The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 12-Oct-54-Le-Pré-Pourri.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
The regional newspaper La Voix du Nord, in the Aisne department issue for October 14, 1954, reported that on October 12, 1954, around 9 p.m., Mr. and Mrs. René Bouet, 40 rue Thiers, in Hirson, passing by car between Ohis and Wimy, on the Demi-Lieue road near the "Pré Pourri" had seen according to their statements, at a distance that they could not specify, in the direction of the Belgium, an orange-tinted, oval-shaped craft which hovered, producing flickers at times.
Mr. Bouet had stopped his vehicle, observed it for half a minute, then lost sight of it because of the trees. He then resumed his journey, but could not see the thing again.
The newspaper adds that "the craft was noticed at the same time by locals, some of whom are said to be railway employees in Hirson."
[Ref. vdn1:] NEWSPAPER "LA VOIX DU NORD":
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On October 12 around 9 p.m., Mr. and Mrs. René Bouet, 40 rue Thiers, in Hirson, passing by car, between Ohis and Wimy, route de la Demi-Lieue near the "Pré Pourri" claim to have seen, at a distance that they cannot specify, in the direction of Belgium, an oval-shaped craft which was hovering. It was orange in tint and at times it was sparkling.
Mr. Bouet stopped his vehicle to look at it for half a minute, then lost sight of it because of the trees... He then resumed his journey, but could not see it again.
The craft was reportedly noticed at the same time by locals, some of whom are said to be railway employees in Hirson.
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In the article of La Voix du Nord ([vdn1]), the location seems well described; but in reality, the witnesses could not be at the same time between Ohis and Wimy, and near the Pré Pourri:
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I was able to indicate by the red line the portion of the Demie-Lieue road located near the hamlet of Le Pré Pourri; this is where the witnesses were, I think.
Belgium is a rather vague indication, but it can be said that the thing was between their North-West and their East, probably at their North-East.
Regarding the possibilities of astronomical misintrepretation:
The Moon was at 104 °, but at an elevation of 30 °, not very conducive to a "red moon", not usually conducive to misinterpretations; it was a full moon so difficult to describe as "oval". This height of 30° could possibly result in a loss of sight because of trees, but we are told that the witness to sought to see again the thing and could not find it; he would therefore have logically sought a point of view without a curtain of trees. The direction does not correspond well, 104° is along the Belgian border quite far to the east-south-east.
We also had Mars, at 205°, elevation much lower of 12°. But it is the South-South-East, opposite the direction of Belgium.
Towards the North-East, the right direction, we had the star Capella, sometimes mistaken for a UFO, it was at 43°, elevation 21°. There was also the star Aldebaran at 69° and the low elevation of 4°. Aldebaran would be the most likely observed star, if the observation were indeed that of a star.
Finally, I prefer to leave the case as an unidentified, of low strangeness, with insufficient information.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Le Pré Pourri, Aisne, night, René Bouet, Hirson, car, route de la Demi-Lieue, craft, orange, oval, motionless, sparkling, duration, multiple
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
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| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | October 14, 2021 | First published. |
