The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 15-oct-54-Fouesnant.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
In the national newspaper La Croix for October 17, 1954, told that Mr. René Le Viol saw rise, behind a curtain of trees, a reddish luminous craft resembling an overturned plate.
As soon as it disappeared towards the sea, another object, identical to the first, appeared in the same place and disappeared on the same trajectory.
The report apparently appeared in other newspapers of the same day, and the observation is dated October 15, 1954, according to Aimé Michel. Jacques Vallée would give the time sometimes as 09:00 p.m. and sometimes as "in the night", said René le. Viol was a truck driver, and the case a "landing".
[Ref. lcx1:] NEWSPAPER "LA CROIX":
Mr. René Le Viol saw a reddish luminous machine resembling a reversed saucer emerge from behind a curtain of trees. Hardly had it disappeared in direction to the sea that another object, identical to the first, emerged at the same place and disappears on the same trajectory.
[Ref. nnm1:] NEWSPAPER "LE NOUVEAU NORD MARITIME":
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Paris, 18. -- Mysterious craft continue to regularly frequent the skies of France. The testimonies accumulate, coming every day to bring some new details, either on the saucers, or on the flying cigars.
While on Saturday evening, several reliable people, including Mr. Béranger, mayor of Saint St-Laurent-du-Var, advisor general, had seen above Nice, an orange disc, last night, this time above Cannes, several people observed a luminous craft of yellow color with a green tail, but the more interesting testimony was to be brought by an employee of the municipal recipe of Antibes.
Mr. Casella, living in Bio [sic], returning home in the evening, found himself "face to face with a huge mechanical machine measuring 7 to 8 meters in diameter placed in the middle of the road." The witness who was on a bicycle approached the craft until almost touching it, but then it rose vertically and, with a slight hiss, disappeared into the sky.
In the Provence sky, in Venergues, several grape pickers saw, Friday afternoon, a craft of elongated shape like a cigar, one said, white and blue, said a second. A third picker said the rocket appeared to be emitting luminous rays.
In Le Puy, a luminous object was observed between 5:50 p.m. and 6:36 p.m., by the Puy Chadrac weather station. The craft appeared like a straight olive with a sort of black antenna at the top. The station chief said he believed he was in the presence of the planet Jupiter. Mr. Casella, a resident of Bio who piter, but the sudden disappearance of the object demonstrated that he had been mistaken.
The same phenomenon was seen by the meteorological center of Ruyères (Cantal). One can compare these testimonies to that of thousands of inhabitants of Tulle who, around 3:35 p.m., saw in the sky, in a south-southeast direction, a big bright and motionless point. It appeared transparent and showed the shape of a cylinder whose two ends were conical.
In Murat (Cantal), an object also shiny and ovoid in shape, was to be observed for an hour. In this case, it seems to be a strongly lit balloon.
In two villages in the Haute-Marne, Vignory and Brottes, orange-colored objects were seen on Thursday evening. These objects rose vertiginously but without noise.
Finally, in the Finistère, Mr. René le Viol, transporter in Fouesnant, saw Thursday evening, behind a curtain of trees, a flat-shaped craft with the appearance of an overturned plate and surrounded by a reddish glow, this first disc was then followed by a second and both disappeared towards the sea.
Rome, 15. -- Many mysterious craft were seen yesterday in the sky of Italy. One of these machines landed near Rovigo in the area known as Po Di Gnocca, where several people observed it. The circular craft, after having slowly hovered, landed on the ground without noise. After a few minutes of immobility, it resumed its silent vertical flight, but at the place where it took off, there is now a fairly deep crater six meters in diameter. Six poplars that stood nearby were also charred. Authorities will travel to the scene to verify the authenticity of the witnesses' accounts.
In the Modena region, a trader saw an incandescent "flying cigar" flying over the countryside at an altitude of around two hundred meters. After a brief stop, the craft reportedly headed to the northwest. This observation was confirmed by other witnesses.
Finally a flying saucer with silver reflections is reported to have flown over the Loino area at 5.000 meters. Witnesses to this observation stated that the saucer did not emit any noise and did not release any smoke. It disappeared in the direction of Switzerland.
Amiens, 16. -- Mr. and Mrs. Dumeige, cattle dealers in Domart-en-Ponthieu, and Mr. Lourdel, cattle broker in Condé-Folie, who, on Thursday, around 9:00 p.m., were traveling by automobile truck on the road to Domart in Condé-Folie, said they saw a very bright glow not far from La Folie farms, which seemed to land in a meadow not far from the road.
Mr. Dumeige, who was driving, stopped his vehicle and got out with his wife and Mr. Lourdel. It was then that they saw clearly, near the light, six or seven small beings advancing in line. They were so frightened that they immediately set off again, leaving the craft and its occupants there.
[Ref. lcx2:] NEWSPAPER "LA CROIX":
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It becomes a permanent display and a real interplanetary carousel.
In Cannes, several people observed a luminous yellow craft with a green tail.
Mr. Casella, employee at the municipal tax office in Antibes, returning home to Biot, found himself "nose to nose" with "an enormous mechanical machine, measuring 7 to 8 meters in diameter, posed in the middle of the road." The witness, who was on a bicycle, approached the craft until he almost touched it, but then it rose vertically and, with a slight whistling sound, disappeared into the sky.
In the Provence sky, in Venergues, several grape pickers saw an elongated craft, like a cigar, said one of them, and white and blue, said a second. A third harvester said the rocket appeared to emit light rays.
In Le Puy, a shiny object was observed by the Puy-Chadrac weather station. The craft appeared like a straight olive with, at the top, a sort of black antenna. The station chief specified that he believed to be in the presence of the planet Jupiter, but the sudden disappearance of the object showed that he had made a mistake. The same phenomenon was seen by the center of Ruyères (Aveyron).
We can compare these testimonies to that of several residents of Tulle who saw in the sky, in a South-South-East direction, a big bright and still point; it seemed transparent and took the shape of a cylinder with both ends conical.
Similar observations were made in Murat.
Finally, in the Finistère, Mr. René Le Viol, transporter in Fouesnant, saw a craft appear behind a curtain of trees of flat shape "looking like an upturned plate", surrounded by a reddish glow. This first disc was then followed by a second; both disappeared towards the sea.
France does not have a monopoly on these now incessant sarabandes.
In the Siamese capital, several hundred people saw a glittering disc, apparently one-third the diameter of the full moon, which seemed to be traversed by a wave progressively pacing its surface from left to right, exactly like some neon billboards.
The saucer, after drifting slowly from north to south for about a quarter of an hour, disappeared.
On the other hand, a Thai weekly reported this week "multiple appearances of flying saucers over the border regions of Siam and Burma." Some of these craft reportedly landed in the jungle.
Finally, according to the same weekly, a "mysterious ray" charred several villagers.
Italy, too, sees numerous and mysterious craft sailing in its sky.
One of them landed near Rovigo, in the area known as Po Di Gnocca, where several people observed it. The craft, circular in shape, after having slowly glided, landed silently on the ground. After a few minutes of stillness, it resumed its silent flight vertically, but where it took off, there is now a fairly deep crater six meters in diameter. Six poplars that stood around there were also charred. The authorities went to the scene to verify the authenticity of the witnesses accounts.
[Ref. aml1:] AIME MICHEL:
This French ufologist notes in his book that this case appeared in the newspaper "La Croix," read mainly by clergymen, only two days after the observation.
Michel notes that the witness named René Le Viol saw a reddish craft resembling a reversed plate emerge from behind a row of trees, and hardly had it disappeared in the direction of the sea, that another object identical to the first emerged from the same place and also disappeared in the direction of the sea.
[Ref. aml2:] AIME MICHEL:
In an article in 1963 on orthoteny, Aimé Michel adds:
Thus, at the first glance, something appears. On October 15 for example, there were 8 sightings: in Southend in England, in Calais, one in Aire-sur-la-Lys, one on Main Road 68 between Niffer and Kembs (Franco-German border), one in the mouth of Pô, one in the east of Paris, one on Main Road 7 in the south of Montargis, and finally in Fouesnant, near Quimper.
[Ref. gqy1:] GUY QUINCY:
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October 15 [, 1954]
[... other cases...]
start of nuit: Fouesnant(Finistère):2 hollow reversed plates in a row,at low altitude
[... other cases...]
[Ref. jve5:] JACQUES VALLEE:
| 355 | 004.01138 | 47.89530 | 15 | 10 | 1954 | 21 | 00 | 2 | FOUESNANT-FINIST. | F | 0021 | C** | 305 |
[Ref. jve1:] JACQUES VALLEE:
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269) October 15, 1954, night, Fouesnant (France):
Truck driver Rene Le Viol saw a flat craft, shaped like an inverted plate, fly very low toward the sea. A second disk followed shortly afterwards. Both emitted a red glow. (P. 69, M. 182).
In his personal catalog, Jacques Vallée has the case under #355 and gives the time as being 09:00 P.M.
I do not understand the reason why Vallée included the sighting in a catalog of landings.
[Ref. lex1:] UFOLOGY BULLETIN "LES EXTRATERRESTRES":
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how to describe a "flying saucer"?
There are two kinds:
- The classic "saucer" in the shape of a disc (Vermon [sic] August 23, 1954) or an upside-down plate (Col du chat on September 26, 1954) (Fouesnant on October 15, 1954). Sometimes the disc is surmounted by a cupola or dome (Royan October 11, 1954), sometimes it has a dark spot or a darker area in the center of the lower part. light or lighter (Col du Chat).
[Ref. jve2:] JACQUES VALLEE:
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October 15, 1954, night, Fouesnant (France):
Truck driver Rene Le Viol saw a flat craft, shaped like an inverted plate, fly very low toward the sea. A second disk followed shortly afterwards. Both emitted a red glow. (France-Soir, La Croix, Oct. 17, 1954).
[Ref. prn1:] PETER ROGERSON:
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445 15 October 1954 Night
FOUESNANT (FRANCE) Truck driver Rene le Viol saw a luminous red object shaped like an inverted plate fly very low towards the sea. A second identical craft followed shortly afterwards. (M269; France-Soir, Croix, 17 Oct 54; Michel II, 182)
[Ref. gab1:] UFOLOGY GROUP "G.A.B.R.I.E.L.":
10/15/1954 Fouesnant (Finistère)
At nightfall, a truck driver, Mr. René le Viol, saw a reddish luminous machine resembling an upside-down plate emerge from behind a curtain of trees. The machine disappeared 1.11 direction of the sea and was immediately followed by an identical craft moving on the same trajectory. (A. Michel)
[Ref. fru1:] MICHEL FIGUET ET JEAN-LOUIS RUCHON:
The two authors indicate that on October 15, 1954, in Fouesnant in the Finistère, during the night, René Le Viol, truck driver, saw a flat machine, which shape reminded a reversed plate, which flew very slowly towards the sea at low altitude. A second disc followed at short distance. They both emitted a red gleam.
The sources are indicated as "case 269 of the Vallée catalogue; France-Soir for 10/17/1954; La Croix for 10/17/1954."
[Ref. fl1:] FRANCOIS LAGARDE:
In his catalogue, Lagarde numbers this case 216 and indicates "sparse information, press."
[Ref. jbc1:] JEAN-MICHEL BOEDEC:
The author indicates that on Friday, October 15, 1954, at an unspecified time, in Fouesnant, Mr. René Le Viol saw a reddish luminous machine resembling a reversed plate emerging behind a curtain of trees.
Just at the time when the thing had disappeared in the direction of the sea, another object, identical to the first emerged from the same place and disappeared after having followed the same trajectory.
[Ref. mft1:] MICHEL FIGUET:
| CASE Nr | CLASSIFICATION | DATE | HOUR | PLACE | ZIP CODE | CREDIBILITY SOURCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 216 | CE0 | 10 15 1954 | night | Fouesnant | 29 170 E5 | RS[spare information]-P[Press], OVNI: p. 170 |
[Ref. jca1:] JACQUES COSTAGLIOLA:
The author indicates that on October 15, 1954, there were 8 sightings, 5 were in a line, one of them was in Fouesnant.
[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH - "*U* COMPUTER DATABASE":
4149: 1954/10/15 21:00 3 4:00:40 W 47:53:40 N 3332 WEU FRN FNS 8:8
FOUESNANT,FR:TRUCKER:SCR >S twrd COAST/lo alt:2nd SCR FOLOS:/r251p104:/r67p47
Ref# 30 FIGEUT[sic]&RUCHON: OVNI: Le 1er Dossier Page No. 170 : COASTLANDS
[Ref. goe1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:
Godelieve van Overmeire indicates that in 1954, on October 15 in France, Fouesnant, "The night, the truck driver René Le Viol, saw a flat craft whose form reminds a reversed plate, which flew very slowly towards the sea. A second disc followed at short distance. They both emitted a red gleam."
She indicates that the sources are "France-Soir, La Croix, 17 oct 1954" and "Jacques Vallée: 'Chronique des apparitions ET' - DENOEL 1972 - COLL. J'AI LU - p. 282".
She indicates that another version is that in reality "according to OVNI Présence #33/34 Déc. 1985 it would be a 'slow meteor' (sic) seen on the entire France and elsewhere."
[Ref. djn1:] DONALD JOHNSON:
On this Day
October 15
[...]
1954 - While driving at night in Fouesnant, France truck driver Rene Le Viol saw a flat craft, shaped like an inverted plate, fly very low toward the sea. A second disc followed shortly afterward. Both emitted a red glow. (Sources: Aime Michel, Flying Saucers and the Straight Line Mystery, p. 182; Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia: A Century of Landings, p. 230).
[...]
[Ref. jbu1:] JEROME BEAU:
Friday, October 15, 1954
[...]
The night - In Fouesnant (France), 1 truck driver, René Le Viol, sees a flat machine, whose form reminds a reversed plate, which flies very slowly towards the sea. A 2nd disc follows at short distance. All 2 emitted a red gleam.
[...]
The sources are indicated as "France-Soir, La Croix, October 17, 1954."
[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN:
Luc Chastan indicates that in the Finistère in Fouesnant on October 15, 1954 at an unknown hour, "During the night, a road driver sees a flat machine, whose shape reminds a reversed plate which flies very slowly towards the sea at low altitude. A second disc follows at short distance. They both emit a red gleam.
The source is indicated as "Ovni, Premier dossier complet... by Figuet M./ Ruchon J.L. ** pub. Alain Lefeuvre 1979".
[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on October 14, 1954, in Fouesnant, France, there was a sighting.
The source is indicated as "Vallee, Jacques, Computerized Catalog (N = 3073)".
[Ref. uda2:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on October 15, 1954, at 23:00 in Fouesnant, France, "Truck driver Rene Le Viol saw a flat craft, shaped like an inverted plate, fly very low toward the sea." "While driving at night in Fouesnant, France truck driver Rene Le Viol saw a flat craft, -shaped like an inverted plate, fly very low toward the sea. A second disc followed shortly afterward. Both emitted a red glow."
The website adds: "Truck driver Rene Le Viol saw a flat craft, shaped like an inverted plate, fly very low toward the sea. A second disk followed shortly afterward. Both emitted a red glow."
And: "Objects were sighted that had an appearance and performance beyond the capability of known earthly aircraft. Two red saucers were observed by one male witness on the shore."
The sources are indicated as "Michel, Aime, Flying Saucers and the Straight-Line Mystery, S. G. Phillips, New York, 1958; Bowen, Charles, The Humanoids: FSR Special Edition No. 1, FSR, London, 1966; Vallee, Jacques, Computerized Catalog (N = 3073); Vallee, Jacques, Challenge to Science: The UFO Enigma, Henry Regnery, Chicago, 1966; Vallee, Jacques, Preliminary Catalog (N = 500), (in JVallee01); Vallee, Jacques, A Century of Landings (N = 923), (in JVallee04), Chicago, 1969; Schoenherr, Luis, Computerized Catalog (N = 3173); Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002".
[Ref. nip1:] "THE NICAP WEBSITE":
*Oct. 15, 1954 – While driving at night in Fouesnant, France truck driver Rene Le Viol saw a flat craft, -shaped like an inverted plate, fly very low toward the sea. A second disc followed shortly afterward. Both emitted a red glow. (Sources: Aime Michel, Flying Saucers and the Straight Line Mystery, p. 182; Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia: A Century of Landings, p. 230, case # 269).
[Ref. ubk1:] "UFO-DATENBANK":
This database recorded this case 6 times:
| Case Nr. | New case Nr. | Investigator | Date of observation | Zip | Place of observation | Country of observation | Hour of observation | Classification | Comments | Identification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19541015 | 15.10.1954 | Fouesnant | France | 21.00 | ||||||
| 19541015 | 15.10.1954 | Fouesnant | France | Evening | CE I | |||||
| 19541015 | 15.10.1954 | Fouesnant | France | Night | NL | |||||
| 19541015 | 15.10.1954 | Fouesnant | France | Night | NL | |||||
| 19541015 | 15.10.1954 | Fouesnant | France | Night | NL | |||||
| 19541015 | 15.10.1954 | Fouesnant | France | CE II |
[Ref. prn2:] PETER ROGERSON - "INTCAT":
October 15 1954. 2100hrs.
FOUESNANT (FINISITERE : FRANCE)
A truck driver Rene Le Viol saw a red luminous object rise from behind trees. It resembled an inverted plate and took off towards the sea. A second object followed on a similar course.
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Contrary to what Godelieve van Overmeire ([goe1]) wrote, the Swiss magazine OVNI Présence #33/34 of December 1985 does not say a word about this case, and the explanation by a "slow meteor" is certainly dubious because this was about two objects.
It is more plausible that the two objects were two jet planes. The case is, however, so poorly documented that there is hardly anything sure for me.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Fouesnant, Finistère, truck, driver, René Le Viol, craft, flat, plate, saucer, low, sea, disk, red, glow, object, objects, two
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | April 24, 2003 | First published. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | April 24, 2009 | Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Additions [goe1], [djn1], [jbu1], [lcn1], [uda1], [uda2]. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | February 11, 2010 | Addition [jca1]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | June 30, 2010 | Addition [jve5]. |
| 1.3 | Patrick Gross | October 15, 2014 | Addition [nip1]. |
| 1.4 | Patrick Gross | February 29, 2017 | Addition [ubk1]. |
| 1.5 | Patrick Gross | August 7, 2019 | Additions [prn1], [mft1], [lhh1], [prn2], Summary. Explanations changed, were "Not looked for yet." |
| 1.6 | Patrick Gross | May 17, 2020 | Addition [nnm1]. |
| 1.7 | Patrick Gross | January 5, 2021 | Addition [lcx2]. |
| 1.8 | Patrick Gross | May 7, 2022 | Addition [gqy1]. |
| 1.9 | Patrick Gross | June 3, 2022 | Addition [lex1]. |
| 2.0 | Patrick Gross | July 10, 2022 | Addition [gab1]. |
