The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 18-oct-54-Issenheim.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
The case was first published by the regional newspaper Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace, German-speaking issue of Colmar, on 20 October 1954, wondering if a flying saucer had landed in Issenheim on 18 October 1954.
The newpaper reported that at 4 o'clock that morning, Lucien Flesch, 19, living in Rouffach, found himself facing a flying saucer, just before the crossing at the entry of Issenheim. The saucer was a hundred meters from the road, had a diameter of 5 to 6 meters, a height of 1 meter, and emitted no light.
He did not think of approaching the mysterious object, but he had insisted that the saucer shone under the glare of the moon like aluminum and had the shape of a bell.
There was no trace of any landing at the place.
On the same day, the Strasbourg edition of the same newspaper titled "Mars-Issenheim round-trip" and published the same narrative, locating the place at the northern entrance of Issenheim.
Still on the same day, Les Dernières Nouvelles du Haut-Rhin again published a similar narrative, stating that the witness was half paralyzed by fear and had a throbbing voice when he came to work at the Schlumberger factory in Guebwiller. The reason he did not approach, in his words, was "because we cannot know what lies behind." He spoke of a bell shape but stated that he was not entirely sure because he had "seen the craft aside."
It is reported in this newpaper that it was according to Mr. Flesch himself that five other persons on their way to work would have seen the thing an hour and a half later in the same place, and witnessed its take-off at high speed.
It was also Mr. Flesch who, wishing to check whether the machine had left any trace, had returned to the scene without finding anything particular.
The newspaper L'Alsace published about the case the next day, adding that the witness was going to work. The object is said to have been a sphere, and hovering at one meter above the ground.
The young man was apparently terrified, he had pedaled at full speed and joined his workplace at Guebwiller where he had told his adventure to his comrades.
L'Alsace mentioned without specifying the source or the hours that five Bergholtz residents who were going to their work "reprtedly also saw the sphere, when it was rising in the air."
In subsequent ufological sources, Mr. Flesch becomes Mr. Fiesch or Fish, the date sometimes changes to October 20, the bike sometimes becomes a moped, the landed metallic craft that took off becomes a "luminous" and "landing" "object". The case is often located on the national road 83 between Rouffach and Guebwiller.
In his 2012 book about UFOs in Alsace, former journalist Christian Valentin reproduces the sources of the regional Press, notes as much as I do the errors in ufological versions, and explains that to his great regret he failed to find any trace of the witness by his phone investigation at the end of 2008 among the phone subscribers of Rouffach and its surroundings.
[Ref. dna1:] "DERNIERES NOUVELLES D'ALSACE" NEWSPAPER:
Monday morning at 4 o'clock, Lucien Flesch, a 19-year-old young man living in Rouffach, had a very special experience near Issenheim.
According to his statements he found himself facing a flying saucer, just before crossing the Issenheim entry. It was at a few hundred meters from the road, had a diameter of 5 to 6 meters, a height of 1 meter, and emitted no light. He did not think of approaching the mysterious object, but he insists that the saucer shone under the glare of the moon like aluminum and had the shape of a bell.
However no landing trace was found at the indicated location.
[Ref. dn2:] "DERNIERES NOUVELLES D'ALSACE" NEWSPAPER:
A young man who works in Guebwiller, mister Lucien Flesch, claims to have seen Monday morning around 4 a.m. by going to his workplace in Rouffach, a flying saucer posed on a field at 100 m from the national road, at the North entry of Issenheim. The object would have seemed to him 5 to 6 m long, one meter high and it shone in the moonlight as if it were made of aluminum. An hour and a half later the same object was reportedly seen by residents of Bergholtz going to work. The same witnessed the taking off of the saucer at breakneck speed.
[Ref. dh1:] "DERNIERES NOUVELLES DU HAUT-RHIN" NEWSPAPER:
A 19-year-old young man of Rouffach, Lucien Flesch, lived Monday at 4 a.m. a strange experience near Issenheim. It is half-paralyzed by fear he had shortly after shown at his workplace at the SCHLUMBERGER factory in Mulhouse, and told in a quavering voice how he found himself in the presence of a flying saucer little before the crossing at the entry of Issenheim. It is at a few hundred meters from the road that he noticed a metallic craft 5 to 6 m long and one meter high. No light came from the apparatus. He did not come to the mind of Mr. Flesch to approach more of the mysterious craft because, as he says, one does not know what lies behind. He said that the thing shone like aluminum under the glow of the moon, and it seemed to have the shape of a bell. He is, however, not entirely sure, because saw the craft only aside. As Mr. Flesch claims, an hour and a half later, five people from Bergholtz who were going to work reportedly saw the thing in the same place and attended its takeoff at high speed. Curious to know whether there were still traces at the place where the celestial body appeared to him, Mr. Flesh returned on the spot, without finding anything like that.
[Ref. lae1:] NEWSPAPER "L'ALSACE":
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Yesterday morning, around 7:40, Mr. Pierre Ackermann, employee at the tissue factory of Guebwiller, saw, while he came out of the street of Lure, a round disc of an intense brilliance, coming from the heights of Oberlinger and which disappeared behind the Kreyenbach. The whole had lasted only approximately 10 seconds. What Mr. Pierre Ackermann states to have been a saucer moved without noise at a height of 300 to 400 meters. The disc measured at this distance approximately 30 to 40 centimetres. It is to be noticed that Mr. Pierre Ackermann was particularly well placed, to follow the evolution of the saucer, since he moved perpendicular to the latter.
Two pupils of the Classic Boys College, who at the same hour went to school, also affirm to have seen the flying disc.
In addition, a young man of Rouffach, Mr. Lucien Flesch, affirms to have seen, while he was going to his work and that he passed near Issenheim, a spherical object, with metallic reflections. This object, which had a diameter of approximately 5 or 6 meters, seemed to be stopped one meter above the ground.
Terrified in front of this at the very least strange appearance, the young man pedalledat full speed and reached his workplace in Guebwiller, where he told his colleagues about his weird adventure. In addition, five residents of Bergholtz who went to their work, also reprtedly saw this sphere, while it rose in the airs. Mr. Flesch, wanting to check whether this mysterious machine had left some trace, returned to the place, but however found nothing particular there.
While she helped pick up the grapes last Monday at the Zinnkoepfle, a girl of Soultzmatt, Miss Mimie Fleck, saw in full day, at a height from 2.000 to 3.000 m, a shining flying object of a lengthened form. The apparatus, coming from the direction of Guebwiller, advanced at a very high speed, then, arrived above the vineyard of Soulztmatt, it stopped during a few moments to finally disappear in direction opf the North.
[Ref. ppe1:] NEWSPAPER "PARIS-PRESSE":
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The most disturbing thing about the mystery of the flying saucers is that they show themselves to the eyes of people that higher primary education and the gravity of their functions protect from vulgar superstitions and the dreams of old women.
How to doubt the word of Mr. Jean Gambier, sworn police officer in Hesdin (Pas-de-Calais) and Mrs. Michèle Vitkosusky, notary clerk in Normandy! Mr. Jean Gambier going to his service saw, above the forest an elongated apparatus whose upper part was bright red. The center of a bright white and whose lower part left behind a trail of stars. The craft quickly took to the vertical and disappeared at a dizzying pace.
Other observers have seen the saucer of Mrs the notary clerk. It was near Saint-Valery-en-Caux. Several unidentified objects - saucers, dammit! - have maneuvered for two hours. One of them, violently lit, landed in a field. Two others, seen not far from the cliff of Mers-les-Bains, seemed to correspond with the first group. Alas when the gendarmes arrived, to fine them, gosh! The saucers were gone: they must not have been in good legal standing.
The Lormes-Nevers coach driver and his passengers, also saw a saucer. Mr. Lucien Fiesch, from Issenheim in Alsace, also, who seized with fear is still running. And also Mr. Pierre Ackermann, from Guebwiller. And again Miss Fleck, from Soulzmatt (Bas-Rhin). Without forgetting the Pyreneans of Vic-Bigorre, the postman of Saint-Pierre-la-Cour station, Mr. Roumy, Houard and Fressard, at Cheverron [sic]; and the students of the Saint-Cyr Institute, in Clevers.
The most extraordinary case was noted by an Algerian motorist, Mr. Gaston Blanquère who, near the village of Jean-Mermoz saw a saucer in the shape of a 4 CV Renault. It consisted of an upper dome from which a yellow glow came out, let out a bluish luminous spray at its lower part and finally swept the plain of very powerful headlights.
Impossible to confuse this saucer with the humble pumpkin emptied and lit by a candle that the villagers of Momy (Basses-Pyrénées) chased yesterday armed with pitchforks, picks and rifles.
[Ref. nll1:] NEWSPAPER "NORD LITTORAL":
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Paris, Oct. 21
The flying saucers mainly appeared last night, over Normandy. To believe several people including Mademoiselle Michèle Vitkosuski, notary's clerk, several unidentified vehicles moved for over two hours. From a violently lit machine, and posed in a field, to the left of the road to Saint-Valéry-en-Caux, luminous discs escaped which quickly took height, to then return to their starting spot. A flying cigar performed the same ride. Other machines seen not far from the cliff of Mers-les-Bains seemed to correspond by signals with the first group. It should be added that the gendarmes who carried out an investigation on the spot did not find any trace of this mysterious carousel.
A somewhat similar phenomenon was reportedly observed above Vic Bigorre, by a group of ten students who were training on a sports ground. They reportedly saw four discs in formation which seemed to spin on themselves at high speed.
Several testimonies were collected in Alsace. One of the witnesses, Lucien Fiesch, saw near Issenheim, a spherical craft about six meters in diameter which was hovering one meter above the ground. Frightened, Mr. Fiesch went and returned to his workplace.
In Guebwiller, Mr. Pierre Ackermann said he had seen in the sky, a brilliant disc which moved silently at about four hundred meters of altitude. Two middle school students confirmed this statement.
A resident of Soultzmatt, Miss Fleck, said that she had observed this afternoon, an elongated machine which was moving at great speed speed.
Another testimony comes from the Nièvre. The Lormes-Nevers bus was on its way to the latter town when, near Saxi-Bourbon, the driver stopped and shouted: "A saucer!". All the passengers alighted and distinguished, if they were to be believed, a disc shining like aluminum, at an altitude of seven or eight hundred meters.
The last testimony is that of a postman from Saint-Pierre-la-Cour station, who saw in the sky a disc spreading orange luminous beams.
[Ref. cmn1:] "CENTRE MATIN" NEWSPAPER:
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THE FLYING SAUCERS APPEARED LAST NIGHT MAINLY ABOVE NORMANDY. IF WE ARE TO BELIEVE SEVRAL PEOPLE, AMONG THEN MISS MICHELLE VITKOSUSKY, CLERK OF NOTARY, SEVERAL UNIDENTIFIED MACHINES HAVE EVOLVED DURING TWO HOURS. OF A MACHINE VIOLENTLY ENLIGHTENED, AND POSED IN A FIELD, AT THE LEFT OF THE ROAD OF SAINT-VALERY-EN-CAUX, ESCAPED LUMINOUS DISCS WHICH TOOK ALTITUDE QUICKLY, TO THEN REGAIN THEIR INITIAL LOCATION.
A flying cigar carried out the same things. Two other machines seen not far from the cliff of Mers-les-Bains, seemed to communicate by signals with the first group. It should be added that the gendarmes who carried out an investigation on the spot did not find any trace of this mysterious carrousel.
A phenomenon a bit similar is said to have been observed above Vic-Bigorre, by a group of ten students who were training on a sports ground. They are said to have seen four discs in formation which seemed to rotate at high speed.
Several testimonies were gathered in Alsace. One of the witnesses, Lucien Fiesch [Fisch] saw close to Issenheim a spherical machine of approximately 6 meters in diameter which stationed within one meter of the ground. Frightened, Mr. Fiesch [Fisch] went away and regained his workplace.
In Guebwiller, Mr. Pierre Ackerman stated to have seen in the sky a brilliant disc which moved silently at approximately 400 meters of altitude. Two schoolboys confirmed this statement.
A resident [female] of Soultzmatt, stated to have observed a machine of elongated form which moved at very high speed.
Another testimony comes from the Nievre. The Lormes-Nevers bus moved towards this latter city, when, near Saxi-Bourdon, the driver stopped and exclaimed: "a saucer", all the passengers went down and distinguished, if they must be believed, a disc shining like aluminum, at 70 or 80 meters of altitude.
The last testimony is that of a factor of the Saint-Pierre-la-Cour station, who saw a disc in the sky, spreading luminous orange rays.
* * *
Wednesday morning, around 3 hours, Mr. Gaston Blanquère, resident in Oran, was returning with passengers on board his car. A little after the village of Jean-Mermoz, the attention of the motorists was attracted by a sharp gleam coming from the south and which grew bigger quickly.
A luminous disc crossed the road above them, descended a few hundreds meters further and appeared to contact the ground.
The machine had the size of a small car. It was composed of a higher cupola from which came out a yellow gleam. The lower part of the disc let escape a bluish luminous sheaf. Kinds of very powerful headlights swept the plain.
Ten minutes later, the luminosity dimmed and the machine, taking height, moved away quickly and without noise.
The police chief of the Sig, during his investigation, had these statements confirmed by a fellah of a nearby douar.
[Ref. nnm1:] NEWSPAPER "LE NOUVEAU NORD MARITIME":
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Paris, 21. -- During the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, the flying saucers appeared mainly over Normandy. According to various people, several unidentified craft evolved over two hours. From a violently lit machine, and posed in a field, to the left of the road to Saint-Valery-en-Caux, escaped from the luminous discs which quickly took height, to regain, then, their starting place. A flying cigar performed the same ride. Two other craft seen near the cliff of Mers-les-Bains seemed to communicate by signals with the first group. It should be added that the gendarmes who carried out an investigation on the spot did not find any trace of this mysterious carousel.
A somewhat similar phenomenon was reportedly observed above Vic-Bigorre by a group of ten students who were training on a sports ground. They reportedly saw four discs in formation which seemed to spin on themselves at high speed.
Several testimonies were collected in Alsace. One of the witnesses, Lucien Flesch saw near Issenheim, a spherical machine about 6 meters in diameter which was stationed at one meter from the ground. Frightened, Mr. Flesch walked away and returned to his work place.
A resident of Soultzmatt, Mrs. Fleck, said that yesterday she observed an elongated machine moving at very high speed.
Another testimony comes from the Nièvre, the Lormes-Nevers bus was heading towards this last town when, near Saxi-Bourdon, the driver stopped and exclaimed: "A saucer". All the passengers came out and distinguished, if they were to be believed, a disc shining like aluminum, at 700 or 800 meters of altitude.
The last testimony is that of a postman of the Saint-Pierre la Cour station, who saw in the sky a disc spreading bright orange-colored rays.
Oran, 21. -- Yesterday morning, around 3 a.m., Mr. Gaston Blanquère residing in Oran, was returning with passengers in his car. Shortly after the village of Jean Mermoz, the attention of the motorists was attracted by a bright gleam coming from the south and rapidly growing. A luminous disc crossed the road above them, descended a few hundred meters further and appeared to make contact with the ground. The craft was the size of a small automobile. It consisted of an upper dome from which a yellow glow came out. The lower part of the disc let out a bluish luminous spray. Kinds of very powerful headlights swept the plain.
Ten minutes later the light dimmed and the craft, gaining height, moved away quickly and silently.
Sig's police superintendent saw these statements confirmed by a fellah from a nearby douar during his investigation.
[Ref. gqy1:] GUY QUINCY:
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About October 20 [, 1954]
[... Other cases...]
?: Issenheim (Haut-Rhin): lum.obj. (3 km ISL in the SE of Guebwiller)
[... Other cases...]
[Ref. gqy2:] GUY QUINCY:
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[... other cases...]
October 20, 1954 (approx.): Issenheim (on Rte.Nale.83, at 3 m ISL in the ESE of Guebwiller--Haut-Rhin):(landing lumin. craft) (date to be specified with certainty)
[... other cases...]
[Ref. jve5:] JACQUES VALLEE:
| 382 | -007.25583 | 47.90333 | 20 | 10 | 1954 | ISSENHEIM-HT RHIN | F | 001 | G** |
[Ref. jve1:] JACQUES VALLEE:
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290) October 20, 1954, Issenheim (France):
Lucien Fisch saw an object land near Route N83. It was luminous. (Quincy, p 75).
[Ref. jve3:] JACQUES VALLEE:
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October 20, 1954. Issenheim (France):
Lucien Fisch saw an object land near Route N83. It was luminous. (Quincy, Paris-Presse, Oct. 22, 1954).
[Ref. gal1:] CHARLES GARREAU AND RAYMOND LAVIER:
Ufologist Charles Garreau and journalist Raymond Lavier report in their book that on October 20, 1954, in Issenheim in Haut-Rhin, according to personal file and newspaper clips, Mr. Lucien Fisch experienced the following encounter:
He was going to his workplace on motorcycle and was on the National Road RN 83 between Issenheim and Rouffach, it was still night.
There he saw a luminous apparatus arriving at high speed; which landed in a field. He was frightened and rather than to wait to see what may happen next, he went away full throttle.
[Ref. jve2:] JACQUES VALLEE:
The author indicates that on October 20, 1954, Mr. Lucien Fisch saw a luminous object land in Issenheim, near Guebwiller in the Haut-Rhin.
[Ref. prn1:] PETER ROGERSON - "INTCAT":
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468 20 October 1954
ISSENHEIM (FRANCE) Lucien Fisch saw an object land near Route N83. It was luminous. (M290; Quincy, Paris-Presse 22 Oct 54)
[Ref. fru1:] MICHEL FIGUET AND JEAN-LOUIS RUCHON:
The two authors indicate that in Issenheim in the department of Haut-Rhin, on October 18, 1954 at 04:30 of the morning, a young man, Lucien Fisch, was riding his motorcycle on the National Road 83, between Rouffach and Guebwiller, when at the northern entry of Issenheim, he saw within 100 meters of the road in a field an object from 5 to 6 meters length and high of one meter.
The machine had the color of aluminum and shone in the moonlight.
One hour later, at approximately 05:30 a.m., five inhabitants of Bergholtz going to their work are said to have seen the departure of the machine at a tremendous speed.
The authors say that the date is not the 20th as in the Vallée catalogue but the 18th as it was a Monday.
They indicate that the sources are case 290 of the Vallée catalogue; C. Garreau and R. Lavier in "Face aux E.T" page 28; Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace for October 20, 1954; Quincy; Paris-Presse for October 22, 1954.
[Ref. mft3:] MICHEL FIGUET:
| Nr of the J. C. Fumoux list | Nr of Francat list | Localization | Date | Class | Credibility | Sources | Number of W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 104 | 233 | Issenheim | 10/18 | CE1 | D poss misint | 2-p. 184 | 1T |
The source "2" is indicated as "(2) OVNI: le premier dossier complet des rencontres rapprochées en France par Michel Figuet and Jean-Louis Ruchon at Alain Lefeuvre pub. 1979. Book now incomplete."
[Ref. mft1:] MICHEL FIGUET:
This ufologist noted:
| CASE Nr | CLASSIFICATION | DATE | HOUR | PLACE | ZIP CODE | CREDIBILITY SOURCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 233 | CEl | 10 18 1954 | 04.00 | Issenheim 05.30 Bergholtz |
68810 C4 68930 C4 |
NI, OVNI: p. 184 N, OVNI : p. 184 |
[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH - "*U* COMPUTER DATABASE":
4190: 1954/10/18 04:00 90 7:15:40 E 47:54:20 N 3333 WEU FRN HRH 7:A
N/ISSENHEIM,FR:LUM UFO LANDS nr N83:0530hrs 5 SEE IT TAKE OFF/FANTASTIC SPEED
Ref# 30 FIGEUT[sic]&RUCHON: OVNI: Le 1er Dossier Page No. 184 : TOWN &CITY
[Ref. goe1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:
The belgian ufologist indicates that in 1954, on October 18, in France, in Issenheim, "Lucien Fisch saw an object which lands close to the R. N. 83. It was luminous."
The sources are indicated as "Quincy", "Paris-Presse, 22 oct 1954" et "Jacques Vallée: 'Chronique des apparitions ET' - DENOEL 1972 - J'AI LU COLL. - p. 286".
She notes that another version says: "the young witness drives by motorcycle on the N 83 between Rouffach and Guebwiller at 4 o'clock in the morning. In a field within 100m of the road he sees a posed object having the color of aluminium and shining in the moonlight. One hour later, towards 5:30 5 inhabitants of Bergholtz going to their work are said to have seen the departure of the machine at a vertiginous speed. The facts occurred a Monday, therefore the 18th and not 20th as indicated by error by J. Vallée."
The source for this is indicated as "FIGUET/ J.L. RUCHON: 'Ovni, premier dossier complet...' - Alain Lefeuvre pub. 1979, p. 184".
[Ref. uwb1:] "UFOWEB" WEBSITE:
| CITIES | DEPT | LATITUDES | LONGITUDES | YEARS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issenheim | 68 | 47.900 | 7.267 | 1954 | |||
[Ref. cvn1:] CHRISTIAN VALENTIN:
Journalist Christian Valentin reports that on Monday, October 18, 1954, at 4 o'clock in the morning, a young man from Rouffach going to his work had seen a spherical object to the metal reflections, close to Issenheim, that had a diameter from 5 to 6 m, and hovered 1 m above ground-level.
Seized with panic, the young man pedaled away at full speed to his workplace where he told of his strange adventure.
The same object was seen half an hour afterwards by 5 inhabitants of Bergholtz, whereas it flew away at a vertiginous speed.
[Ref. bph1:] "BUHL - PAGE D'HISTOIRE":
[...]
Source: "L'Alsace" from October 1st to December 31, 1954
[...]
On October 20:
[...]
In addition, a young man of Rouffach, Mr. Lucien Flesch, claims to have seen, whereas he went to his work and was passing near Issenheim, a spherical object with metallic reflections. This object, which had a diameter of approximately 5 to 6 m, seemed to have stopped at 1 meter above the ground.
Seized by terror in front of this appearance at the very least strange, the young man pedalled at full speed and joined his workplace in Guebwiller, where he gave the account of his curious adventure to his comrades.
In addition, 5 inhabitants of Bergholtz who went to their work had also seen this sphere, whereas it raised in the airs. Mr. Flesch, wanting to check if this mysterious machine had left some trace reconsidered the spot but however found nothing in particular there.
[Ref. djn1:] DONALD JOHNSON:
On this Day
October 20
[...]
1954 - Lucien Fisch saw an object land near Route N83 in Issenheim, France. It was luminous. (Source: Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia: A Century of Landings, p. 234).
[...]
[Ref. jbu1:] JEROME BEAU:
Wednesday, October 20, 1954
[...]
In Issenheim (France), Lucien Fisch sees 1 luminous object land near route N83.
[...]
Jérôme Beau indicates as sources: "Quincy" and "Paris-Presse, 22 octobre 1954".
[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN:
Luc Chastan indicates that in the Haut Rhin in Issenheim on October 18, 1954 at 04:30 hours "a young witness rides by motocyclette on the N83, between Rouffach and Guebwiller. At the northern entry of Issenheim, he sees in a field within 100 meters of the road, an object from 5 to 6 meters in length and one meter high, posed, having the color of aluminium and shining in the moonlight."
"One hour later, towards 5:30, five inhabitants of Berghoitz [Bergholtz] going to their work were said to have seen the departure of the machine at a vertiginous speed."
The source is indicated as "Ovni, Premier dossier complet... by Figuet M./ Ruchon J.L. ** éd. Alain Lefeuvre 1979".
[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on 18 October 1954 at 04:00 in the north of Issenheim, France, "UFO lands near N83 Highway. At 0530 hours 5 witnesses see it take off at very high speed."
The website adds: "An object was sighted that had an appearance and performance beyond the capability of known earthly aircraft. One multi-colored object was observed by five witnesses on a highway for 90 minutes."
The source is indicated as "Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002".
[Ref. rre1:] RAOUL ROBE:
In the article on an Alsatian alleged sighting, that of Merxheim, the author shows a series of other "known UFO sightings around" that location, including:
ISSENHEIM - 10/20/54 at 3,200 km S-W-W [from Merxheim] quasi-landing
[Ref. isu1:] "ISUNDGAU" BLOG:
That blog presents several cases in Alsace they fished on the web, including this one:
Ufologist Charles Garreau and the journalist Raymond Lavier report in their book that on October 20, 1954, in Issenheim in the Haut-Rhin, according to newspaper clippings and personal files, Mr. Lucien F. made the following encounter:
He was going to work at moped and was on the National Road 83 between Issenheim and Rouffach, it was still dark.
There he saw a luminous craft arrive at high speed and land in a field. He was scared and rather than waiting to see what would happen, he went full throttle and left.
There is no source reference for this case, cited among other cases. There is simply, at the end of the article, a series of links to several ufology websites and web pages, including a link to the old URL of the home page of my own website.
[Ref. cvn2:] CHRISTIAN VALENTIN:
Former journalist Christian Valentin published in 2012 a very interesting book telling the story of UFO sightings, flying saucers sightings, in Alsace, from the beginning to 1980.
In this book, he reports that the sighting on Monday, October 18, 1954, at 4:00 a.m. in Issenheim in the Haut-Rhin, was first published on October 20, 1954, in two different newspapers: Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace (DNA) of Colmar on page 2 of the biligual issue, who covered the Bas-Rhin, and its counterpart Les Dernières Nouvelles du Haut-Rhin (DNHR).
He indicates DNHR published this article:
Monday morning at 4 o'clock, Lucien Flesch, a 19-year-old young man living in Rouffach, had a very special experience near Issenheim.
According to his statements he found himself facing a flying saucer, just before crossing the Issenheim entry. It was at a few hundred meters from the road, had a diameter of 5 to 6 meters, a height of 1 meter, and emitted no light. He did not think of approaching the mysterious object, but he insists that the saucer shone under the glare of the moon like aluminum and had the shape of a bell.
However no landing trace was found at the indicated location.
He then provides the article in Les DernièRes Nouvelles d'Alsace for Wednesday, 20 October 1954, French-speaking issue of Strasbourg, on page 2:
A young man who works in Guebwiller, mister Lucien Flesch, claims to have seen Monday morning around 4 a.m. by going to his workplace in Rouffach, a flying saucer posed on a field at 100 m from the national road, at the North entry of Issenheim. The object would have seemed to him 5 to 6 m long, one meter high and it shone in the moonlight as if it were made of aluminum. An hour and a half later the same object was reportedly seen by residents of Bergholtz going to work. The same witnessed the taking off of the saucer at breakneck speed.
And then the article in Les Dernières Nouvelles du Haut-Rhin for Wednesday, 20 October 7954, bilingual edition of Colmar:
A 19-year-old young man of Rouffach, Lucien Flesch, lived Monday at 4 a.m. a strange experience near Issenheim. It is half-paralyzed by fear he had shortly after shown at his workplace at the SCHLUMBERGER factory in Mulhouse, and told in a quavering voice how he found himself in the presence of a flying saucer little before the crossing at the entry of Issenheim. It is at a few hundred meters from the road that he noticed a metallic craft 5 to 6 m long and one meter high. No light came from the apparatus. He did not come to the mind of Mr. Flesch to approach more of the mysterious craft because, as he says, one does not know what lies behind. He said that the thing shone like aluminum under the glow of the moon, and it seemed to have the shape of a bell. He is, however, not entirely sure, because saw the craft only aside. As Mr. Flesch claims, an hour and a half later, five people from Bergholtz who were going to work reportedly saw the thing in the same place and attended its takeoff at high speed. Curious to know whether there were still traces at the place where the celestial body appeared to him, Mr. Flesh returned on the spot, without finding anything like that.
He comments that DNA released the information in two distinct versions according to the issues, the bodies of articles providing in a different writing a consistent description of the phenomenon. He however notes the fundamentally different titles and the omission of witnesses of the takeoff in the Colmar issue.
He indicates the DNHR article published the same day is factual and identical to that of DNA, although more detailed, including some psychological details. He notes that it is suggested that the additional testimony of five residents of Bergholtz was reported second-hand.
In its October 21 issue, the newspaper L'Alsace (below, French-speaking issue of Thursday, October 21, 1954, on page 5) seems a priori to rather settle for a brief transcript of the information of the previous day by the other newspapers, but this impression is offset by two original features: first the 1 m height measure no longer refers to the size of the object, but the object height above the ground, and then we learn that the young man had been cycling.
A young man of Rouffach, Mr. Lucien Flesch, affirms to have seen, while he was going to his work and that he passed near Issenheim, a spherical object, with metallic reflections. This object, which had a diameter of approximately 5 or 6 meters, seemed to be stopped one meter above the ground.
Terrified in front of this at the very least strange appearance, the young man pedalledat full speed and reached his workplace in Guebwiller, where he told his colleagues about his weird adventure.
In addition, 6e residents of Bergholtz who went to their work, also reprtedly saw this sphere, while it rose in the airs. Mr. Flesch, wanting to check whether this mysterious machine had left some trace, returned to the place, but however found nothing particular there.
Valentin says that the next Friday, October 22, the information was condensed and used in other French newspapers, with a transcription error in the name of the witness as "Flesch" changed to Fiesh. Valentin says this is an example "from the website of Patrick Gross" - my website - as an excerpt from the newspaper Centre Matin for OCtober 22, 1954:
"... Several testimonies were collected in Alsace. One witness, Lucien Fiesch, saw near Issenheim a spherical machine about 6 m in diameter, which was stationed at 1 meter from the ground. Frightened, Mr. Fiesch departed and returned to his workplace."
Valentin then says that later, in the 1970s, the sighting was published in various ufology books such as on page 309 of the "Chroniques des Apparitions Extraterrestres" by Jacques Vallée, published by EP / Denoel, 1972:
October 20, 1954. Issenheim. France
Lucien Fisch saw an object that landed near the national road 83. It was luminous. (Quincy, page 75)
He notes that the facts lost their original meaning, and it illustrates the reductions of the observations as time goes by. The information loses its representativeness with the errors and results in this example to a description opposite to what happened.
He notes that in this case the ground observation of a non luminous object shining in the moonlights is changed to the landing of a luminous object.
The name of the witness and the date assigned to the observation by J. Vallée are inaccurate. It is likely that Vallée or its source (an unpublished catalog by Mr. Guy Quincy), gave the date of publication.
Valentin then gives this other example: a few years later, in 1975, in Mame publisher's "Face aux Extraterrestres" by Charles Garreau and Raymond Lavier, the sighting is on page 28:
"The second landing was observed on October 20, 1954, near Issenheim in the Haut-Rhin. References: Newspapers clipping, personal file. Moped rider, Lucien Fisch, who goes to work while it is still night, is following the RN 83 between Issenheim and Rouffach and sees a bright craft arrive at high speed and land in a field. Frightened, Lucien Fisch does not seek to know the sequence of events: he puts on full throttle..."
Again, Valentin notes, we end up with the phenomenon in an inverted sequence, and incorrect date and with voluntary blurry references and emphasis clearly focused on the dramatization rather than facts.
Valentin then concludes "this tedious enumeration" by citing a last example from the voluminous book by Michel Figuet and Jean-Louis Ruchon published in 1979 by Editions Alain Lefeuvre with the title "OVNI: le premier dossier des rencontres rapprochées en France." The Issenheim observation is therein summarized in a synthesis of different sources. However, the authors did put the event at its correcte date, but did not do the same for the name of witness. References are provided, although in chronological disorder.
10/18/1954 - Around 4 a.m. and 5.30 a.m. Issenheim N83 - 68870 68930 Bergholtz C4 C4. WITNESSES: Mr. Lucien Fisch and 5 residents of Bergholtz.
OBSERVATION: A craft 5 to 6 m long and 1 meter high, shining like aluminum, posed on the ground.
STORY: The young witness drives a moped on the RN 83 between Rouffach and Guebwiller. At the northern entrance of Issenheim he sees in a field 100 m from the road, a posed object with the color of the aluminum and shining in the moonlight.
An hour later, at 5:30 a.m., five people of Bergholtz going to their work ssaw the departure of the craft at breakneck speed.
NOTE: The incident took place on a Monday, so the 18th and not 20th as erroneously stated in J. Vallée's catalogue.
SOURCES : Catalogue Vallée: Case 290 - C. Garreau and R. Lavier in Face aux Extraterestres, p. 28. Dernireès Nouvelles d'Alsace for 10/20/1954. Quincy. Paris-Presse ofr 10/22/1954.
Valentin then explain that to his great regret, a telephone investigation he conducted in the end of 2008 among phone subscribers of Rouffach and its surroundings failed to find any of the witnesses.
[Ref. nip1:] "THE NICAP WEBSITE":
*Oct. 20, 1954 - Lucien Fisch saw an object land near Route N83 in Issenheim, Haut-Rhin, France. It was luminous. (Source: Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia: A Century of Landings, p. 234, case 290).
[Ref. spa1:] SPICA UFOLOGY GROUP:
| City | Date and hour of observation | General shape Identification |
General color Hypothesis |
Conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISSENHEIM | Monday 18 October 1954 at 04h30 | information not communicated Unidentified |
grey or metallic None |
Unsolved -lack of info |
[Ref. ubk1:] "UFO-DATENBANK":
This database recorded the case five times:
| Case Nr. | New case Nr. | Investigator | Date of observation | Zip | Place of observation | Country of observation | Hour of observation | Classification | Comments | Identification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19541020 | 20.10.1954 | Issenheim | France | |||||||
| 19541020 | 20.10.1954 | Issenheim | France | |||||||
| 19541020 | 20.10.1954 | Issenheim | France | |||||||
| 19541020 | 20.10.1954 | Issenheim | France | CE I | ||||||
| 19541020 | 20.10.1954 | Issenheim | France | CE II |
[Ref. prn2:] PETER ROGERSON - "INTCAT":
October 18 1954. 0430hrs.
ISSENHEIM (HAUT RHIN : FRANCE)
Lucien Flesch from Colmar was cycling to work, when he encountered, near Issenheim, a metallic sphere 5-6m in diameter, 1m above the ground. Afraid he cycled on to Mulhouse, where he reported the matter. He later returned to the site but no traces could be found. 5 people from Bergholtz had seen a similar sphere in the sky when they were on the way to work
Gross 1954. citing L'Alsace 21 October 1954. + Figuet and Ruchon 1979 p184 : : Vallee case 290 citing Quincy 1961 + Paris Presse 22 October 1954. incorrectly dates to 20th)
Note: "Gross 1954" is suppoed to indicate my web page on the case; no link was provided, and my page was certainly not just citing "L'Alsace 21 October 1954. + Figuet and Ruchon 1979 p184".
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The witness, riding from Rouffach to Guebwiller, a journey of about 10 km by road, was on National Road 83, or its part entering Issenheim from the North while the current "D83" bypasses the village by the East:
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For this time, we can eliminate the moon, since the witness sees its reflections on the object. But was the Moon at least there, visible? Otherwise, we would have a proof of false testimony.
Yes, the moon was at 129°, the south-east, thus on the left of the witness, and at an elevation of 55°, from which it could actually reflect on the object.
The location is described with almost good accuracy. The witness comes from Rouffach and is on the road entering Issenheim in the north, before the "crossing" which is now a roundabout. In 1954, the national road 83 actually entered Issenheim, which was later bypassed by the east by a new route of the RN 83.
My guess is that the witness was probably at the red dot, maybe further back or forward on the road. The posed "saucer" would have been about 100 meters on his left if it is considered that he had at the same time seen the moon, since he indicated it reflected on the "craft", and this presumably presupposes that the moon was about the same visual direction, and it was indeed on his left. I would put the "saucer" in the blue dot.
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As a result, the saucer could have been on the "route de Merxheim". And it is then possible that the bell-shaped craft of metallic appearance was a car stopped there. The witness, I recall, neither sees the "saucer" land nor take off nor move. A car may have a metallic appearance, may well reflect the moon, and seen from the side as the witness specifies, it can be compatible with the bell-shape he evokes. There is actually a place on the route de Merxheim at this level where it would be logical to park, a crossing with a path leading to the road where the witness would have been.
The dimensions he gave, from 5 to 6 meters long by 1 meter in height, cannot be totally reliable because stereoscopic vision allowing an estimation of an object in these orders of magnitude is reliable only withinn 50 meters, it is no longer reliable at 100 meters, especially at night and for an unrecognized object.
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This could have been a Renault Frégate for example, which existed with metallic-looking paint on upper parts, and less visible black paint on the lower parts of the sides (photo above).
Of course, if the witness said the truth when he told there were other witnesses who would have seen the thing take off 1:30 later, that it was the same thing, such an explanation would not hold. But no one has indicated any attempt to verify the existence of these other witnesses, except Christian Valentin who failed to find even one of them.
So I do not have a bulletproof ordinary explanation, but I have a possibility that seems to me neither absurd nor negligible.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Issenheim, Haut-Rhin, Bergholtz, multiple, Lucien Flesch, Lucien Fisch, Lucien Fish, Lucien Fisch, bicycle, road, object, sphere, metallic, landing, reflections, fear
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | April 13, 2003 | First published. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | March 24, 2009 | Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Additions [jbu1], [djn1], [uda1]. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | June 6, 2009 | Additions [goe1], [lcn1]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | May 27, 2010 | Addition [lae1]. |
| 1.3 | Patrick Gross | June 30, 2010 | Addition [jve5]. |
| 1.4 | Patrick Gross | February 20, 2014 | Addition [rre1]. |
| 1.5 | Patrick Gross | October 25, 2014 | Addition [nip1]. |
| 1.6 | Patrick Gross | November 15, 2014 | Additions [dna1], [cvn2]. |
| 1.7 | Patrick Gross | May 12, 2015 | Addition [spa1], [ubk1]. |
| 1.8 | Patrick Gross | March 28, 2017 | Additions [dn2], [dh1], [cvn2], Summary. Explanations changed, were "Not looked for yet." |
| 1.9 | Patrick Gross | February 14, 2018 | Addition [isu1]. |
| 2.0 | Patrick Gross | January 8, 2019 | Additions [prn1], [mft1], [mft3], [lhh1], [prn2]. |
| 2.1 | Patrick Gross | October 31, 2019 | Addition [mft1]. |
| 2.2 | Patrick Gross | January 2, 2020 | Addition [ppe1]. |
| 2.3 | Patrick Gross | February 28, 2020 | Addition [nnm1]. |
| 2.4 | Patrick Gross | June 8, 2020 | Addition [nll1]. |
| 2.5 | Patrick Gross | November 18, 2021 | Addition [gqy1]. |
| 2.6 | Patrick Gross | May 10, 2022 | Addition [gqy2]. |
