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The 1954 French flap:

The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.

August 1954, Galfingue, Haut-Rhin:

Reference for this case: Aug-54-Galfingue.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.

Summary:

French ufologist Alain Gamard reportedly noted in his file, seemingly without providing a source, that in August 1954, in Galfingue in the Haut-Rhin, a man who remains anonymous had seen in a cut wheat field a luminous sphere posed on the ground, and small beings around this object.

He fled.

The case was listed in the ufology magazine Lumières Dans La Nuit for the first time in 1969, then the few details given above were published in the same Magazine by CNEGU's Raoul Robé. In 2006, Christian Valentin, retired regional journalist who investigates UFO sightings in Alsace made a short investigation and found no confirmation of the story.

It was only in 2023 that the primary source of this case appeared: a record from the archive of the LDLN ufology group written by their archivist Mrs. Gueudelot in the 1970s.

The record gave no additional information on the sighting, but gave the source: Mr. Nueffer, ufologist in Alsace, LDLN correspondent, who heard the story personally.

Reports:

[Ref. aldl:] MRS. GUEUDELOT, "LUMIERES DANS LA NUIT" ARCHIVE:

AUGUST 1954.-

GALFINGUE. - (68)

In a field of cut wheat, Mr. X... would have seen a luminous sphere posed on the ground.

Mr. X... was frightened and fled; he saw among other things small beings around the object.

(Personal, communicated by Mr. NUEFER)

[Ref. fle1:] FERNAND LAGARDE:

Numbering	Dictionnary page	Departement Nr	Nam of locations	Faults
Numbering	Dictionnary page	Departement Nr	Nam of locations	Just above	at 2 km 500	Up to 5 km
132	302	68	GALFINGUE			1

[Note: this ufologist thought (essentially wrongly) that there is a connection between UFO sighting spots and geological faults.]

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

Case Nr 13

In August 1954 in Galfingue (68) - (CP: T2)

In a field of cut wheat, M. X. sees a luminous sphere posed on the ground. He sees little beings around the object and runs away. (Ref.: A. Gamard, LDLN file, LDLN).

[Ref. mft1:] MICHEL FIGUET:

This ufologist noted:

CASE Nr	CLASSIFICATION	DATE	HOUR	PLACE	ZIP CODE	CREDIBILITY SOURCE
56	CE3	.. 08 1954	22 h - 23 h	Galfingue	68500 C5	RS, LDLN file

[Ref. rre1:] RAOUL ROBE:

Case #13

In August 1954 in Galfingue (68) - (CP: T2)

In a field of cut wheat, Mr. X sees a luminous sphere posed on the ground. He sees small beings around the object and flees. (Ref.: A. Gamard, LDLN file, LDLN).

[Ref. mye1:] UFOLOGY MAGAZINE "LES MYSTERES DE L'EST":

Case nr 6:

In August 1954, in Galfingue (68), in a field of cut wheat, Mr. X... saw a luminous sphere, posed on the ground. He sees small beings around the object and runs away.

Sources: LDLN according to A. Gamard; no mention in the local press.

[Ref. jsr1:] JEAN SIDER:

Ufologist and author Jean Sider indicates that in Galfingue in the Haut-Rhin, in August 1954, a witness who asked for the respect of his anonymity saw a luminous sphere posed on the ground in a field. He noticed that two small beings were busy nearby. He was frightened and fled without trying to know more of it.

Sider gives the ufology magazine Lumières Dans La Nuit page 40, #267-268 as source.

[Ref. rre3:] RAOUL ROBE:

The case of Galfingue (68), which occurred in August and quoted in our catalog with the only source of the LDLN file according to A. Gamard, is reproduced as such by J. Sider who quotes LDLN #267-268, actually editing... our own CNEGU catalog (!). We would have appreciated that this "great collaborator" of the said magazine tells us a little more about this case, because we will never have access to this LDLN file, because of the hostility of its editor against us.

[Note: Raoul Robé reacts to Sider's 1997 book about the French saucer flap of 1954 [jsr1]. Sider vehemently alluded to "debunkers of the East" (of France), that is, CNEGU members such as Raoul Robé, indeed "skeptical" ufologists. So, Robé replies that Sider copied CNEGU's information on the case and accuses that access to the original data is not allowed to them because of the hostility of LDLN editor Joël Mesnard against CNEGU. The mystery here is, where did Robé get the data, if not from LDLN?]

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

3677: 1954/08/00 00:00 1 7:13:00 E 47:42:00 N 3311 WEU FRN HRH 8:6

GALFINGUE,FR:LUMn SPHERE/CUT WHEATFIELD:2 OIDS BUSY OUTSIDE:obs runs:/LDLN#267

Ref#217 Jean SIDER: Le DOSSIER 1954 (2 vol.) Page No. 163 : FARMLANDS

[Ref. ars1:] ALBERT ROSALES:

Albert Rosales indicates in his catalogue that in "Galfinque" [sic], Haut-Rhin, France, in August 1954, in the evening, "A witness who asked to remain anonymous saw a luminous sphere posed on the ground in a field. He noticed that two small beings were busy nearby. He was frightened and fled without further investigating."

The source is noted "Jean Sider quoting “Lumieres Dans La Nuit” # 267-268". Another version of the file has the source "Source: Les Ovnis vus de pres."

[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:

The website indicates that in August 1954 in Galfingue, France, "Luminous sphere in cut wheat field. two humanoids busy outside object. Witness flees." And: "Close encounter with an unidentified craft and its occupants. One luminous sphere was observed by one witness in a field for over one minute. Two dwarves were seen."

The source is indicated as "Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002."

[Ref. uda2:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:

The website indicates that in 1954 at 21:00 in "Galfinque" [sic], France, "A large luminous sphere was seen landing on a field. The witness's vehicle engine stalled as two short humanoids approached the car. No other information."

The source is a link to a missing web page.

[Ref. isu1:] "ISUNDGAU" BLOG:

That blog presents several cases in Alsace they fished on the web, including this one:

1954: In Galfingue, a luminous sphere lands in a field. The witness flees because there are "little beings" who are busy around the machine.

There is no source reference for this case, cited among other cases. There is simply, at the end of the article, a series of links to several ufology websites and web pages, including a link to the old URL of the home page of my own website.

[Ref. cvn2:] CHRISTIAN VALENTIN:

Former journalist Christian Valentin published in 2012 a very interesting book telling the story of UFO sightings, flying saucers sightings, in Alsace, from the beginning to 1980.

In this book, he gives this summary of a case in Galfingue in August 1954:

"In a field of cut wheat, the witness, who requested anonymity, sees a luminous sphere posed on the ground. He sees small beings around the object and flees."

He indicates that the sources are given as "A. Gamard, LDLN file, LDLN", "Lumières dans la Nuit # 267/268 page 40."

He comments that LDLN refers to the LDLN file of ufologist Alain Gamard; which does not gives us the source of the information and thus there is a major reliability issue.

He adds that the short investigation he made in 2006 to some residents did not allow for a confirmation of the information.

[Ref. prn1:] PETER ROGERSON:

August 1954.

GALFINGUE (HAUT-RHIN : FRANCE)

A man saw a luminous sphere with little beings around it in a field of cut corn, and ran away.

Alain Gamard citing LDLN files.

[Ref. tai1:] "THINK ABOUT IT" WEBSITE:

Location: Galfinque [sic], Haut-Rhin, France

Date: August 1954

Time: evening

A witness who asked to remain anonymous saw a luminous sphere posed on the ground in a field. He noticed that two small beings were busy nearby. He was frightened and fled without further investigating.

Source: Jean Sider quoting “Lumieres Dans La Nuit” # 267-268

[Ref. jgz1:] JULIEN GONZALEZ:

The author indicates that there was a close encounter of the third kind in Galfingue, the Haut-Rhin, on an undetermined day in August 1954, at an unknown hour, with an anonymous witness:

In a field of cut wheat, the witness saw a luminous sphere posed on the ground, and he noticed two small beings busy around the object. The frightened witness fled without trying to find out more.

Julien Gonzalez indicates that the source is Lumières dans la Nuit, #267-268, page 40.

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

August 1954.

GALFINGUE (HAUT-RHIN : FRANCE)

A man saw a luminous sphere with little beings around it in a field of cut corn, and ran away.

Alain Gamard citing Lumieres dans le [sic] Nuit files

[Ref. rra1:] RAOUL ROBE AND JEAN-MICHEL ABRASSART:

Chronological list of humanoid sightings in the North-Est of France (1900-2018)

Categories:

U: Humanoid sighting with a UFO
NU: Humanoid sighting without a UFO
RV: Religious visions (Virgin Mary, White Lady or similar)

N°	Date	Place (Department number)	Category
... Other cases...
07	August 1954	Galfingue (68)	U
... Other cases...

[Ref. cnu1:] UFOLOGY GROUP "CNEGU":

Case nr 8:

In August 1954, in Galfingue (68), in a field of cut wheat, M.X... saw a luminous sphere placed on the ground. He sees small beings around the object and runs away.

Sources: LDLNfile according to A.Gamard; no allusion in the local press, J.Sider "Le dossier 54 et l'imposture rationaliste" (Ramuel 97) p 163 (simply taking up my references published in the magazine LDLN n°267-268.

[Ref. ezr1:] ERIC ZURCHER:

025

08.54

Galfingue

MR. X.

Explanations:

No precise date, no hour, no decent description of the object and the beings, an unidentified witness, no source, no trace in the regional Press, and Christian Valentin finding nothing about it.

This hardly makes it a convincing case: unknown credibility, insufficient data.

Keywords:

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

Galfingue, Haut-Rhin, field, sphere, luminous, landing, occupants, small, fear

Sources:

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

[ald1] Record in the archive by Mrs. Gueudelot, of the ufology magazine Lumières Dans La Nuit (LDLN), France, not dated, published circa 2020 by the ufology association SCEAU, France, at https://sceau-archives-ovni.org/fonds/fond_gueudelot/base_guy_jpr_fiches_gueudelot.html
[----] Ufologist Alain Gamard, France.
[fle1] "Corrélations M.O.C. et failles", article by Fernand Lagarde, in the ufology magazine Lumières Dans La Nuit (LDLN), France, #98, page 15, February 1969.
[ldl1] Article in the ufology magazine Lumières Dans La Nuit (LDLN), France, page 40, #267-268, September / October 1983.
[mft1] "Catalogue Francat des rencontres rapprochées en France (Listing 800 1982) (2 - Suite)", list compiled by Michel Figuet, in the ufology magazine Lumières Dans La Nuit (LDLN), France, #257-258, page 16, November - December 1985.
[rre1] "Catalogue Régional des Observations d'Humanoïdes du Nord-Est de la France et du Luxembourg (1)", compiled by Raoul Robé, Alain Gamard, M.L. Blaise, M.D. Bleux, in the ufology magazine Lumières Dans la Nuit (LDLN), France, #267-268, page 40, September - October 1986.
[mye1] "Catalogue Nord Est des observations d'humanoïdes", in the ufology magazine Les Mystères de l'Est, CNEGU, France, annual, #1, page 13, 1995.
[jsr1] "Le Dossier 1954 et l'Imposture Rationaliste", book by Jean Sider, Ramuel publisher, France, page 163, 1997.
[rre3] "Réponse des 'débunkers de l'Est' à Jean Sider", article par Raoul Robé, dans le magazine annuel d'ufologie Les Mystères De L'Est, CNEGU, France, N° 4, page 143, 1998.
[lhh1] "*U* Computer Database", database by Larry Hatch, USA, circa 2002.
[ars1] "1954 Humanoid Reports", web page compiled by Albert Rosales, circa 2005, at www.ufoinfo.com/humanoid/humanoid1954.shtml
[uda1] "In August 1954 - Galfingue, France", web page by the UFOdna website, circa 2008, at www.ufodna.com/uf16/uf1/161785.htm
[isu1] "OVNI en Alsace", article on the iSundgau blog, France, January 31, 2011, at http://isundgau.over-blog.com/article-ovni-en-alsace-2-65957531.html
[cvn2] "Mythes et Réalités des Phénomènes Aériens Non Identifiés - Histoire des soucoupes volantes en Alsace jusqu'en 1980", book by Christian Valentin, Grimoires d'Alsace publishers, France, page 59, 2012.
[uda2] "1954 - Galfinque, France", web page by the UFOdna website, circa 2008, at www.ufodna.com/uf19/uf5/195164.htm
[prn1] "Intcat 1954 - International Catalogue of Entity Reports", compiled by Peter Rogerson, U-K., circa 2012, at intcat.blogspot.fr/search/label/1954
[tai1] "1954: September Sightings", catalog on the UFO website Think About It, USA, not dated, found in 2014, at http://www.thinkaboutitdocs.com/4-1954-august-september-sightings
[jgz1] "RR3 - Le Dossier des Rencontres du Troisième Type en France", book by Julien Gonzalez, Le Temps Présent publishers, France, pp 68-69, 2014.
[prn2] "INTCAT 1954", catalogue compiled by Peter Rogerson, U-K., circa 2016, at https://intcat.blogspot.com/search?q=1954
[rra1] "Humanoid sightings in the North-Est [sic] of France", electronic paper by Raoul Robé, Comité Nord-Est des Groupes Ufologiques, France, and Jean-Michel Abrassart, Belgium, no page numbering, not dated, appeared in 2020, at https://www.academia.edu/49586299/HUMANOID_SIGHTINGS_IN_THE_NORTH_EST_OF_FRANCE
[cnu1] "Catalogue Nord-Est des Observations d'Humanoïdes", unsigned electronic catalogue, ufology group CNEGU, France, page 6, not dated, circa 2020.
[ezr1] "Les Apparitions d'Humanoïdes", book by Eric Zurcher, JMG publisher, France, page 355, 2020.

Document history:

Version:	Created/Changed by:	Date:	Change Description:
0.1	Patrick Gross	January 2, 2006	First published.
1.0	Patrick Gross	February 24, 2010	Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Additions [ars1], [uda1], [uda2].
1.1	Patrick Gross	August 18, 2010	Addition [rre1].
1.2	Patrick Gross	August 12, 2013	Addition [prn1].
1.3	Patrick Gross	October 23, 2014	Addition [tai1].
1.4	Patrick Gross	February 8, 2015	Addition [cvn2], Summary, Explanations.
1.5	Patrick Gross	January 18, 2017	Addition [jgz1].
1.6	Patrick Gross	February 14, 2018	Addition [isu1].
1.7	Patrick Gross	February 6, 2019	Additions [fle1], [mft1], [mye1], [rre3], [lhh1], [prn2].
1.8	Patrick Gross	July 31, 2019	Addition [ldl1].
1.9	Patrick Gross	November 2, 2021	Addition [rra1].
2.0	Patrick Gross	January 18, 2023	Addition [cnu1].
2.1	Patrick Gross	February 3, 2023	Addition [ezr1].
2.0	Patrick Gross	August 6, 2023	Addition [ald1]. In the Summary, addition of "It was only in 2023..." and what follows.

This page was last updated on August 6, 2023.