The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 16-Oct-54-Dompierre.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
In 1969, ufologist Jacques Vallée noted in his catalog of UFO landings that on October 16, 1954, at 09:45 p.m., in "Dompierre (France)", Messrs. Deschamp and Laclotre had seen a machine of about 20 meters in diameter, 2 meters of height, which approached the ground at 4 meters altitude for 3 or 4 minutes. It emitted a yellowish light and a glow of about 4 meters extended around the object itself.
Vallée did not indicate a source, and did not connect the case to what Aimé Michel said in 1958: that evening, at 09:30 p.m., a big meteor passed over a good part of France.
[Ref. jve5:] JACQUES VALLEE:
| 365 | 16 | 10 | 1954 | 21 | 45 | 1 | DOMPIERRE | F | 0012 | 4E |
[Ref. jve1:] JACQUES VALLEE:
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275) Octover 16, 1954, 09:45 p.m., Dompierre (France):
Messrs. Deschamp and Laclotre saw a craft, about 20 meters diameter, 2 meters high, come within 4 meters of the ground for 3 or 4 minutes. It gave off a yellowish light and a glow extended for 4 meters around (personal).
[Ref. jve2:] JACQUES VALLEE:
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275
Oct. 16,1954
2145
Dompierre (France). Messrs. Deschamp and Laclotre saw a craft, about 20 m diameter, 2 m high, come within 4 m of the ground for 3 or 4 min. It gave off a yellowish light and a glow extended for 4 m around. (Personal)
[Ref. prn1:] PETER ROGERSON:
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453 16 octobre 1954 2145 hrs
DOMPIERRE (FRANCE) Mssrs Deschamp and Laolotre [sic] Deschamp et Laolotre [sic] ont vu un engin d'environ 20 m de diamètre, de 2 m de haut arriver à 4 m du sol pendant 3 ou 4 min. Il a émis une lumière jaunâtre et une lueur prolongée sur 4 m environ. (M275)
[Ref. fru1:] MICHEL FIGUET AND JEAN-LOUIS RUCHON:
The two authors indicate that in Dompierre, department not known, on October 16, 1954 at 09:45, two witnesses saw an object of approximately 20 meters in diameter and 2 meters height, which approached the ground within 4 meters of altitude during 3 to 4 minutes.
The object emitted a yellowish light and a gleam of approximately four meters extended around the object itself.
The authors indicate that their source is case 275 of the Vallée catalogue.
[Ref. lgs1:] LOREN GROSS:
Dompirre [sic], France. (9:45 p.m.)
A close approach of a glowing yellow "craft," some 60 feet wide and 6 feet high, was claimed by two Frenchmen, one was a M. Laolotre and the other was a M. Deschamp. The men said the object hovered within a dozen feet of the ground for about four minutes. 137.
[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH - "*U* COMPUTER DATABASE":
4164: 1954/10/16 21:50 5 2:48:00 E 49:54:20 N 3333 WEU FRN SMM 6:7
DOMPIERRE-BECQUINCORT,80,FR:2 OBS:20X2M SCR:ALT=4M/3min:GLOW RADIATES=4M
Ref# 8 VALLEE,Jacques: PASSPORT TO MAGONIA. Case No. 275 : FARMLANDS
[Ref. goe1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:
The Belgian ufologist indicates that in 1954, on October 16 in France at 21:45 "Misters Deschamps and Laclotre saw a machine approximately 20 m in diameter, 2 m in height, which approached the ground at 4 m of altitude during 3 or 4 minutes. It emitted a yellowish light and a gleam of approximately 4 m extended all around the object itself. (Jacques Vallée: "Chronique des apparitions ET" - DENOEL 1972 - J'AI LU COLL. - p. 284)".
[Ref. djn1:] DONALD JOHNSON:
Encounters with Aliens on this Day
October 16
1954 –Messrs. Deschamp and Laclotre saw a craft, about 20 meters in diameter and two meters tall come within four meters of the ground in Dompierre, France. The object stayed near the ground for 3-4 minutes. It gave off a yellowish light and a glow extended around it for an estimated distance of four meters. (Source: Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia: A Century of Landings, p. 232).
[Ref. jbu1:] JEROME BEAU:
Saturday, October 16, 1954
21:45 In Dompierre-Bequincourt (Somme, France), Misters Deschamp and Laclotre see 1 machine approximately 20 m in diameter, 2 m in height, which approach the ground at 4 m of altitude during 3 or 4 mn. It emits a yellowish light and a gleam of approximately 4 m extends around the object itself.
The source is indicated as "Vallée, J.: "Un siècle d'atterrissages", LDLN n° 43" and a comment asks: "The 21:30 bolide?".
[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN:
Luc Chastan indicates that in the Haute Vienne in Dompierre les Eglises on October 16, 1954 at 21:45 hours "Two witnesses see an object approximately 20 meters in diameter and 2 meters in height, which approaches the ground at 4 meters of altitude during 3 to 4 minutes. It emitted a yellowish light and a gleam of approximately four meters extended around the object itself."
The source is indicated as "Ovni, Premier dossier complet... by Figuet M./ Ruchon J.L. ** Alain Lefeuvre pub. 1979".
[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on 16 October 1954 at 21:45 in Dompierre, France, "An object was sighted that had an appearance and performance beyond the capability of known earthly aircraft. One object, about 2 feet across, was observed by two male witnesses on a farm for under three minutes (Deschamps)."
The sources are indicated as 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; Figuet, M.
[Ref. uda2:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on 16 October 1954 at 21:45 in Dompierre, France, "Messrs. Deschamp and Laclotre saw a craft, about 20 meters diameter, two meters high, come within four meters of the ground for three or four minute."
And: "Messrs. Deschamp and Laclotre saw a craft, about 20 meters in diameter and two meters tall come within four meters of the ground in Dompierre, France. The object stayed near the ground for 3-4 minutes. It gave off a yellowish light and a glow extended around it for an estimated distance of four meters."
And: "Messrs. Deschamp and Laclotre saw a craft, about 20 meters diameter, two meters high, come within four meters of the ground for three or four minutes. It gave off a yellowish light and a glow extended for four meters around."
And: "One yellow ball was observed."
The source is indicated as "Vallee Magonia Database".
[Ref. nip1:] "THE NICAP WEBSITE":
*Oct. 16, 1954 –Messrs. Deschamp and Laclotre saw a craft, about 20 meters in diameter and two meters tall come within four meters of the ground in Dompierre, France. The object stayed near the ground for 3-4 minutes. It gave off a yellowish light and a glow extended around it for an estimated distance of four meters. (Source: Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia: A Century of Landings, p. 232).
[Ref. ubk1:] "UFO-DATENBANK":
This database recorded this case 5 times:
| Case Nr. | New case Nr. | Investigator | Date of observation | Zip | Place of observation | Country of observation | Hour of observation | Classification | Comments | Identification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19541016 | 16.10.1954 | Dompierre | France | 21.45 | ||||||
| 19541016 | 16.10.1954 | Dompierre | France | 21.45 | ||||||
| 19541016 | 16.10.1954 | Dompierre | France | 21.45 | CE II | |||||
| 19541016 | 16.10.1954 | Dompierre | France | 21.45 | CE I | |||||
| 19541016 | 16.10.1954 | Dompierre | France | 21.45 |
[Ref. prn2:] PETER ROGERSON - "INTCAT":
October 16 1954. 2145hrs.
DOMPIERRE-LES-EGLISES (HAUTE VIENNE : FRANCE)
Messes Deschamp and Laclotre saw an object giving off a yellow light, about 20m diameter, 2m high, come within 4m of the ground for three for four minutes. The glow extended around 4m
Evaluation - Misperception of meteor or the moon?
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The sources [lhh1] and [jbu1] indicating "Dompierre-Becquincourt" on October 16, 1954, mixed this case of Dompierre-Les-Eglises on October 16, 1954, with another one in Dompierre-Becquincourt on October 14, 1954.
I originally noted in this "Explanations" section: "Not looked for yet. Distorted description of that day's meteor at 09:30 p.m.? The moon?"
The british "skeptical" ufologist Peter Rogerson who initially only copied what Vallée told ([prn1] copying [jve2]) then just copied my temporary propositions as if it were his own evaluation [prn2].
I'm digging the matter now:
The date and hour would match with the "big meteor" noted by Aimé Michel in 1958; but the place seems to me a bit too far from its visible trajectory from the ground (from Brittany to Alsace).
It might have been the equally famous Italian high-altitude balloon, but the indication that it cast a glow around it mades me rather think of the Moon and its halo in some clouds.
The Moon, from this place, at this date and hour, was at 60° azimuth and the low elevation conducive to this type of misinterpretation of 4° only. This would make the most likely explanation that of the Moon. The only issue is that the Moon "went up" in the sky whereas the report speaks of an approach of the ground.
One can think of vehicle headlights in a mist, of course. The strangeness of the case as documented is really not remarkable.
So I would rest on: "unidentified, insufficient data, low strangeness."
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Dompierre-les-Eglises, Dompierre, Haute-Vienne, Becquincourt, Deschamp, Laclotre, craft, landing, object, light, glow, yellow, night
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | April 15, 2003 | First published. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | December 28, 2009 | Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Additions, [goe1], [jbu1], [lcn1], [uda1], [uda2]. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | June 30, 2010 | Addition [jve5]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | October 15, 2014 | Addition [nip1]. |
| 1.3 | Patrick Gross | February 2, 2017 | Addition [ubk1]. |
| 1.4 | Patrick Gross | November 24, 2019 | Additions [prn1], [lhh1], [prn2], Summary. Explanations changed, were "Not looked for yet. Distorted description of that day's meteor at 09:30 p.m.? The moon?" |
| 1.5 | Patrick Gross | May 13, 2022 | Addition [lgs1]. |
