The article below was published in the daily newspaper Le Libre Poitou, Poitiers, France, page 5, on September 30, 1954.
See the case file.
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We reported in yesterday's editions the statement given to us by Mr. Yves David, the farmer from Vouneuil-sur-Vienne, who claims to have come face to face with a mysterious craft.
It was on Tuesday evening that we learned of the event. The gendarmes of Bonneuil-Matours, whom we immediately telephoned, knew nothing about it - in fact, our story gave them quite a laugh. Consequently, we decided to go to the scene, at Montgamé.
We have a friend in the village and it is to his house that we first go.
- "We've come about the "flying saucer." Surely you've heard about it?"
- "We heard about the affair during the day, and were told it concerned a man named David. He doesn't live in the village and we don't know him. Old man Machin (the name escapes us) must know him well. We'll go fetch him."
Old man Machin makes no difficulty. He's rather quick with words, actually. Abandoning the two canes he uses to move about, he takes a seat and begins to tell us what he knows. Which, as it turns out, is not much.
- "Flying saucers? Nonsense that makes people laugh." Then, shrugging his shoulders, he goes on: "You've got to invent something, I suppose. I don't much believe it. Besides, it can't be. Martians on Earth? How could they get here? They say two people saw the "saucer." That's what I've been told. There was David and another whose name I don't know. David is the son, he doesn't live here. He's at Les Breloux, two kilometers from here. His parents live further down. Just rejoin the road, go down towards Pontereau, and after about a hundred meters take the path on the left."
It is Mme. David, the mother, who receives us. We tell her the reason for our visit.
- "I know nothing about it, dear sir! People say so, but Yves hasn't spoken to us about it. Here's how we learned. He mentioned a few words to his brother during lunch. Alone with him, he explained that he wouldn't say anything because it had happened about a week earlier and he didn't want people making fun of him. But his brother repeated it to us."
And Mme. David adds:
- "Yves came Sunday to dry some tobacco. I wanted to bring it up with him, but I forgot. Next time I see him, I'll ask what all this is about."
As you can see, Mr. David's immediate family doesn't seem overly concerned about this "flying saucer" story—there are so many of them.
However, to one question we ask Mme. David, she replies that the "saucer" is said to have landed on the road from Vouneuil to Cenon, between Pontereau and Les Rabottes. That was the first detail.
- "Go see my son, he must not be in bed yet," Mme. David tells us. "He lives at Les Breloux. He'll give you all the information."
It is in front of his door that we find Mr. David, who kindly makes no difficulty in answering our questions.
We published his statement yesterday. Nevertheless, we must return to it.
Mr. David was coming back from one of his brothers, living in Targé, by the road from Cenon to Vouneuil-sur-Vienne. The headlight of his moped was pointing down at the road, so he could not see very far. Suddenly, on the road ahead, he saw a "cuirass" (armored figure) blocking the way. Mr. David stopped and his headlight went out. The "cuirass" came up to him and touched him while emitting unintelligible sounds. Then, the "cuirass" withdrew and went toward a craft that was sitting on the road. At once, a green light appeared, of such intensity that Mr. David, hands on his handlebars, was overcome with fear and found himself paralyzed. Without any noise, the craft rose vertically into the sky and disappeared. The whole thing lasted only about 15 seconds.
- "Once the craft disappeared, I came back to my senses and restarted my machine. Needless to say I was still under the impression of fear and sped down the road without caring what might be happening around me."
And Mme. David tells us in turn:
- "If only you had seen him, sir, when he arrived. He was agitated and said to me: "I've just been badly frightened." I thought he'd nearly had an accident. But no! He told me about his encounter, he was unrecognizable."
We continue our questions to Mr. David.
- "This cuirass, how tall would it have been? Was it some kind of robot?"
- "That's it, a kind of robot, with the approximate figure of a deep-sea diver. It was the height of a child of about fifteen years. As for the craft, I can't say exactly what shape it had, but what I can assure you is that the green light impressed me most of all. I was paralyzed and incapable of anything."
And Mr. David always insists on this "green light."
- "Did you go back to the place to see if there were any traces?"
- "My first idea, the next morning, was to go and look. Then I told myself: no. You see, when it happened, I was alone. There were no witnesses. They would have taken me for a madman. However, I confided in a friend. He told me to report it to the gendarmes. I was afraid of being ridiculed. So I asked this friend to discreetly inquire whether, that evening, anyone in the region had seen something at around the same time. But after a few days, the friend talked a little too much, and since Saturday, everyone has been talking about the "flying saucer" in the Vouneuil region."
With those words, after finishing a drink, we took leave of Mr. Yves David and his family.
Going down the rough path that leads us back to the paved road, in our car, we exchange impressions. We already had the highest recommendations about the man. We had collected them during our wanderings in Montgamé, where we had first inquired. We had also obtained them elsewhere. We were told: "David is not a trickster." He is serious and does not speak lightly.
So then, should we believe it?...
It is clear that the announcement of a "flying saucer" said to have landed near Vouneuil-sur-Vienne did not cause the sensation some might have imagined. They are seen so often everywhere that it almost becomes routine.
Nevertheless, all day yesterday it was the subject of much conversation. And people will certainly go on talking about it for a few more days. Just think!... A "flying saucer" on the territory of the Châtellerault district—it could only have happened there first, in the department.
One believes it or one does not. The exchange of views is no cause for drama; everyone keeps their position.
Yet, even for the most skeptical, it still raises a question. "And if it were true?" one asks oneself secretly.
The revelation of Mr. Yves David has nevertheless disturbed public opinion a little. But generally, people are more inclined to think of a top-secret experiment being tested than of Martians descending to Earth in "flying saucers."
The future will certainly teach us the truth, for after all, it must be known one day.
Yesterday, the Radio-Circus came to our town. At 6 p.m., its parade took place on Boulevard Blessac. That was enough to gather several thousand spectators.
The popular Zappy Max presented this parade with his usual verve. The atmosphere was lively and loud applause greeted both professional and amateur performers.
The sensational event was the presentation of Mr. Yves David, the farmer from Vouneuil-sur-Vienne, who had assured us Tuesday evening that he had seen a mysterious craft on the road while returning home.
Mr. David was invited to tell what he had seen on Sunday the 19th, around 10 p.m.
The amiable farmer, before thousands of people, repeated exactly the statement he had revealed to us during our night visit.
H. BUSSEREAU.
