The article below was published in the daily newspaper Nord Littoral, Calais, France, page 2, on October 10, 1954.
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THIS time "they" are here. And even a quite here since the first of their appearance in the sky of Calais was greeted by dozens and dozens of witnesses, as we will read later. These are of course the "flying saucers" which, since their frequent hikes in the skies of France, seemed to neglect the City of the Six Burgers [= Calais] which is, let us regret it this time, never in advance.
But now this gap is filled, finally, enough talk, let's come to "serious things."
Around 9:15 a.m. yesterday morning, excitement reigned in different parts of the city, for example: Place d'Alsace, at the end of Boulevard Pasteur, a small group was discussing firmly showing the sky; from the butcher to the hairdresser, passing by the grocery woman everyone had to agree on one point: a very shiny machine taking weird shapes was moving in the azure blue, seeming to be located above Saint-Inglevert.
A motorist of our acquaintance who was passing through the area joined the group and had to face the facts. One could clearly see one of the most bizarre things flying in the sky.
Our fellow citizen driving his vehicle "rushed" towards Fort-Nieulay, near the Pont-Jourdan, another group watched the phenomenon. The latter then disappeared between Wimereux and Cape Gris-Nez.
Then, shortly after, phone calls came to the newspaper. Witnesses came to visit us. A group of workers working on rue Thiers had seen and followed the moves of the craft. There was also a bus driver, a peacekeeper, another motorist, etc..., etc..., in short dozens of Calais residents who confirmed the fact to us.
What shapes did the craft take?
It was a kind of very shiny disc that moved at average speed. Its size was imposing; which seemed to rule out the hypothesis of a sounding balloon. It was nothing like a normal plane.
This disc, when it moved in a certain direction, looked only like a black spot. Then it shone again and from time to time, seen horizontally took the shape of these famous flying cigars of which one talks so much.
The only "terrestrial" explanation: it could have been a "flying wing" of the R.A.F. or any original design constructions. But for many Calais residents it was a saucer.
Others consider that it was a Meteorological device, of large dimensions and equipped with a kind of parachute.
Anyway, the fact is there ...
On the other hand, in the night from Friday to Saturday, a driver from Calais told us the extraordinary story of an adventure which occurred on the National Route Nr 1, thhe one that goes from Boulogne to Calais: a mysterious craft came towards him, flew over the road then took another direction.
Our fellow citizen who provided us with interesting details said:
- Being well known in town, I don't want my name to be written in the newspaper. One would say that I had "visions", that I wanted publicity or that I put together a hoax from the ground up for the purpose of mystification.
"No, I simply state, and with sincerity that what I am going to tell you is not an invention on my part, nor even a hallucination!"
And he goes on:
- I was driving on National Road Nr 1, Friday evening. I had descended the Anglaise hill and I was going to go down a second hill, the one that begins about 300 meters from the end of the Bonningues road. The night was dark and a light rain dampened the road. My 4 C. V. was traveling at about sixty kilometers an hour. It was 9:10 or 9:15 p.m. Suddenly in the distance, to my left, I saw a gleam coming from the fields and which could be that produced by the dynamo of a bicycle. In myself, I made an ironic observation: well, a fool who cyclo-crosses through the fields. I did not lose sight of the glow that suddenly darted towards the road, in my direction. And as it approached, the light changed and a craft of very large proportions appeared to me. It was a bluish color, like that which emerges from the blue painted windows and behind which there is light.
"It was then that I was taken with an unspeakable fear. Without thinking and seeing this craft coming on me, I braked short, I turned off all my headlights and I said to myself by taking in hand the door handle: if this goes on I'll run away across the fields!
"At that time I had a very good sight of the craft: it was a kind of bluish disc, with the very clear shape of a dome above. Its length was greater than the width of the road de Boulogne. It moved without any noise, and that is what increases the fright. There was nobody on the road. No sign of car headlights in the distance. The craft seemed to come from Escalles. It flew over the road, veered and, transforming its trajectory into a V whose point would be located on the Route. It spun towards Calais. I saw it disappear and at that moment, the bluish hue gave way to this initial white headlight!"
And all that said with sincerity that makes the most skeptical think.
Other French motorists had an identical encounter.
The mystery remains whole.
