleme, about thirty people Tourriers saw on the night of the 8th to the 9th, a "kind of cigar" that stood motionless at forty meters above the national road No. 10 for a twenty minutes. The machine, which was provided with two fins, then departed at a speed of about 250 to 300 kilometers an hour.
A motorist of Calais saw over the road to Boulogne-sur-Mer, an unidentified craft he believes to be a flying saucer.
"It was 9:15 p.m., the driver said, when, to the left, I saw a glow coming from the fields and that could have been produced by the dynamo of a bicycle. The glow suddenly dove toward the road in my direction, and a craft of very large proportions appeared to me. It was bluish, like the blue of the painted windows during the war. I stopped short and turned off my headlights. The craft passed over the road. It was indeed a blue disc...
Featuring clearly visible dome on the top, the machine moved noiselessly. It flew over the road, veered and sped towards Calais. I saw it disappear and, at that time, the bluish glow gave way to a white light as it had initially appeared to me."
Sunday night, while he was driving his car, Jean Bertrand, a mechanic at Carcassonne, saw, flying low, a bright spherical craft of metal whose upper part seemed to be made of plastic. He could, he said, easily distinguish two human forms in this craft that disappeared at high speed in the direction of the East.
In Belgium
A "flying cigar" was seen by the rural mail carrier in a village near Huy, between Namur and Liege. The postman said the craft was high in the sky when he came close, but he could clearly distinguish two figures on board of "approximately human" shape.
In Egypt
It is reported in Alexandria, from official sources, that a mysterious craft stayed in the air above the control tower of the Muzha airport for an hour Saturday night.
The machine, in the shape of lengthened "saucer", changed color from red to orange and from green to gray, before moving away at breathtaking speed.
[Ref. ppe1:] NEWSPAPER "PARIS-PRESSE":
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Only THREE Martians showed up over the weekend. Very reserved Martians. They abstained from the affectionate demonstrations to which they usually indulge in: caresses or hugs. No doubt they reserve these expressions of sympathy for rural populations: only country people have benefited from it so far.
A manual worker of Lavoux (Vienne), Mr. Roger Barrault, said that riding a bicycle at around 9 a.m. on Saturday, he was suddenly stopped there by a double beam of light directed by him by a "scuba diver" barely 1 m 50 tall with boots without heels very bright eyes and a strong mustache.
- The diver strolled for about a minute on the road, says Barrault, then suddenly disappeared into the nearby forest.
A mechanic from Carcassonne, Mr. Bertrand, saw, also on Saturday evening, on the road, while driving, a spherical craft of shiny metal whose upper part seemed to be made of plastic. He was able, he says, to easily distinguish two human forms in this craft; which disappeared at high speed in the east direction.
Mr. Bertrand could not specify if the two occupants of the craft were mustached like the Martian of the Vienne.
A Lyon resident, Mr. Morguin, claims that he has photographed a saucer over the Rhône.
- It was, he said, a red disc surrounded by white lights.
Several people saw a disc in Mâcon, above the Saône, not brilliant, this time, but dark.
A worker, Mr. Magnier, and truckers saw a luminous ball at Montluçon crossing the sky at high speed.
In Tourriers, 17 kilometers from Angoulême, around thirty people saw in the night from the 8th to the 9th a "kind of cigar" who remained motionless about forty meters above national road number 10 for about twenty minutes. The craft, which had two fins, then left at a speed of around 250 to 300 km per h.
Mrs. Lebert, guardian of the Pont-Chapelle castle in La Ferté-Macé (Orne), observed a craft in the middle of the afternoon mysterious that looked like a rocket and rose vertically silently, leaving behind a slight white trail.
Also, Mr. Christian Couette, son of a plumber from Tesse-la-Madeleine, was riding a bicycle towards Ranes when, near the Etang de Lande-Forêt, in the commune of Beauvain, he was overtaken by a strange luminous craft which, at high speed, grazed the top of the trees. The object, about 4 m in diameter, had the shape of a domed fireball.
[Ref. nll1:] NEWSPAPER "NORD LITTORAL":
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Carcassonne. -- Yesterday evening, around 4 p.m., while driving his car, Mr. Jean Bertrand, a mechanic in this city, saw, flying at low altitude, a spherical machine of shiny metal whose upper part seemed to be made of plastic. He was able, he says, to easily distinguish two human shapes in this apparatus which disappeared at high speed in the east direction.
***
Limoges. -- Last Friday, around 11 p.m., in Uzerches (Corrèze) two young people, Charles and Alphonse Beaujour, who were driving by car on the road to Eyburie, saw, above the castle of Fargeas and in the direction of Espartignac, a huge, extremely bright ball.
The two young men who stopped their vehicle, for a quarter of an hour, looked at this ball which changed from white to red before disappearing in the direction of Lagrulière.
Other people have seen the same phenomenon.
***
Poitiers. -- Mr. Roger Barrault, a laborer in Lavoux (Vienne) declared that, riding a bicycle on Saturday around 7 p.m., he had been suddenly stopped by a double beam of light emanating from a sort of "diver" barely 1.50 m. tall with boots without heels, very luminous eyes and a strong mustache.
The diver strolled about a minute on the road, says Barrault, then suddenly disappeared into the nearby forest.
***
Caen. -- Mr. Christian Couette, son of a plumber from Tesse-la-Madeleine, was riding a bicycle in the direction of Ranes, when near the pond of Lande-Forêt, on the commune of Bauvain, he was overtaken by a strange luminous craft which, at high speed, grazed the treetops. The object, about 4 meters in diameter, had the shape of a fireball domed on top. He was able to observe it for about ten seconds.
[Ref. nnm1:] NEWSPAPER "LE NOUVEAU NORD MARITIME":
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Bonn, 11. -- A "flying saucer was observed for about two minutes by 13 members of a gliding school above the aerodrome of Ockstadt, near Frankfurt.
The 13 pilots and student pilots were watching the progress of a monitor when they saw appearing above the glider in flight, at about three thousand meters above sea level, a "slightly swollen silver disc" which moved without the slightest noise. The witnesses, including several former Luftwaffe aviators, are formal to declare that they cannot have been victims of an optical illusion.
Beirut, 11. -- The newspaper "L'Orient" reports this morning a statement by Mr. Max Favell, representative in Beirut of a German firm, who claims to have seen Saturday at 10:15 p.m. (loc.) at the seaside a motionless craft in the sky which emitted a whitish light.
Mr. Favell clarified that the craft which was a few meters from the ground landed for a few seconds and then took off vertically, rotating on itself and soon disappearing into the sky. The witness did not notice any trace on the ground at the place of landing of the craft.
Following the publication of this statement, a journalist. Mr. Abdelkarim, revealed that he had also seen the same day but around 7:00 p.m., a kind of red ball moving in the sky and coming from the North. Mr. Abdelkarim, fearing that little credit would be given to his "vision", had not revealed it to anyone.
Alexandria, 11. -- Egypt in its turn enters the competition of flying saucers. At the start of Saturday night, several hundred residents of Alexandria reported the presence in the sky of a luminous object which seemed to change from red to orange, then to green and gray-blue. Officials from the meteorological service at the Alexandria aerodrome alerted the Helouan observatory, near Cairo, by telephone, asking that the phenomenon be photographed. However, it disappeared before the observatory's special telescope could be prepared.
The deputy director of the observatory, Mr. Azouz Ismail, told the press that it could be an aurora borealis. A magnetic storm was, indeed, observed for forty-eight hours, which would make the explanation plausible.
Yaounde, 11. -- Several reliable people claim to have witnessed one of these phenomena called "flying saucer" last night.
These are Colonel Cauvin, director of hygiene and prophylaxis services in Cameroon; Dr. Menu, chief doctor of the Yaounde hospital; by MM. Dumont, director of security services in Cameroon; Pailleux, adviser to the Territorial Assembly of Cameroon; Moreau, administrator, deputy mayor of Yaoundé, and their wives.
All these people, gathered at the chief doctor of the Hospital, were preparing to go to the movies when they were intrigued by the attitude of the house dog who suddenly started to growl and bristle his hairs. Thinking that strangers were lurking near his house, Dr. Menu went out and saw a bright object in the sky. He immediately called his guests, who all then declared that they had seen, almost vertically above the plate where the hospital is located, a huge, brightly lit, motionless disc at an altitude of about 600 meters.
This "appearance" lasted fifteen seconds. The machine was very exactly of the shape of a mushroom whose people could not exactly assess the diameter, under which a cylinder swayed very slightly, of a length equal to the diameter of the hat and also very bright.
Suddenly, the "saucer" took the direction of the east, and its volume seemed to decrease visibly. Then it stopped for a few seconds before quickly gaining altitude and disappearing.
Read more on the 8th page.
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Carcassonne, 11. -- Saturday evening, around 4 p.m. while driving his car, Mr. Jean Bertrand, a mechanic in this city, saw, flying at low altitude, a spherical craft of shiny metal, the upper part of which seemed to be made of plastic. He was able, he says, to easily distinguish two human forms in this craft; which disappeared at high speed in the east direction.
Limoges, 11. -- Last Friday, around 10 p.m., in Uzerches (Corrèze), two young people, Charles and Alphonse Beaujou, were driving by car on the road to Eyburie, saw at the height of the castle of Fargeas and in the direction of Espartignac, a huge extremely shiny ball.
The two young people, having stopped their vehicle, watched this ball for about a quarter of an hour, it turned from white to orange then to red before disappearing in the direction of Lagraulière.
Other people saw the same phenomenon.
Poitiers, 11. -- Mr. Roger Barrault, farmer in Lavoux (Vienne), said that, riding a bicycle, around 7 p.m. on Saturday, he had been suddenly stopped by a double beam of light emanating from a sort of scuba diver hardly 1.50 m. tall with boots without heels, very bright eyes and a strong mustache.
The diver strolled about a minute on the road, says Barrault, then suddenly disappeared into the nearby forest.
In Tourriers, 17 km from Angoulême, around thirty people saw on the night of 8-9, a "kind of cigar" which remained stationary at about forty meters above the national road Nr 10, during about twenty minutes. The craft, which had two fins, then decided to leave at a speed of around 250 to 300 kph.
Calais, 11. -- Several residents of Calais saw on Saturday morning around 9:15 a.m., a brilliant craft which moved in the sky.
On the other hand, a motorist from Calais saw at night, over the road to Boulogne-sur-Mer, a luminous object.
- It was 9:15 p.m., said the motorist, when to the left I saw a gleam coming from the fields and which could be that produced by the dynamo of a bicycle. The glow suddenly dove towards the road, in my direction, and a machine of very large proportions appeared to me. It was bluish in color, like that which emerged during the war from the windows painted blue. I braked and turned off my headlights. The craft passed over the road. It was a blue disc with above and clearly emerging, a dome. The machine moved silently. It flew over the road, turned and sped towards Calais. I saw it disappear and at that moment the primitive bluish glow gave way to a white headlight as it had originally appeared to me.
[Ref. jpc1:] NEWSPAPER "LE JOURNAL DU PAS-DE-CALAIS ET DE LA SOMME":
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If the round of "flying saucers" continues throughout France, we should not believe that our country is the only one to receive the visit of these craft. Now Cameroon, Lebanon, Germany, Egypt are entering their competition.
Mr. Roger Barrault, laborer in Lavoux (Vienne), riding a bicycle, was suddenly stopped by a double beam of light emanating from a sort of "diver" just 1.50 m high with boots without heels, very bright eyes and a strong mustache.
The diver strolled about a minute on the road, says Barrault, then suddenly disappeared into the nearby forest.
Several people have, on the bridge of Saint-Laurent-les-Mâcon, seen, above the Saône a disc which disappeared after a short while. New think, this disc was not bright but dark.
In Tourrières [sic], 17 km from Angoulême, around thirty people saw a kind of cigar which remained motionless at about forty meters above national road number 10 for about twenty minutes. The craft, which had two fins, then decided to leave at a speed of around 150 to 300 km / hour.
Mrs. Lebert, guardian of the Pont Chapelle castle at La Ferté-Macé (Orne), observed a mysterious craft in the middle of the afternoon in the sky. This craft, which looked like a rocket, rose silently vertically, leaving behind a luminous white trail. It could be observed for several seconds and then disappeared quickly. A woman and children living in the local suburbs have also witnessed the phenomenon.
Mr. Christian Couette, son of a plumber from Tesse-la-Madeleine, was riding a bicycle in the direction of Ranes, when he was overtaken near the pond of Lande-Forêt in the commune of Beauvain by a luminous craft which, at high speed, grazed the treetops. The object, about four meters in diameter, had the shape of a ball of fire domed on the top. It could be observed for ten seconds.
While driving his car, Mr. Jean Bertrand, mechanic in Carcassonne, saw, flying at low altitude, a spherical craft of shiny metal, the upper part of which seemed to be made of plastic. He was able, he says, to easily distinguish two hum-
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(Continued from the first page)
an forms in this craft; which disappeared at a high speed in the East direction.
Yaoundé, 11. -- Several trustworthy people claim to have witnessed one of these phenomena known as "flying saucers".
These are Colonel Cauvin, director of hygiene and prophylaxis services in Cameroon, Doctor Menu, chief doctor of the Yaoundé hospital, and Messrs. Dumont, director of security services in Cameroon, Pouilleux, adviser to the territorial assembly of Cameroon, Moreau, administrator, deputy mayor of Yaoundé, and their wives.
All these people, gathered at the hospital’s chief doctor, were preparing to go to the cinema when they were intrigued by the attitude of the house dog who suddenly began to growl and bristle his hair. Thinking that strangers were prowling around his house, Doctor Menu went out and saw a bright object in the sky. He immediately called his guests who all then declared that they had seen, almost vertically above the plateau where the hospital is located, a huge disc, violently illuminated, motionless at an altitude of about 800 meters.
This "appearance" lasted 15 seconds. The craft was very exactly in the shape of a mushroom, whose diameter could not be precisely estimated by those present - under which a cylinder very slightly swayed whose length was equal to the diameter of the hat and also very bright.
Suddenly, the "saucer" took the direction of the East and its volume seemed to decrease visibly. Then it stopped for a few seconds before quickly gaining altitude and disappearing.
Beirut, 11. -- Mr. Max Favell, representative in Beirut of a German firm, claims to have seen at the seaside a motionless craft in the sky which emitted a whitish light.
Mr. Favell clarified that the craft which was a few meters from the ground landed for a few seconds, then took off vertically, spinning on itself, and soon disappeared into the sky. The witness did not notice any trace on the ground at the place of landing of the craft.
Following this statement, a journalist, Mr. Abdelkarim revealed that he had also seen the same day, but around 7 p.m., a kind of red ball moving in the sky and coming from the North. Mr. Abdelkarim, fearing that little credit would be given to his "vision", had not revealed it to anyone.
Alexandria, 11. -- Several hundred residents of Alexandria reported the presence in the sky of a luminous object which seemed to move from red to orange, then to green and blue gray. Officials from the meteorological service at the Alexandria airfield alerted the Helouan observatory, near Cairo, by telephone, asking that the phenomenon be photographed. However, it disappeared before the special telescope of the observatory could be readied.
The deputy director of the observatory, Mr. Azouz Ismaïl, told the press that it could be an aurora borealis. A magnetic storm had been observed for 48 hours; which would make the explanation likely.
Bonn, 11. -- A "flying saucer" was observed for about two minutes by 13 members of a gliding school above the airfield of Ockstadt, near Frankfurt.
The thirteen pilots and student pilots were watching the evolution of an instructor when they saw appearing above the glider in flight, at about 3.000 meters of altitude, a "slightly swollen silver disc" which was moving without the slightest noise. The witnesses, including several former Luftwaffe aviators, are formal to declare that they cannot have been the victim of an optical illusion.
[Ref. jgu1:] JIMMY GUIEU:
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The day after the strange observation of Mr. René Ott - thus the 9th - at 4 p.m., Mr. Jean B., a mechanic in Carcassonne (Aude), was driving his car when, suddenly, he saw, flying at low altitude, a spherical craft shining like aluminum. Its upper part or cockpit was transparent, as in plexiglas. Amazed, Mr. Jean B, glimpsed, under this cockpit, two beings of human appearance. The spaceship's rapid flight eastward did not allow it to distinguish their features or other details.
[Ref. aml1] AIME MICHEL:
Aimé Michel notes that an observation occurred on October 9, 1954, in Carcassonne in the Aude. He indicates the newspaper Le Parisien Libéré of October 11 as source.
[Ref. agd1:] ALAIN GAMARD:
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| Case # | Date | Time | Locality | Department | Witness(es) name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 041 | 09/10/1954 | 16.00 | Carcassonne. | 11 | Jean Bertrand. |
[Ref. prn1:] PETER ROGERSON - "INTCAT":
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390 9 October 1954 1600 hrs
CARCASSONNE (FRANCE) As he was driving near Carcassonne, Jean Bertrand saw a bright metallic sphere on the road ahead. The top half seemed to be made of transparent plastic, and two humanoid figures were standing inside. It took off rapidly, flying east. (M219; Paris-Presse, 12 October 1954, Michel II, 154)
[Ref. gqy1:] GUY QUINCY:
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October 9 [1954]
[... other cases...]
04:00 p.m. : Carcassonne(Aude):lumin.sph.w cockpit and2 beings near ground;speed
[... other cases...]
[Ref. gqy2:] GUY QUINCY:
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[... other cases...]
October 9, 1954: Carcassonne (Near of (?)--Aude): M. Jean B. mecanic in Carcassonne (disc with transparent cockpit and with silhouette of 2 "men", very near to the ground)
[... other cases...]
[Ref. jve8:] JACQUES VALLEE:
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| 9 Oct., 1954 | Carcassonne | France | J. B. | 2 human forms | 2 |
[Ref. jve5:] JACQUES VALLEE:
| 276 | -002.34963 | 43.20900 | 09 | 10 | 1954 | 16 | 00 | 1 | (CARCASSONNE-AUDE) | F | 0211 | I |
[Ref. cln1:] CORAL AND JIM LORENZEN:
The authors indicate that on October 9, 1954 Jean Bertrand was driving on a road near Carcassonne, the Aude, France, and he came upon a metallic sphere posed on the road ahead of him. He reported that the top half seemed to be transparent material of some kind, and that he saw two human shaped figures standing inside. As he approached, the object took off at high speed.
[Ref. jve1:] JACQUES VALLEE:
219
Oct. 09, 1954, 04:OO P.M. Carcassonne (France).
As he was driving near Carcassonne, Jean Bertrand saw a bright, metallic sphere on the road ahead. The top half seemed to be made of transparent plastic, and two humanlike figures were standing inside. It took off rapidly, flying east. (Paris-Presse, 12 oct. 1954) (48; M 145).
[Ref. jve2:] JACQUES VALLEE:
The author indicates that on October 9, 1954, while he was driving in the Carcassonne area in the Aude, Jean Bertrand saw on the road in front of him a brilliant metal sphere of which the higher half seemed made of transparent plastic since he easily distinguished two forms of human appearance upright inside. The object flew away quickly towards the east.
[Ref. ldl1:] UFOLOGY MAGAZINE "LUMIERES DANS LA NUIT":
In a list of cases that the magazine called for investigation or re-investigation, there was:
219 9-10-54 Carcassonne
[Ref. gal1:] CHARLES GARREAU AND RAYMOND LAVIER:
The two authors, journalists and ufologists, indicate that on October 9, 1954, around 4 p.m., a mechanic of Carcassonne, Jean Bertrand, returned from Castelnaudary, and when he arrived at 10 kilometers of Carcassonne, he saw a brilliant metal sphere in front of him on the road.
The higher half of the sphere appeared to him to be made of a transparent plastic, through which he distinguished two silhouettes of human appearance.
The machine rose quickly to the direction of the east.
Garreau and Lavier indicate that the sighting occurred 10 kilometers west of Carcassonne.
[Ref. bbr2:] GERARD BARTHEL AND JACQUES BRUCKER:
[... other cases...]
The newspaper "Paris Presse" for October 12 [1954] detailed the incident which Mr. Jean Bertrand had witnessed on October 9 at 4 p.m. The latter had claimed to have observed a sphere of metallic and shiny appearance; two silhouettes of "pilots" were visible inside through the upper half, made of translucent material. As the witness approached, the craft allegedly rose and headed east.
[... other cases...]
For the Carcassonne affair, according to the very words of the witness: "It was a good laugh... the photographers came, we had a good time...". In our view, this does not justify any additional comment.
[... other cases...]
[Ref. jra1:] JEAN-LUC RIVERA:
La Charente Libre (edition of Angouleme), October 12, 1954: About four o'clock in the afternoon M. Jean Bertrand, a mechanic of Carcassonne, saw a spherical object flying at low altitude. Its lower part seemed to be made of shining metal and the upper part of plastic. He said that he could see two human forms inside the machine before it disappeared at high speed toward the east.
[Ref. tbw1:] TED BLOECHER AND DAVID WEBB:
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54-57 October 9, 1954 1600 Carcassonne. France Type A
Driving near Carcassonne, Jean Bertrand saw a bright metallic sphere on the road ahead. The top half seemed to be made of transparent plastic, and 2 human-like figures were standing inside. It took off rapidly, flying east.
Investigator:
Source: Vallee, Magonia, pp. 221f.
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1954 Corrigenda
(HumCat # )
Oct. 9, 1954 1600 Carcassonne (Aude), France Type A
The UFO in which M. Bertrand saw the two human forms did not land, but was flying at a low altitude.
Investigator:
Source: La Charente Libre (edition of Angouleme), 10/l2/54.
[Ref. fru1:] MICHEL FIGUET AND JEAN-LOUIS RUCHON:
The two authors indicate that on October 9, 1954 to 16:00, in the Aude, a person returning from Castelnaudary and who was within ten kilometers of Carcassonne, that is to say doubtless on the commune of Pezens, saw a shining metallic sphere on the road.
In the higher half, which seems made out of transparent plastic, he saw two silhouettes of human appearance, standing inside.
The machine rose quickly and took the direction of the east.
[Ref. tbr1:] TED BLOECHER:
(Jean-Luc Rivera is the source of these items submitted by Ted Bloecher: Translations by Lex Mebane. Summarized by Mildred Biesele.)
La Charente Libre (edition of Angouleme), October 12, 1954: About four o'clock in the afternoon M. Jean Bertrand, a mechanic of Carcassonne, saw a spherical object flying at low altitude. Its lower part seemed to be made of shining metal and the upper part of plastic. He said that he could see two human forms inside the machine before it disappeared at high speed toward the east.
[Ref. gep1:] UFOLOGY GROUP "GEPO":
| 10/9/54 | -4 p.m. | Carcassonne (Aude) | 1 M | 100V1 |
[Ref. lgs1:] LOREN GROSS:
October 9th. Carcassonne, France. (4:00 p.m.)
Four o'clock in the afternoon on the 9th a large ball-like object sat on the shoulder of the road that ran passed the town of Carcassonne. The bottom half of this object seemed to be made of metal, while the upper portion was transparent. As M. Jean Bertrand approached the sphere in his car, he could see two beings of a humanoid shape inside the UFO which rose and then sped eastward. 88.
[Ref. kre1:] KEVIN RANDLE AND RUSS ESTES:
The authors indicate that on October 9, 1954, in Carcassonne, France, Jean Bertrand was driving when he spotted a spherical object sitting on the road in front of him. Through a translucent top, he could see a human-shaped shadow moving. As he approached, the object took off.
[Ref. jsr1:] JEAN SIDER:
The author indicates that on October 9, 1954, according to Figuet pages 136 and 137, on the road from Castelnaudary to Carcassonne in the Aude, within 10 kilometers of Castelnaudary, Jean Bertrand saw a metal sphere on the road, having a translucent higher part allowing to distinguish two silhouettes of apparent human beings who stood inside. Then the object took off fast and went in the direction of the east.
Jean Sider notes that the observation seems to have taken place 2 km before Penautiers but that Figuet does not bring precise details on this matter.
[Ref. jhn1:] JIM HICKMAN:
Jim Hickman indicates that on October 9, 1954, in France, as he was driving near Carcassonne, Jean Bertrand saw a bright, metallic sphere on the road ahead. The top half seemed to be made of transparent plastic, and two humanlike figures were standing inside. It took off rapidly, flying east.
[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH - "*U* COMPUTER DATABASE":
4029: 1954/10/09 16:00 3 2:15:00 E 43:12:00 N 3333 WEU FRN AUD 9:8
nr ARZENS,FR:MTLC SPHERE ON ROAD:2 PSH/XLUCENT DOME/TOP:>>E:/r30p136+/r197p75
Ref#217 Jean SIDER: Le DOSSIER 1954 (2 vol.) Page No. 190 : ROAD+RAILS
[Ref. goe1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:
The Belgian ufologist indicates that on October 9, 1954, in France in Carcassonne, Jean Bertrand saw at 04:00 p.m. while driving in the car, a brilliant metal sphere on the road in front of him. The higher half seemed made of a transparent plastic. Two silhouettes of human appearance were upright inside. The machine rose quickly and took the direction of the east.
The source is indicated as Jacques Vallée in "Chronique des apparitions ET", Denoel, J'ai Lu collection, 1972, page 273.
[Ref. mcn1:] MARK CASHMAN:
Carcassonne (France).
10/9/1954 16:00
As he was driving near Carcassonne, Jean Bertrand saw a bright, metallic sphere on the road ahead. The top half seemed to be made of transparent plastic, and two humanlike figures were standing inside. It took off rapidly, flying east.
[Ref. jnf1:] JAMES NEFF:
James Neff indicates that on October 9, 1954, in Carcassonne, France, Jean Bertrand was driving when he spotted a spherical object sitting on the road in front of him. Through a translucent top, he could see a human-shaped shadow moving. As he approached, the object took off.
[Ref. nip1:] "THE NICAP WEBSITE":
The website lists that on October 9, 1954 in Carcassonne, France, Bertrand was driving when he saw a spherical object on the road in front of him. Through a translucent top, he could see a human-shaped shadow moving.
The source is indicated as "CE-3-101 Randle/Estes, FOV pg267".
[Ref. djnf1:] DONALD JOHNSON:
Donald Johnson reported that on October 9, 1954, driving near Carcassonne, France at around 4 p.m., Jean Bertrand saw a bright, metallic sphere ahead on the road. The top half appeared to be made of transparent plastic, and two humanlike figures were seen standing inside. It took off quickly, flying away to the east.
The sources are given as "Aime Michel, Flying Saucers and the Straight Line Mystery, p. 145; Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia, pp. 221-222".
[Ref. ars1:] ALBERT ROSALES:
139.
Location. Carcassonne France
Date: October 9 1954
Time: 1600
Driving near Carcassonne, Jean Bertrand saw a bright metallic sphere on the road ahead. The top half seemed to be made of transparent plastic, and 2 human like figures were standing inside. It took off rapidly, flying east.
Humcat 1954-80
Source: Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia
Type: A
The case appears twice, with different dates and sources:
152.
Location. Carcassonne, France
Date: October 12 1954
Time: 1600
The witness, a mechanic, watched a spherical object flying at a low altitude over the area, its lower part appeared to be made out of a shiny metal and the top half transparent plastic. Two human like figures could be seen standing inside the object, which disappeared at very high speed.
HC addition # 253
Source: Jean Luc Rivera, Mufon Journal # 130
Type: A
[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN:
Luc Chastan indicates that in the Aude in Carcassonne on October 9, 1954 at 16:00 hours, a witness returns from Castelnaudary. Ten kilometers from Carcassonne, doubtless on the community of Pezens, he sees on the road a brilliant metal sphere. In the higher half, which seems made out of transparent plastic, he sees two silhouettes of human appearance, upright inside. The craft rises quickly and takes the direction of the east.
Luc Chastan indicates that the source is "Ovni, Premier dossier complet... by Figuet M./ Ruchon J.L. ** Alain Lefeuvre pub. 1979."
[Ref. rin1] "RIGOROUS INTUITION" BLOG:
[... Other cases ...]
October 9: [...] In Carcassone [sic], a man saw a metallic sphere in the road. The top half of the object was transparent, and he saw two human-shaped figures standing inside. The craft soon left at high speed. (Dolan) The individual seemed to have "boots without heels" and very bright eyes.... The entity had a very hairy chest and carried two "headlights" placed one below the other on his chest. (Vallee)
[... Other cases ...]
[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on 9 October 1954 at 16:00 in Carcassonne, France, a bright, metallic sphere was seen on the road. Two humanlike figures were standing inside. As he was driving near Carcassonne, Jean Bertrand saw a bright, metallic sphere on the road ahead. The top half seemed to be made of transparent plastic, and two humanlike figures were standing inside. It took off rapidly, flying east.
The website comments that "An object was observed. Occupants of the craft were seen. One metallic ball was observed by one experienced male witness on a road for over three minutes. Two dwarves were seen."
The website then adds that "Driving near Carcassonne, Jean Bertrand saw a bright metallic sphere on the road ahead. The top half seemed to be made of transparent plastic, and 2 human like figures were standing inside. It took off rapidly, flying east."
The sources are indicated as "Webb, David, HUMCAT: Catalogue of Humanoid Reports; Guieu, Jimmy, Flying Saucers Come from Another World, Citadel, New York, 1956; Michel, Aime, Flying Saucers and the Straight-Line Mystery, S. G. Phillips, New York, 1958; Lorenzen, Coral E., Flying Saucer Occupants, Signet T3205, New York, 1967; Bowen, Charles, The Humanoids: FSR Special Edition No. 1, FSR, London, 1966; Lorenzen, Coral E., Encounters with UFO Occupants, Berkley Medallion, New York, 1976, ISBN:425-03093-8; Bowen, Charles, The Humanoids: FSR Special Edition No. 1, FSR, London, 1966; Pereira, Jader U., Les Extra-Terrestres, Phenomenes Spatiaux, Paris, 1974; Vallee, Jacques, Computerized Catalog (N = 3073); Vallee, Jacques, Challenge to Science: The UFO Enigma, Henry Regnery, Chicago, 1966; Vallee, Jacques, Preliminary Catalog (N = 500), (in JVallee01); Vallee, Jacques, A Century of Landings (N = 923), (in JVallee04), Chicago, 1969; Schoenherr, Luis, Computerized Catalog (N = 3173); Delaire, J. Bernard, UFO Register Volume 7 (1976), Data Research, Oxford, 1976; Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002; Rosales, Albert, Humanoid Sighting Reports Database."
[Ref. uda2:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on 12 October 1954 at 16:00 in Carcassonne, France, the witness, a mechanic, watched a spherical object flying at a low altitude over the area, its lower part appeared to be made out of a shiny metal and the top half transparent plastic. Two human like figures could be seen standing inside the object, which disappeared at very high speed.
The source is indicated by a link to a nonexistent web page.
[Ref. prn2:] PETER ROGERSON:
October 9 1954, 1600hrs.
CARCASSONNE (AUDE : FRANCE)
As he was driving near Carcassonne, mechanic Jean Bertrand saw a bright metallic sphere flying low over the road ahead. Its lower part appeared to be made of shiny metal and its upper part of transparent plastic, though which he could see two humanoid forms standing inside. It took off rapidly towards the east.
Vallee Case 219, citing Paris-Presse 12 October 1954.
Michel 1958, p.154.
Jean Luc Rivera in MUFON UFO Journal 130, p.16 citing La Charente Libre 12 October 1954.
[Ref. jgz1:] JULIEN GONZALEZ:
The author indicates that there was a close encounter of the 3rd kind 10 km in the west of Carcassonne, in the Aude, October 9, 1954, at 04:00 p.m.
Mr. Jean Bertrand, mechanic, coming back from Castelnaudary, at ten kilometers of Carcassonne, saw on the road a brilliant metal sphere.
In the higher half, which seemed made out of transparent plastic, he saw two silhouettes of human appearance upright inside.
The machine rose quickly and took the direction of the east.
The sources are indicated as C. Garreau and R. Lavier, "Face aux Extra-Terrestres", page 187; Jimmy Guieu, "Black-Out sur les Soucoupes Volantes", page 203; Michel Figuet and Jean-Louis Ruchon, "OVNI, le premier dossier complet des rencontres rapprochées en France", pages 136-137; Jean Sider, "Le dossier 1954 et l'imposture rationaliste", page 190.
[Ref. nip1:] "THE NICAP WEBSITE":
*Oct. 9, 1954 - As he was driving near Carcassonne, France at around 4:00 o'clock in the afternoon, Jean Bertrand saw a bright, metallic sphere ahead on the road. The top half appeared to be made of transparent plastic, and two humanlike figures were seen standing inside. It took off quickly, flying away to the east. (Sources: Aime Michel, Flying Saucers and the Straight Line Mystery, p. 145; Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia: A Century of Landings, pp. 221-222, case # 219).
[Ref. tai1:] "THINK ABOUT IT" WEBSITE:
Location: Carcassonne France
Date: October 9 1954
Time: 1600
Driving near Carcassonne, Jean Bertrand saw a bright metallic sphere on the road ahead. The top half seemed to be made of transparent plastic, and 2 human like figures were standing inside. It took off rapidly, flying east.
Source: Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia 219
The same page has the case a second time with another date:
Location: Carcassonne, France
Date: October 12 1954
Time: 1600
The witness, a mechanic, watched a spherical object flying at a low altitude over the area; its lower part appeared to be made out of a shiny metal and the top half transparent plastic. Two human like figures could be seen standing inside the object, which disappeared at very high speed.
Source: Jean Luc Rivera, Mufon Journal # 130
[Ref. ubk1:] "UFO-DATENBANK":
This database recorded this case 13 times instead of one time:
| Case Nr. | New case Nr. | Investigator | Date of observation | Zip | Place of observation | Country of observation | Hour of observation | Classification | Comments | Identification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19541009 | 09.10.1954 | Carcassonne | France | 16.00 | CE III | |||||
| 19541009 | 09.10.1954 | Carcassonnes | France | 16.00 | CE III | |||||
| 19541009 | 09.10.1954 | Carcassonne | France | 16.00 | CE III | |||||
| 19541009 | 09.10.1954 | Carcassonne | France | 16.00 | CE III | |||||
| 19541009 | 09.10.1954 | Carcassonne | France | 16.00 | CE III | |||||
| 19541009 | 09.10.1954 | Carcassonne | France | 16.00 | CE III | |||||
| 19541009 | 09.10.1954 | Carcassonne | France | 16.00 | CE III | |||||
| 19541009 | 09.10.1954 | Carcassonne | France | 16.00 | CE III | |||||
| 19541009 | 09.10.1954 | Carcassonne | France | 16.00 | CE III | |||||
| 19541009 | 09.10.1954 | Carcassonne | France | 16.00 | CE III | |||||
| 19541009 | 09.10.1954 | Carcassonne | France | CE III | ||||||
| 19541009 | 09.10.1954 | Carcassonne | France | 16.00 | CE III | |||||
| 19541009 | 09.10.1954 | Carcassonne | France |
[Ref. prn2:] PETER ROGERSON - "INTCAT":
October 9 1954. 1600hrs.
CARCASSONNE (AUDE : FRANCE)
As he was driving near Carcassonne, mechanic Jean Bertrand saw a bright metallic sphere flying low over the road ahead. Its lower part appeared to be made of shiny metal and its upper part of transparent plastic, though which he could see two humanoid forms standing inside. It took off rapidly towards the east.
|
The description fits quite well with a helicopter.
Or, at a pinch, if the object did not really fly, the famous hoax of Parisian journalists Michel Agnelet and Pierre Laforêt.
Probable helicopter or hoax.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Carcassonne, Aude, Jean Bertrand, road, sphere, metallic, bright, transparent, occupants, humans, humanoids, humanoid, landing
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | March 26, 2003 | First published. |
| 0.2 | Patrick Gross | April 18, 2008 | Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | December 23, 2008 | First formal version. Additions [tbr1], [lcn1], [uda1], [uda2]. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | June 28, 2010 | Addition [jve5]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | July 7, 2010 | Addition [rin1]. |
| 1.3 | Patrick Gross | August 14, 2013 | Addition [prn2]. |
| 1.4 | Patrick Gross | September 24, 2014 | Additions [lcx1], [jra1], [nip1], [tai1]. |
| 1.5 | Patrick Gross | December 13, 2016 | Additions [jgz1], [ubk1]. |
| 1.6 | Patrick Gross | December 20, 2016 | Addition [lgs1]. |
| 1.7 | Patrick Gross | January 7, 2020 | Addition [ppe1], [jgu1], [prn1], [bbr2], [kre1], [lhh1], [prn3]. |
| 1.8 | Patrick Gross | February 19, 2020 | Addition [nnm1]. |
| 1.9 | Patrick Gross | April 16, 2020 | Addition [nll1]. |
| 2.0 | Patrick Gross | June 30, 2020 | Addition [jpc1]. |
| 2.1 | Patrick Gross | September 4, 2021 | Additions [gqy1], [tbw1]. |
| 2.2 | Patrick Gross | April 30, 2022 | Additions [gqy2], [ldl1], [gep1]. |
| 2.3 | Patrick Gross | June 4, 2022 | Addition [agd1]. |
| 2.4 | Patrick Gross | June 23, 2022 | Addition [jve8]. |
