The 1954 French flap:

Flying saucers flew over Alsace

After cigars, brooms, barrels, it is now the "melons" that appear in the sky of Alsace. In fact, many people claim to have seen a shining machine on Saturday night, in the form of a melon, and leaving a white-orange trail of two meters, flying over the Bas-Rhin.

This has indeed been observed not only in Strasbourg but also Niederhaslach, Haguenau and Wissembourg. Finally, in the Haut-Rhin, people also saw a craft that seems to be the same crossing the Bas-Rhin sky at a frightening speed.

It is at 07:30 p.m. that the phenomenon was observed for the first time on Saturday night in Strasbourg. Three people near the EDF plant on the street of Hobsheim saw a craft shining with light and in the shape of a bowler hat who spun in the sky.

">At 9:35 p.m. nine people were enjoying the warmth of the evening at the bar of the flying club, at the Polygone, also saw the same craft cross the night sky from east to west. The same description was given by a dozen young people in Niederhaslach awaiting the results of the election of the new mayor on the village square. A craft flew over them at 09:35 p.m., at an estimated altitude of very roughly fifteen thousand meters. The assumption that this would be a balloon lit by the last rays of the sun was rejected given the extraordinary speed at which the "flying melon" crossed the sky from one side of the horizon to the other. An investigation was opened by the police. A quarter of an hour before, that is to say, at 09:20 p.m., a flying saucer flew at low altitude, in a burst of sparks, on the Stanislas hospital in Wissembourg. The craft was seen by the local police and residents.

Finally in Haguenau, at 07:30 p.m., a round and red machine crossed the sky from north to south, followed by a bright white and orange trail. At 11:30 p.m., another craft was seen. In Masevaux, seven people who saw between 9:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. a craft that was shaped like a cigar and was followed by a green trail. From the Hundsrück, the "flying cigar was heading to the Sundel."

In Eguisheim, at 10:30 p.m., a few people were surprised by the appearance of a spherical apparatus that at a breathtaking speed and in total silence, crossed the sky in the direction of the Trois-Châteaux.

AFTER THE SAUCERS, THE "FLYING MELON"

Strasbourg, October 18. -- After cigars, brooms, barrels, now "melons" are appearing, this time in the Alsace sky. In fact, several people, including some pilots from the Strasbourg Aero Club, claim to have seen, on Saturday evening, a shiny object shaped like a melon, leaving behind a red-orange trail about two meters long, flying over the Bas-Rhin region.

This object was reportedly seen, at almost the same time, in Strasbourg, Haguenau, and Wissembourg.

The "flying saucer" was moving at high altitude and heading, according to some, southeast, and according to others, east to west.

An identical phenomenon was observed in Niederhaslach (Bruche Valley).

A car engine stops and headlights go out

DIEPPE. -- At nightfall, while driving through the village of Baillolet on Route N. 314, Mr. Henri Robert, a veterinarian from Londinières, saw four objects flying one above the other at an altitude of about 300 meters.

Mr. Robert claims that one of them zigzagged in front of his car, that he felt a strong electric shock, and that his car engine stopped. The veterinarian then saw a strange figure on the road, about 1.20 meters tall. The car's headlights went out; when they came back on, a cylinder about three meters long was taking off from the embankment and heading north.

CHATELLERAULT. -- On Saturday evening, around 8:30 p.m., three firefighters from Chatellerault saw a large disc rise into the sky toward the Château de Targe, emitting sparks and followed by a very long luminous trail.

PARIS. -- Two employees at Orly airport, Mr. Raymond Castelle and Mr. Charles Birest, claimed to have seen, on Saturday night around 9:30 p.m., a flying saucer cross the Orly sky from east to west "at the speed of a jet plane." Upon reaching the commune of Paray-Vieille-Poste, at the edge of the west-east runway, the mysterious object, which according to the witnesses was flying at an altitude of 300 meters, stopped, projecting rays that were strongly reflected on the ground.

ARRAS. -- On Sunday night around 9:25 p.m., in Pommier (Pas-de-Calais), the head of the gendarmerie and a gendarme saw a luminous orange object moving at very high speed from east to west, at about 500 meters altitude.

To excuse his lateness

The road worker claimed to have seen a "saucer"

Dijon, October 18. -- Ten days ago, Mr. André Narcy, 47 years old, a road worker in Mertrud, arrived at work out of breath: "I saw a flying saucer," he claimed. And he gave detailed descriptions: an orange-colored object, stationary in a field, a small being dressed in a fur coat, the mysterious device taking off vertically. Moreover, Mr. Narcy could show the location. Along with two of his colleagues, Mr. Riel and Mr. Henry, he went back. All three declared that indeed the dew had dried in a certain area, the grass had taken on "a slightly milky hue," and that one could see traces of "round feet," etc.

When questioned again by the gendarmerie, Mr. Narcy has now admitted that he fabricated the entire story to justify his late arrival at work.

A "saucer" dries up a farm's watering trough in the Po Delta

Rome, October 18. -- Four flying objects were seen last night in the skies over various regions of northern Italy.

Two discs, said by witnesses to have a "metallic shine," were seen in Mainate, on the outskirts of Milan.

The third "disc" crossed the sky over Trento after hovering above the city for 43 minutes.

Finally, a flying saucer appeared in the sky over Camogli, near Genoa.

Additionally, a farmer who witnessed the passage of a "flying disc" over the Po Delta last Saturday told a surprising story. He said he saw the disc descend to roof height of his farmhouse, then slow down at great speed. In the blink of an eye, he specified, the watering trough, which had been full of water, was dried up, while a cow that was under the object's path began to run frantically after sustaining deep wounds on its body.

A parliamentarian asks a written question about "saucers"

Foix, October 18. -- Following numerous sightings of saucers and other flying objects of unknown type currently reported in all regions of France, Mr. René Dejean, a Socialist Member of Parliament from Ariège, has submitted a written question to the Prime Minister, asking in particular:

- Whether or not a service has been created to collect existing documentation on the subject, and to study the nature and origin of these objects.

- Whether the information currently collected and compiled is sufficient to completely rule out the hypothesis that these objects are piloted or controlled by living beings of unknown species and origin.

- Whether, on the contrary, the government has enough information to attribute the manufacture of these objects to the industry of a foreign state.

- And, in this latter case, whether the international agreements signed by France have already allowed for consultations regarding the use of such objects in the event of a conflict.

[Caption under drawing:] - Your face is unfamiliar... You must be new to the area?

Flying saucers flew over ALSACE

After cigars, brooms, barrels, it is now the "melons" that appear in the sky of Alsace. In fact, many people claim to have seen a shining machine on Saturday night, in the form of a melon, and leaving a white-orange trail of two meters, flying over the Bas-Rhin.

This has indeed been observed not only in Strasbourg but also Niederhaslach, Haguenau and Wissembourg. Finally, in the Haut-Rhin, people also saw a craft that seems to be the same crossing the Bas-Rhin sky at a frightening speed.

It is at 07:30 p.m. that the phenomenon was observed for the first time on Saturday night in Strasbourg. Three people near the EDF plant on the street of Hobsheim saw a craft shining with light and in the shape of a bowler hat who spun in the sky.

At 9:35 p.m. nine people were enjoying the warmth of the evening at the bar of the flying club, at the Polygone, also saw the same craft cross the night sky from east to west. The same description was given by a dozen young people in Niederhaslach awaiting the results of the election of the new mayor on the village square. A craft flew over them at 09:35 p.m., at an estimated altitude of very roughly fifteen thousand meters. The assumption that this would be a balloon lit by the last rays of the sun was rejected given the extraordinary speed at which the "flying melon" crossed the sky from one side of the horizon to the other. An investigation was opened by the police. A quarter of an hour before, that is to say, at 09:20 p.m., a flying saucer flew at low altitude, in a burst of sparks, on the Stanislas hospital in Wissembourg. The craft was seen by the local police and residents.

Finally in Haguenau, at 07:30 p.m., a round and red machine crossed the sky from north to south, followed by a bright white and orange trail. At 11:30 p.m., another craft was seen. In Masevaux, seven people who saw between 9:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. a craft that was shaped like a cigar and was followed by a green trail. From the Hundsrück, the "flying cigar was heading to the Sundel."

In Eguisheim, at 10:30 p.m., a few people were surprised by the appearance of a spherical apparatus that at a breathtaking speed and in total silence, crossed the sky in the direction of the Trois-Châteaux.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 16, 1954.-

STRASBOURG. - (67)

Several people, including some pilots from the STRASBOURG flying club, claim to have seen SATURDAY evening, a shiny craft having the shape of a "melon" and leaving a trail of 2 meters of white-orange color, fly over the BAS-RHIN region.

This craft was reportedly seen almost at the same time at: STRASBOURG, HAGUENAU and at WISSEMBOURG. The "melon saucer" was moving at a high altitude and was heading, according to some, in a SOUTH-EAST direction, according to others in an EAST-WEST direction.

"OUEST FRANCE" for OCTOBER 19, 1954. p.2