France 1954 ▶ Home ☰

Cette page en français

The 1954 French flap:

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

◀ Previous  All  Next ▶

October 12, 1954, Vernosc-lès-Annonay, Ardèche:

Reference for this case: 12-Oct-54-Vernosc-lès-Annonay.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.

Summary:

The most complete source available to me on this affair is the 1979 book on French close encounters by Michel Figuet and Jean-Louis Ruchon. They refer to a 1974 investigation by David Duquesnoy, president of the Association des Amis de Marc Thirouin (AAMT) and to the article "The curious case of Vernosc-les-Annonay" by Jean-Louis Ruchon in the newspaper Le Dauphiné Libéré for April 11, 1974. The witness also reported her experience to Jean-Claude Bourret, major news anchor in France in the 1970s, and UFO enthusiast.

In Vernosc-les-Annonay, in the Ardèche, on October 12, 1954, at 06:20 a.m., a 33-year-old woman, Yvonne "X", left her home to go to the milling factory of La Roche, where she was employed as a worker, and like every day, she passed through fields. She is quoted saying:

"I had my gaze drawn to this thing shining in the sky, it was starting to light. It looked a bit like a star, and I probably wouldn't have noticed if it it hadn't moved in the same direction as I. The thing was going down, down, its shape lengthening while going through several colors. Suddenly it came to a stop above the field, about two feet or so above the ground."

"This thing was where I needed to go by. I was sixty, maybe seventy meters from it. From where I was, I saw that it was like a kind of sphere, a big ball. It was of a white and luminous color, one cannot imagine how. As if by transparency, I could distinguish inside this ball like two silhouettes, yes, it was two figures, one taller than the other. It seemed to be two men in some sort of jumpsuit. I saw that one of them had his arms at his sides. There were objects inside the ball as well, but I can't tell how it was."

"I moved further on. The thing was across my path. Suddenly, it moved away at an extraordinary speed, to disappear behind the other side of the valley. I must specify that I did not hear any noise, nor smelled any odor, nothing."

"I continued my descent for about ten meters, when the thing came back very quickly. I went back a few meters. This ball did not come back to exactly the same place, hovering about 50 centimeters above the ground. This time, I noticed that the man inside did not have any more the arms beside the body, but perpendicular. This apparatus remained a few seconds, then, again, started again, still silently, and at a very high speed, towards Satillieu."

"I was starting to get very scared, I walked a few more meters when, for the third time, the thing came back..."

"So now, I was frankly scared, there were bushes, I hid behind and put my hands in front of my face... Maybe I shouldn't have done this."

"It happened again very quickly, the thing stayed a few seconds and then it started again like the previous times. I resumed my descent, I was very scared. I passed exactly where the thing had remained stationary above the ground. Distraught, I did not notice anything. I arrived at the factory where I told what had just happened. They made fun of me a little. I was in such a state that I could not stay at work. At 9 a.m., I asked for permission to go home."

A few days after her observation, she would have suffered physical after-effects:

"It's always the same, on the middle finger of my left hand, my fingernails does not hold, for twenty years, since the day I saw the thing. The middle fingernail blackens, then falls, regularly my finger is swelling."

The same phenomenon is said to have occurred on her toenails. She visited several doctors, but no one could have explained the causes of this.

The affair appeared more or less summed up in a good score of ufological sources thereafter. In 1999, the "skeptical" ufologist Renaud Leclet spoke of the case as having "similarities with helicopters", summing it up to only "a transparent white ball of 3 m, 2 beings inside." In his 2016 book, ufologist Joël Mesnard summarized the case and indicated that the witness name was Yvonne Serre, whereas on the Web, Jacques Costagliola named her Yvonne Scere.

Reports:

[Ref. ezr1:] ERIC ZUERCHER:

Ufologist D. Duquesnoy of the AAMT reported to ufologist Eric Zurcher that the witness, Mrs. Yvonne X..., observed a luminous and transparent ball with two beings inside, on October 12, 1954 at 06:20, in Vernosc-les-Annonay. Duquesnoy notes that the witness underwent physiological consequences.

[Ref. agd1:] ALAIN GAMARD:

[Ref. tbw1:] TED BLOECHER AND DAVID WEBB:

[Ref. fru1:] MICHEL FIGUET AND JEAN-LOUIS RUCHON:

The two authors report that in Vernosc-les-Annonay in the department of Ardeche, on October 12, 1954, at 06:20 a.m., Yvonne, young woman aged 33, left her residence to go to the milling factory of La Roche, where she worked. As each day, she went through fields. She reported what follows to David Dusquesnoy, president of the association of ufology AAMT (Association of the Friends of Marc Thirouin), and to Jean-Louis Ruchon, one of the two authors, and to Jean-Claude Bourret, major TV news presenter in France in the Seventies:

"I had my glance attracted by this thing which shone in the sky, it started to be dawning. That had some resemblance to a star, and I would undoubtedly not have noticed it if it had not moved in the same direction than me. The thing went down, went down, its shape lengthened while it went rough several color changes. Suddenly, it became motionless above the field, about fifty centimetres above ground-level."

"This thing was at the place where I was to pass. I was sixty, perhaps seventy meters of it. From where I was I saw that it was like some sort of sphere, a large ball. It was of a white and luminous color, you can't imagine how. As by transparency, I managed to distinguish inside this ball like two silhouettes, yes, they were two silhouettes, one larger than the other. They seemed to me to be dressed of a kind of bodysuit. I saw that one of them had the arms along the body. It seemed to me that there were objects also inside the ball, but I cannot say what it was."

"I advanced more. The thing cut my road. Suddenly, it moved away at an extraordinary speed, to disappear behind the other slope of the valley. I must specify that I did not hear any noise, nor felt any odor, nothing."

"I continued my descent on ten meters, when the thing came back very quickly. I moved back of a few meters. This ball came back, not exactly at the same place, hovering just above ground-level, within approximately 50 centimetres. This time, I noticed that the man inside did not have the arms along the body any more, but perpendicular. This apparatus stayed a few seconds, then, again, it set out again, still without noise, and at a very high speed towards Satillieu."

"I started to be very afraid, I have advanced still a few meters when, for the third time, the thing came back..."

"Then there, I frankly was afraid, there were bushes, I hid behind and I put my hands in front of my face... Maybe I shouldn't have done that."

"This still occurred very quickly, the thing remained a few seconds and then it set out again like the preceding times. I resumed my walk downwards, I was very frightened. I passed exactly at the place where the thing had remained in station above ground-level. Thrown into a panic, I did not notice anything. I arrived at the factory where I told what had just occurred. They made fun of me a little. I was in such a state that I could not remain at my workplace. At 9 a.m., I asked for the authorization of go home."

The authors note that strangest in this case were the physical marks which appeared a few days after the observation to Mrs. Yvonne. She explained:

"It was each time similar, on the middle finger of my left hand, my nails do not hold more, for twenty years, the day when I saw the thing. The middle finger nail blackens, then falls, regularly my finger swells."

As for her feet, similar phenomenon occurs on the nails of her toes. Yvonne consulted several doctors, but nobody to date could explain the causes for this.

The authors indicate that this strange story was told by the witness to David Duquesnoy, president of the A.A.M.T., to Jean-Louis Ruchon, and to Jean-Claude Bourret.

They indicate as sources: the investigation by David Duquesnoy, president of the A.A.M.T.; Le Dauphiné Libéré for April 11, 1974 in the article "Le curieux cas de Vernosc-les-Annonay" by Jean-Louis Ruchon.

[Ref. uin1:] "U.F.O. INFORMATIONS" UFOLOGY BULLETIN:

[Ref. mft4:] MICHEL FIGUET:

[Ref. dbe1:] DENIS BREYSSE:

[Ref. jsr1:] JEAN SIDER:

Jean Sider refers to Michel Figuet and indicates that on October 12, 1954, at 06:20, in Vernosc-les-Annonay in Ardeche, the witness, Mrs. Yvonne X, aged 33, was so shocked by what she saw that she could not go to work and returned to her house.

Thereafter, the nail of the major finger of her left hand blackened, and then fell off. The same thing occurred for all the nails of her toes. Several doctors were consulted and could not explain it.

The author indicates that the source is "Figuet page 154".

He says elsewhere in his book that Mrs. Yvonne X., who asked to remain anonymous, was going to her workplace walking through the fields. Suddenly a sphere comes down from the sky and stops at 50 cm above the ground, on the path where the young woman was going to walk. It is a white and luminous sphere, and by transparency two silhouettes are visible inside, one taller than the other, like the silhouettes of two men dressed in an outfit. Then the object goes away to come back at the same place at 50 cm from the ground. This happens a third time. Frightened, the witness ran to hide a bush.

The sources are indicated as Figuet, p. 154; investigation of David Duquesnoy of the Association des Amis de Marc Thirouin; which ceased their activity in the 1980's. He notes that the Press of the time did not report it, it seems.

[Ref. rlt1:] RENAUD LECLET - "LES MYSTERES DE L'EST":

Renaud Leclet lists cases that he thinks have "similarities with helicopters", including this one:

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

[Ref. goe1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:

The Belgian ufologist indicates that in 1954, on October 12, in France in Vernosc-les-Annonay, "Mrs. Yvonne XXX sees at 6:20 a white ball three meters in diameter, like transparent going down to 50 cm of the ground and at 60 to 70 m of her. Inside of this object she sees two silhouettes, one larger than the other. It seemed to be two men dressed of a kind of outfit."

The source is given as "M. FIGUET/J.L. RUCHON: 'Ovni, premier dossier complet...' - Alain Lefeuvre pub. 1979, p. 55 and 153, 154".

She adds that another version tells: "The witness goes to her work through fields. Suddenly she sees moving at less than 100 m of her a luminous ball 3 m in diameter. At ground level the sphere moves away, then returns several times at fantastic speeds. Inside, as by transparency, two beings are visible. Finally the ball disappears."

The source of this other version is given as: "Erich ZURCHER: 'Les apparitions d'Humanoïdes' - Alain Lefeuvre pub. 1979, p. 201".

She still quotes another version: "I still advanced, the thing cut my road. Suddenly it moved away at extraordinary speed to disappear behind the other slope of the valley, without noise, nothing. I continued my way on ten meters, when the thing came back very quickly, I moved back. It remained a few seconds, then again left at high speed towards Satillieu. I started to be very afraid, I advanced a few meters, and for the third time the thing came back. Now, I was really afraid, there were bushes and I hid behind and I put my hands in front of my face. I remained again a few moments and moved again. Thrown into a panic I continued my way to the factory. I told them what had happened to me, they scoffed. I could not remain at work and had to go home. Effects: since the observation the big finger nail of the left hand and those of her toes do not hold any more: they blacken, fall, and the finger inflates (that still lasted 20 years afterwards)".

With the source: "M. FIGUET/ J.L. RUCHON: 'Ovni, premier dossier complet...' - Alain Lefeuvre 1979, pub. p. 153, 154.

[Ref. jca1:] JACQUES COSTAGLIOLA, MD:

French ufologist and MD Jacques Costagliola entered in his listing:

[Ref. ars1:] ALBERT ROSALES:

[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN:

Luc Chastan indicates that in the Ardeche in Vernosc les Annonay on October 12, 1954 "It is 6. 20, the young woman leaves her residence, in Vernosc, to go to the grinding factory of La Roche where she is employed as worker. To go to her work, like each day, M"" Y. (XXX) uses to pass through fields. I had my glance attracted by this thing which shone in the sky, she will say, it started to be daytime. It looked a little like a star, and, I would undoubtedly not have noticed it if it had not moved in the same direction as I. The thing went down, went down, its shape lengthened while passing by several colors. Suddenly, it was immobilized above the field, at fifty centimetres, approximately, above ground-level. This thing was at the place where I was to walk. I was at sixty, perhaps seventy meters of it. From the place where I was, I saw that it was a kind of sphere, a large ball. It was of a white and luminous color... one cannot think how. As by transparency, I managed to distinguish inside this ball like two silhouettes, yes, they were really two silhouettes, on larger than the other. It seemed to be two men dressed of a kind of outfit. I saw that one of them had the arms along the body. It seemed to me that there were objects also inside the ball, but I cannot say how it was... I still walked on. The thing cut my road. Suddenly, it moved away at an extraordinary speed, to disappear behind the other slope of the valley. I must specify that I did not hear any noise, nor felt any odor, nothing. I continued my descent on ten meters, when the thing came back very fast. I moved back a few meters. This ball returned, not exactly at the same place, hovering above ground-level, at 50 centimetres approximately. This time, I noticed that the man inside did not have any more the arms along the body, but perpendicular to the body. This apparatus stayed a few seconds, then, again, set out again, still without noise, and at a very high speed towards Satillieu. I started to be very afraid, I still advanced a few meters when, for the third time, the thing came back... Now, I was frankly afraid, there were bushes, I hid behind and I put my hands in front of my face... Perhaps I should not have done that. It still occurred very quickly, the thing stayed a few seconds and then it set out again like the previous times. I resumed my descent, I was very afraid. I passed exactly at the very place where the thing had remained hovering above ground-level. Thrown into a panic, I did not notice anything. I arrived at the factory where I told what had just occurred. They laughed at me. I was in such a state that I could not stay at work. At 9 H, I asked for the authorization to go back home". The strangest of this affair, in fact the physical marks appeared a few days after its observation of Mrs. Yvonne XXX. "It was each time the same, the witness explains, on the big finger of my left hand, my nails do not hold anymore, for twenty years, since the day when I saw the thing. The nail blackens, then falls, regularly my finger swells" As for her feet, similar phenomenon occurs on the toe nails. M"" Yvonne XXX consulted several doctors, but nobody to date managed to explain the causes of this at the very least strange case."

The sources are indicated as "Mini catalogue chronologique des observations OVNI par Van Overmeire Godelieve ** http://users.skynet.be/sky84985/" and "Ovni, Premier dossier complet... by Figuet M./ Ruchon J.L. ** Alain Lefeuvre pub. 1979" and "Les apparitions d'humanoïdes by Zurcher Erich ** Alain Lefeuvre pub. 1979".

[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:

The website indicates that on 12 October 1954 at 06:20 in Vernosc-Les-Annonay, France, "An object was observed. Occupants of the craft were seen. One object was observed by one witness on a hill."

The sources are indicated as "Webb, David, HUMCAT: Catalogue of Humanoid Reports; Vallee, Jacques, Computerized Catalog (N = 3073); Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002".

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

[Ref. jgz1:] JULIEN GONZALEZ:

The author indicates that there was a close encounter of the third kind in Vernosc-les-Annonay, the Ardèche, on October 12, 1954, at 06:20 a.m.

Mrs. Yvonne X., 33, left her home in Vernosc-les-Annonay to go to La Roche's mill where she was employed as a laborer.

To go to her work as she did every day, she used to pass through fields. She said:

"I had my eyes attracted by this thing that was shining in the sky, it was beginning to dawn, it looked like a star and I probably would not have noticed it, if it had not moved in the same direction as I. The thing descended, descended, its form lengthened by passing through several colors, and suddenly it stopped above the field, at about fifty centimeters above the ground, I was sixty, maybe seventy yards from it, and from the place where I was, I saw that it was on the ground, it was a sort of sphere, a large ball 3 m in diameter, it was of a white and luminous color... one cannot imagine how, as I was able to see through the transparency ball like two silhouettes, yes, it was two silhouettes, one bigger than the other. These seemed to be two men dressed in a kind of suit, and I saw that one of them had his arms along the body. It seemed to me that there were objects also inside the ball, but I cannot say how they were... I went further. The thing cut my way. Suddenly, it moved away with extraordinary speed, disappearing behind the other slope of the valley. I must point out that I did not hear any noise, nor felt any smell, nothing. I continued my descent about ten meters, when the thing came back very quickly. I stepped back a few meters. This ball came back not quite in the same place, hovering above the ground, about 50 centimeters. This time I noticed that the man inside had no longer his arms along the body, but perpendicular. This apparatus remained a few seconds, then, again, went away, still without noise, and at a very high speed, towards Satillieu. I started to look very scared, I advanced a few more meters when, for the third time, the thing came back... So there I was frankly afraid, there were bushes, I hid behind and I put my hands in front of my face... I should not have done this. It happened very quickly, the thing remained a few seconds and then it left again as the previous times. I resumed my descent, I was very afraid. I passed exactly at the same place where the thing had remained hovering above the ground. Terrified, I did not notice anything. I arrived at the factory where I told what had just happened. I was scoffed. I was in such a state that I could not stay at work. At nine o'clock I asked permission to go home."

Julien Gonzalez indicates that this is how the witness told the curious case to Mr. David Duquesnoy (President of A.A.M.T.), Mr. Jean-Louis Ruchon, and Mr. Jean-Claude Bourret.

He commented that the strangest of the case were the physical marks that appeared a few days after her observation to Mrs. Yvonne X: "It is each time, on the major of my left hand, my nails do not hold, since twenty years since the day I saw the thing, the big finger nail blackens, then falls, my finger regularly swells."

The same phenomenon occurred on her toe nails. She consulted several doctors, but no one to date has been able to explain the causes of this strange case.

The sources are indicated as an investigation by Mr. David Duquesnoy, president of the A.A.M.T.; Le Dauphiné-Libéré for 11/4/1974: "20 ans d'observations en Drôme-Ardèche". Révélé vingt ans après: le curieux cas de Vernosc-les-Annonay, by J.-L. Ruchon; Michel Figuet and Jean-Louis Ruchon, "OVNI: le premier dossier complet des rencontres rapprochées en France", pages 152-154; Jean Sider, "Le dossier 1954 et l'imposture rationaliste", pages 196-197.

[Ref. rbt1:] RENAUD BENOIST:

The author indicates that on 12 October 1954 at 6:30 a young woman on her way to work at the village of La Roche found herself face to face with a very luminous white sphere flying over the road near Vernosc-les-Annonay. She was very frightened but looked at the whitish ball which was slowly flying in front of her then disappeared quickly in the woods.

[Ref. ubk1:] "UFO-DATENBANK":

[Ref. jm1:] JOEL MESNARD:

The author indicates that in Vernosc-les-Annonay in the Ardèche, on October 12, 1954, having observed a sphere within which she distinguished several characters, Mrs. Yvonne Serre experienced discomfort, and quickly saw some of her nails shrink and others fall. She still had sequels in 1974.

The sources are indicated as an investigation by Jean-Louis Ruchon transmitted by David Duq[u]esnoy, and LDLN 339.

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

Note: The source reference "Patrick Gross URECAT" is supposed to be my file as it would appear in my CE3 catalogue URECAT; but at this time it was not yet published there; and its content here is not properly reflected.

Explanations:

Possible extraterrestrial visitors.

Keywords:

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

Vernosc-lès-Annonay, Vernosc-les-Annonay, Ardèche, Yvonne, luminous, transparent, ball, occupants, effects, fast, nails, Yvonne, path, hill, doctors

Sources:

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

• [----] "20 years of observations in the Drome and Ardeche - Revealed 20 years afterwards: the curious case of Vernosc-les-Annonay", article by Jean-Louis Ruchon, in the regional newspaper Le Dauphiné Libéré, April 11, 1974.
• [----] Investigation by Jean-Louis Ruchon, in the file of David Duquesnoy, president of the ufology group Association of the Friends of Marc Thirouin (AAMT), France.
• [ezr1] Personal file, Eric Zuercher, note by David Duquesnoy.
• [agd1] "Further Contributions to a knowledge of French humanoid cases", catalog compiled by Alain Gamard, in The UFO Register, by J. Bernard Delaire, Contact International U.K., U-K., Volume 10, parts 1 and 2, page 5, 1979.
• [----] "Les Apparitions d'Humanoïdes", book by Eric Zurcher, Alain Lefeuvre publisher, France, 1979.
• [tbw1] "HUMCAT", catalog by Ted Bloecher and David Webb, USA, circa 1979.
• [fru1] "OVNI, Premier Dossier Complet des Rencontres Rapprochées en France", book by Michel Figuet and Jean Louis Ruchon, Alain Lefeuvre publisher, France, pp 153-154, 1979.
• [ezr2] "Catalogue Inédit", case 073, compiled by Eric Zurcher, in the ufology magazine Lumières Dans la Nuit (LDLN), #195, page 27, May 1980.
• [uin1] "Catalogue Drôme - Ardèche", compiled in U.F.O. Informations, France, ufology bulletin of the Association des Amis de Marc Thirouin, #34, page 30, 4^th quarter 1981.
• [mft4] "Heureux ceux qui croient sans savoir (Retour sur l'isocélie ou nouvelle confirmation de sa non validité)", article by Michel Figuet, in the ufology magazine Lumières Dans La Nuit (LDLN), France, #249-250, page 24, March / April 1985.
• [----] Ufology magazine Lumières Dans La Nuit (LDLN), France, #339, page 4, 1995.
• [----] Giornale dei Misteri, Italy, #67 page 8.
• [dbe1] "Projet Bécassine", compiled by Denys Breysse, France.
• [jsr1] "Le Dossier 1954 et l'Imposture Rationaliste", book by Jean Sider, Ramuel publisher, France, pp 196-197, page 253, 1997.
• [rlt1] "Evolution du vol de nuit dans l'ALAT et similitudes avec les observations en ufologie?", article par Renaud Leclet, in the annual ufology magazine Les Mystères de l'Est CNEGU, France, #, page 51, 1999.
• [lhh1] "*U* Computer Database", database by Larry Hatch, USA, circa 2002.
• [goe1] "Chronologie OVNI", web page compiled by Godelieve Van Overmeire, Belgium, circa 2002, at users.skynet.be/sky84985/afin54.htm
• [jca1] "Les RRT ou Rencontres Rapprochées Toxiques", listing by Jacques Costagliola, France, sapiensweb.free.fr/articles/2-costag-b.htm
• [ars1] HUMCAT (Humanoids Reports Catalog), Albert Rosales.
• [lcn1] Base OVNI France, website by Luc Chastan, France, circa 2005, at baseovnifrance.free.fr/detobs.php?numobs=168
• [uda1] "12 Oct 1954 - Vernosc-Les-Annonay, France", web page at the UFOdna website, circa 2007, at www.ufodna.com/uf00/uf5/005043.htm
• [tai1] "1954: October Sightings", catalog on the UFO website Think About It, USA, not dated, found 2014, at http://www.thinkaboutitdocs.com/8-1954-october-sightings
• [jgz1] "RR3 - Le Dossier des Rencontres du Troisième Type en France", book by Julien Gonzalez, Le Temps Présent publishers, France, pp 131-132, 2014.
• [rbt1] "En quête du Triangle de la Burle", book by Renaud Benoist, L'ivre-Book publisher, France, 2016.
• [ubk1] Online database UFO-Datenbank, Germany, found in 2016, at ufodatenbank.de
• [jgm1] "Les Apparitions d'OVNIS: Les dossiers non classés", book by Joël Mesnard, Le Mercure Dauphinois publisher, France, May 19, 2016.
• [prn2] "INTCAT 1954", catalogue compiled by Peter Rogerson, U-K., circa 2016, at https://intcat.blogspot.com/search?q=1954

Document history:

Feedback  |  Top  |  Back  |  Forward  |  Map  |  List |  Home

This page was last updated on August 20, 2021.