The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 11-oct-54-Fontenay-le-Comte.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
In the regional newspaper La Vendée Libre, from La Roche-sur-Yon in the Vendée department, for October 17, 1954, we read:
Here a testimony, a little late, on an appearance of "flying saucer" in our surroundings. It emanates from Mr. Didat, haulage contractor in Niort, which has had a "great fear," according to his statements, Monday evening, at approximately 10:30 P.M., whereas he was driving on the grand' road in the vicinity of Fontenay.
Accustomed to all weather night trips, he is not easy to deceive. However he maintains that suddenly, he became like blinded by an enormous gleam which included all the vehicle. He stopped. "when the gigantic flash passed, I wanted to locate myself. Then, on my left, something rose in the sky, a shower of sparks, like a bouquet of fireworks."
The case will be cited like this in Jean Sider's book "Le Dossier 1954 et l'Imposture Rationalist" in 1997, and subsequently, others took up on the case in a more or less summarized form, or by giving a briefer version which would have been published in the national newspaper Le Parisien for October 13, 1954; but nothing more will be said.
[Ref. vle1:] NEWSPAPER "LA VENDEE LIBRE":
Here a testimony, a little late, on an appearance of "flying saucer" in our surroundings. It emanates from Mr. Didat, haulage contractor in Niort, which has had a "great fear," according to his statements, Monday evening, at approximately 10:30 P.M., whereas he was driving on the grand' road in the vicinity of Fontenay.
Accustomed to all weather night trips, he is not easy to deceive. However he maintains that suddenly, he became like blinded by an enormous gleam which included all the vehicle. He stopped. "when the gigantic flash passed, I wanted to locate myself. Then, on my left, something rose in the sky, a shower of sparks, like a bouquet of fireworks."
[Ref. jsr1:] JEAN SIDER:
French ufologist and author Jean Sider learned in an article from the newspaper La Vendée Libre, La Roche-sur-Yon, October 17, page 5, that on October 11, 1954 at 10:30 p.m. in Fontenay-le-Comte, in the department of Vendée, Mr. Didat, haulage contractor in Niort, expressed a great fright Monday evening towards 22:30, whereas he was driving on the grand'route in the fontenaisian vicinity. Accustomed to night trips at all time, he is not easy to deceive. However, he states that, suddenly, he was dazzled by an enormous gleam which included all its vehicle. He stopped. "The gigantic flash passed, I wanted to locate myself. Then, on my left, something rose in the sky, a shower of sparks, like a bouquet of fireworks", the witness specified.
[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH - "*U* COMPUTER DATABASE":
4072: 1954/10/11 22:30 1 0:48:00 W 46:28:00 N 3333 WEU FRN VND 4:6
FONTENAY-le-COMPTE,FR:LITE ENVELOPS CAR:SEP/OBJ ^^/SHOWER of SPARKS:/r217p103
Ref#194 LUMIERES dans la NUIT.(LDLN France) Issue No. 319 : ROAD+RAILS
[Ref. jcx1:] "LES MYSTERES DE VENDEE" WEBSITE:
In his case listing "UFOs in the Vendée", the author notes this case:
Fontenay-le-Comte, 11 October 1954
[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN:
Luc Chastan indicates that in the Vendée, in Fontenay Le comte, on October 11, 1954 at 22:30 hours, a haulage contractor in Niort would have had a "great fear", when, whereas he drove on the road in the trimmings of Fontenay, he was like blinded by an enormous gleam which surrounded all the vehicle. He stopped. "The gigantic flash passed, I wanted to locate myself. Then, on my left, something rose in the sky, a shower of sparks, like a bouquet of fireworks".
My website is indicated as source.
[Ref. jbu1:] JEROME BEAU:
Jerome Beau indicates that on Monday, October 11, 1954, at 22:30, "In the Vendée, a haulage contractor drives on the grand(route in the Fontenaisian trimmings when he is blinded by an enormous gleam which includes all the vehicle. He stops. The flash passed, he then sees on his left something rising in the sky with a shower of sparks."
The source is indicated as "Le Parisien, October 13, 1954".
[Ref. mps1:] MICHEL PADRINES:
Michel Padrines indicates that on Monday, October 11, 1954, at 22:30, "In the Vendée, a haulage contractor drives on the grand(route in the Fontenaisian trimmings when he is blinded by an enormous gleam which includes all the vehicle. He stops. The flash passed, he then sees on his left something rising in the sky with a shower of sparks."
[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on 11 October 1954 at 22:30 in Fontenay-le-Comte, France, "Light envelops car. UFO ascends with shower of sparks." And: "An object was sighted that had an appearance and performance beyond the capability of known earthly aircraft. One object was observed on a road briefly."
The source is indicated as Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002.
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Possible meteor.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Fontenay-le-Comte, Vendée, Didat, entrepreneur, frightened, road, night, dazzled, glean, light, sparks, fireworks, light
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | December 5, 2005 | First published. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | December 16, 2008 | Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Addition [lcn1]. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | December 21, 2008 | Addition [jbu1], [mps1], [uda1]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | March 4, 2010 | Addition [jcx1]. |
| 1.3 | Patrick Gross | Octobe r31, 2021 | Addition [lhh1]. |
| 1.4 | Patrick Gross | July 2, 2022 | Addition of the Summary. Explanations changed, were "Not looked for yet." |
