The 1954 French flap:

FLYING CIGARS AND OTHER MYSTERIOUS MACHINES IN THE FRENCH SKY

LODEVE. -- The mysterious machine commonly called "flying Cigar", reported in the Puy de Dôme and the sky of Rome was seen Saturday, September 18 at 7 p.m. very precisely, by three residents worthy of faith of Lodève, in the North of the department of Hérault, as it moved at 1.500 meters of altitude approximately. The object was goings towards the South.

The witnesses were able to observe during nearly five minutes a pointed front, towing a brightly lit sphere of fire red color and moving without noise roughly at the speed of an ordinary plane.

On their side, returning from a patrol during the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, two gendarmes of Chateauroux, Misters Courtaud and Péninon stated to their chief that they had seen between 9:15 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. above la Fleuranderie, commune of Montlerchaume (Indre), a luminous machine immobilized in the sky, at a height of approximately 1.500 meters, then two others of greenish color at a greater altitude. The three mysterious objects, after having veered at right angle, reportedly took the direction of the North-West, South-east.

Mr. Louis Moll, guard-pastoral in Oberdorf (the Moselle), stated to have seen, Sunday, around 9:15 p.m., an intense gleam coming from space and touching the ground in the east of Tromborn.

This gleam, similar to that of a neon tube, the guard added, and coming from an object of rather vaste proportions, changed color. It became reddish and Mr. Moll claims to have seen "black spots" moving silently.

The object, motionless during nearly 40 seconds, started to rotate and carried out an almost vertical rise, taking the aspect of an orange ball and being flattened before disappearing at a vertiginous speed, in the south-eastern direction. The total duration of the phenomenon was one minute approximately.

The authorities who recorded this declaration, opened an investigation.

A "flying cigar" above Banyuls-sur-Mer?

PERPIGNAN. -- In the night from Wednesday to Thursday, three young boys from 16 to 17 years old, who walked on the pier of the Banyuls-sur-Mer harbor (East. Pyr.) saw in the sky a flying object going at high speed and from which red and green flames seemed to leave.

A little frightened, the boys went to tell their adventure to various consumers who were at the terrace of a coffee shop. But those searched the sky in vain they did not see any trace of the mysterious machine.

SAUCERS AND CIGARS CLOG IN THE SKY

... and cause a traffic jam in England

Cigars, orange balls, green discs, phosphorescent globes: since Sunday, it's been a continuous parade of flying saucers of all models. You can see them everywhere: in the East, in the West, in Lorraine, in the Parisian suburbs, in England. Actress Michèle Morgan believes she saw two of them the other night above the Invalides.

Do they take off from Mars or do they come out fully armed with the imagination of spectators obsessed with tales of anticipation and the revelations of "skeptical" journalists? We still don't know. But we hesitate to qualify as jokers those who report these "apparitions" when among them are - this is the case near Châteauroux - two gendarmes in uniform and in the exercise of their functions.

The two gendarmes, MM. Courtaud and Peninon, were on patrol the other night in Montierchaume, when they saw a luminous machine immobilized in the sky, then two others of greenish color, at an altitude of about 1,500 meters.

A country keeper, M. Louis Moll, from Obersdorf [sic] (Moselle) also assures us that he saw Sunday in the sky "a weird thing" that arose near the village of Tromborn.

- The craft, he said, looked a bit like a small bus. It then took on the appearance of an orange ball.

It is also a phosphorescent ball, but red this times and followed by a luminous trail, that a butcher of Saint-Fargeau, Mr. Rabot, saw yesterday evening around 8 a.m. near Ponthierry, a few kilometers from Melun.

Mr. Rabot thought he was seeing things and fled to find his neighbor, Mr. Binet, who came out with his wife. Both saw the saucer like him, as it continued to move for a few minutes.

In the Hérault, it is a flying cigar "towing" a fiery red gobe, that three residents of Lodève saw the other evening.

It was also seen yesterday, in the Vendée, by about thirty people, in Sigournais and Saint-Prouant. It was purple blue and shaped like a carrot... "topped of a sort of disc".

An industrialist of Origny-en-Tiérache (Aisne), Mr. Chovel, said today that he also saw, the other night, an orange disc which moved a hundred meters above the trees, at a dizzying pace.

Traffic jam

There will soon be a cigars and saucers traffic jam in the sky. Meanwhile, traffic was interrupted yesterday for an hour in Blackpool (England) by onlookers who contemplated a "round white object" swaying in the sky... and which, according to the authorities of the nearby aerodrome, may just be a simple weather balloon.

"FLYING CIGAR"
AND OTHER OBJECTS...

Lodève, 23. -- The mysterious craft commonly called "flying cigar" reported in Puy-de-Dôme and in the sky of Rome was seen Saturday September 18, at 6 p.m. very precise by three trustworthy inhabitants of Lodève, in the north of the Hérault department, when it was operating at around 1,500 meters of altitude. The object was heading south.

Witnesses were able to observe a tapered bow for almost five minutes, towing a brightly lit fire-red globe and moving silently at approximately the speed of an ordinary plane.

- o-

Châteauroux, 23. -- Returning from tour during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, two gendarmes from Châteauroux, MM. Courtaud and Peninon declared to their chief to have seen, between 9:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m., above La Fleuranderie, commune of Montierchaume (Indre), a luminous machine immobilized in the sky at a height of about 1,500 meters, then two others of greenish color at a greater altitude. The three mysterious objects, after having veered at right angles would have taken the direction North-West, South-East.

- o-

Nancy, 23. -- Mr. Louis Moll, country guard in Oberdorf (Moselle), said he saw, Sunday at around 9:15 p.m., an intense gleam coming from space and touching ground east of Tromborn.

This glow, like that of a neon tube, added the guard, and coming from an object of fairly large proportions, changed color. It became reddish and Mr. Moll claims to have seen "black dots" move silently.

The object, motionless for almost 40 seconds, started to rotate and made an almost vertical ascent, taking the appearance of an orange ball and flattening before disappearing at a dizzying speed, in the South-East direction. The total duration of the phenomenon was approximately one minute.

The authorities that recorded this statement have opened an investigation.

... in the sky of France

RECRUDESCENCE
OF SAUCERS
in the sky of France
and also of the Oise

[Photo caption:] Mrs. Masse and her husband show us the direction in which they saw moving a luminous object.

It is now in groups that the "flying saucers" are spotted in the skies of France - in the Oise in particular - and sometimes even, witnesses declared to have seen them moving in the company of a newcomer in the fantastic aerial flotilla: the "flying cigar", already reported in the Puy-de-Dôme and the skies of Rome.

In the department it is the same day, ie Tuesday, that these strange craft were reported.

In Villers-sur-Coudun...

In Villers-sur-Coudun, a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Lucien Masse, both aged 65, declare having seen that day, at 10 p.m., a luminous shape similar to a large cigar which moved vertically and horizontally in the sky. The phenomenon having already occurred, they say, the day before at the same hour, Mr. Masse, a former shoemaker, who had attended it the first time alone, was able, during the second appearance, to call his wife and son, who confirmed having also seen the craft. In both cases, these witnesses specify, the cigar moved 15 minutes west of their point of observation. It had they say "a brightness stronger than the stars and reached

Continued on page 10

SAUCERS
RUFFLES

Continuation of our 1^st page

twice the size of the largest of the latter.

... and in Compiègne

In Compiègne, it is also two days in a row that the celestial craft appeared, according to the witness.

This is Mr. Perez, 30, an employee of the Englebert factories in Clairvoix, who said he saw Tuesday from 8:15 p.m. to about 9:00 p.m., and Wednesday at 9:15 p.m., two luminous balls, one orange and one, smaller, green. The behavior of these objects, adds Mr. Perez, who lives in Compiègne, however, varied from one day to the next.

On Tuesday, the balls remained motionless and at a short distance from each other, while the next day they varied in luminous intensity: the green one slowly died out and the orange one became brighter. Both extinguished and did not show up anymore as soon as a plane buzzed in the sky, Perez adds.

Previously the balls, which were located substantially to the south of the Compiègne witness' observation spot, seemed, he said, very far from each other and seemed to move at a great altitude.

Finally, the three other appearances took place respectively in Lodeve, north of the Hérault department, at La Fleuranderie, in the Indre, and in Oberdorf (Moselle).

A flying cigar

In the first case, it was three trustworthy inhabitants of Lodeve who declared to have seen a flying cigar on Saturday at 7 p.m. which, moving at about 1,500 meters, was heading south. Witnesses were able, they say, to observe for nearly five minutes the cigar, which towed a red globe and moved silently at the speed of an airplane.

Finally, in Oberdorf, it is a rural policeman, Mr. Louis Moll, who claimed to have seen Sunday, around 9:15 p.m., "an intense glow coming from space and touching earth in the east."

This glow, the guard added, was similar to that of a neon tube and came from an object of rather vast proportions. It changed color and became reddish.

After 40 seconds of immobility, the object started to spin and take on the appearance of an orange ball, disappeared at breakneck speed in a southeast direction, concluded Mr. Moll.

Saucers and cigars multiply in the sky of France

MP calls for official investigation

After the astonishing observations which excited and intrigued last week, more than a thousand Rome residents, in the course of the last forty-eight hours, many Frenchmen, in various regions, witnessed these phenomena in their turn.

It is confirmed once more (and this is the essence of this great mystery) that the reports match as to the strange evolutions of these unknown devices. Once again, too, the thesis of hallucination is hardly admissible. General perplexity is a fact on which everyone agrees, while "saucers" and "antisaucerists" will find there an exciting and inexhaustible conversation topic.

Michèle Morgan and an old gentleman saw "something" on the Esplanade des Invalides

The beautiful French movie star, Michèle Morgan, witnessed while passing on the Esplanade des Invalides a celestial phenomenon about which she stated:

"I'm sure it was not the lights of the Eiffel tower or the lights of an airplane, for I saw the craft going up vertically. An old gentleman, who was near me, and who had also noticed the phenomenon, ran away.

Her friends gently teased her by reminding her that she had played the part of Joan of Arc. But the star persisted in confirming what she had seen.

A ball of fire in the Seine-et-Marne

Until now, flying saucers had never been seen in the Seine-et-Marne. Everything happens, since, on Wednesday, around 8:30 p.m, two residents of Saint-Fargeau witnessed the moves of a ball of fire. These persons are worthy of faith, it is the appariteur Mr. Binet, and Mr. Ravot, butcher.

The latter was returning from Ponthierry when he saw through the windscreen of his car, just before him, a ball of fire moving in the sky.

"I was so surprised," he said, "that I stopped my car, I went out and followed the machine with my eyes for a few minutes. It moved horizontally, sometimes to the right, sometimes to the left, then disappearing in the clouds. It appeared four times, and I noticed in its back a small trail of light, not very long."

Back home, Mr. Ravot could not resist the desire of calling his neighbor, Mr. Binet. The two men inspected the sky, but in vain. Suddenly the butcher's little girl uttered an exclamation. The ball of fire had made a new appearance. Mrrs. Binet and Ravot saw it clearly. It paused for a few seconds before disappearing into the clouds.

Let us repeat this testimony of one of our readers, Mrs. Gamundi, living on 192 avenue Jean Jaurès, Paris. The day before yesterday, she was driving by car between Fontainebleau and Essonne, and for half an hour she watched a motionless luminous ball surrounded by a kind of smoke, from which other luminous balls were falling. The ball shifted suddenly and rose at high speed.

At the moment when returning from [...]

[...] cigar shape surrounded by a kind of purple blue steam.

- Another cigar, matching the characteristics of the one observed in Rome, was seen by three people from Lodève (the Herault). The craft seemed to tow a shining globe at a speed of 1,500 km per hour.

As of Dr. Mercier, of Le Puy, he declared that he had observed, twice above the town, a silent round, brilliant object, which moved from south to north at a very high altitude. This machine would also have been seen by several farmers around Le Puy.

- In the Puy-de-Dôme, new witnesses of the phenomenon became known. The craft had a red color. It was a very elongated cigar which, and this is the first time that this particularity is reported, flew sideways. It was absolutely clear, without trail, and seemed to fly very high.

The other night, around 11 p.m., three young boys aged 16 to 17, who were walking on the jetty of the harbor of Banyuls-sur-Mer (PO), saw in the sky an oblong object moving at high speed and from which seemed to come out red and green flames. A little frightened, the boys went to tell their story to various consumers who were on the terrace of a coffee shop, but thee latter watched the sky and saw no trace of the mysterious machine.

Mr. de Léotard asks the Ministry of the Air for an official investigation

Mr. de Léotard, MP of the Seine, in a written question, explained to the Secretary of State for the Armed Forces (Air) that recent testimonies relating to "flying saucers" and "flying cigars" are intriguing the public opinion, if not to worrying it, he asks:

(1) If instructions have been given for these phenomena to be systematically and scientifically observed;

(2) If these "saucers" or "cigars" could not be hunted for better observation so that the public would know exactly if come collective autosuggestion has to be dissipated or whether it is necessary to consider these phenomena to the point of view of security and national defense.

FLYING SAUCERS (continued)

Two gendarmes and a rural guard saw in their turn mysterious machines

Lodève, 23 September. -- A mysterious "flying cigar" reported in the Puy-de-Dôme and in the sky of Rome was seen Saturday, September 18 at 7 p.m. by three credible residents of Lodève, north of the department of the Hérault, as it moved at 1,500 meters of altitude approximately. The object was heading south.

The witnesses were able to observe it for nearly five minutes a tapered front, towing a globe brightly lit, fire red and moving noiselessly at the speed of an ordinary plane.

Châteauroux. -- Returning from a patrol during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, two gendarmes of Chateauroux told their leader that they saw, between 9:15 p.m. and 09:45 p.m., a luminous device immobilized in the sky at a height of about 1,500 meters, then two others of greenish color at a higher altitude. The three mysterious objects, after turning at right angles, would have taken the north-west, south-east direction.

Nancy. -- Mr. Louis Moll, a rural guard in Oberdorf (Moselle), said he saw Sunday around 9:15 p.m., an intense glow coming from space and touching earth, east of Tromborn.

This glow, similar to that of a neon tube, added the guard, and coming from an object of rather large proportions, changed color. It became reddish and Mr. Moll said he saw "black spots" move silently.

The object, motionless for nearly 40 seconds, rotated and ascended almost vertically, taking on the appearance of an orange colored and flat ball before disappearing at a dizzying speed in the south-east direction. The total duration of the phenomenon was about one minute. The authorities, which have recorded this statement, opened an investigation.

The "flying cigar" section
and other objects in the sky of France

Lodève, September 23. -- The mysterious craft commonly called "flying cigar" reported in the Puy-de-Dôme and in the sky of Rome was seen on Saturday, September 18, - 7 p.m., very precisely - by three trustworthy inhabitants of Lodève, in the north of the Hérault department, when it was operating at an altitude of around 1,500 meters. The object was heading south.

Witnesses were able to observe a tapered bow for almost five minutes, towing a brilliantly lit fiery-red globe and moving noiselessly at about the speed of an ordinary airplane.

***

Châteauroux, September 23. -- Returning from tour during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, two gendarmes from Chateauroux, MM. Courtaud and Péninon declared to their chief to have seen between 9:15 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. above La Fleuranderie, commune of Montierchaume (Indre), a luminous craft immobilized in the sky, at a height of approximately 1,500 meters, then two others of greenish color at a greater altitude. The three mysterious objects, after having turned at right angles, would have taken the direction northwest, southeast.

***

Nancy, September 23. -- Mr. Louis Moll, country guard in Oberdorf (Moselle), said he saw on Sunday around 9:15 p.m., an intense glow coming from space and touching the ground east of Tromborn.

This glow, like that of a neon tube, added the guard, and coming from an object of fairly large proportions, changed color. It became reddish and Mr. Moll claims to have seen "black dots" moving silently.

The object, motionless for almost 40 seconds, started to rotate and made an almost vertical ascent, taking the appearance of an orange ball and flattening before disappearing at a dizzying speed, in the southeast direction. The total duration of the phenomenon was approximately one minute.

The authorities that recorded this statement have opened an investigation.

"Flying cigar"
and other objects
in the sky of France

The mysterious craft commonly known as a "flying cigar", reported in the Puy-de-Dôme and in the sky of Rome, was seen on Saturday, September 18, at 7 p.m. very precisely, by three trustworthy residents of Lodève, in the north of the department of Hérault, while it was moving approximately 1,500 meters high. The object was heading south.

The witnesses were able to observe for almost five minutes, a tapered front, towing a brilliant globe lit with red fire and moving silently at approximately the speed of an ordinary plane.

Also, two gendarmes from Châteauroux, said they saw between 9:15 p.m. and 9:45 p.m., above the commune of Montierchaume (Indre) a luminous craft, immobilized in the sky at a height of approximately 1,500 meters, then two others of greenish color.

Finally, the country guard in Oberdorf (Moselle) said he saw Sunday around 9 p.m. an intense gleam coming from space and touching earth east of Tromborn (Moselle).

Will the "flying saucers'
file be opened?

The file on flying saucers was considerably enriched in a few days. Since the appearance of the "flying cigar" in the sky of Rome, which moreover gives rise to an official investigation, many witnesses, reliable, have made concordant accounts on identical observations which they made a little everywhere above French territory.

The famous actress Michèle Morgan, herself, noticed above the Esplanade des Invalides two "luminous globes" of which she claims that they were neither an optical illusion nor a known type of craft.

In a written question to the Secretary of State for the Armed Forces, Mr. de Léotard, deputy for the Seine, requests that a scientific investigation be opened and that the public be informed.

"Flying bus"
in the Moselle

At 9:15 p.m., Sunday evening, Mr. Louis Moll, country guard at Oberdorff (Moselle), saw, he says, a mysterious craft landing in the neighboring village of Tromborn:

"It was, he said, the shape of a small bus. For 40 seconds, watch in hand, I observed it when it had just landed, I thought I saw black dots move inside the craft, which was lit. Then the "bus" rose vertically without noise and disappeared.

Saucers
in the Seine-et-Marne
in the Indre
and in the Hérault

Wednesday, around 8 p.m. a butcher of Ponthierry (S.-et-M.), Mr. Rabot, was driving by car on the national road n° 7, when he saw a craft of spherical shape, luminous, from where escaped also bright smoke.

Mr. Rabot stopped in front of the house of Ponthierry's trainer, who went out with his wife. For long minutes, the trio observed the craft, which made back and forth movements, then disappeared in the clouds at full speed. Mr. Rabot and the trainer are known in Ponthierry as very serious people.

Two gendarmes, MM. Courtaud and Peninon, returning from tour on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, said they saw in the sky, above the town of La Fleuranderie (Indre), a luminous craft immobilized at 1,500 meters of height approximately.

Finally, three residents of Lodève, perfectly trustworthy, claim to have seen a "flying cigar" above the city conform to the description of the one who moved on September 18 in the sky of Rome.

According to several witnesses...

Flying cigars, luminous machines and other mysterious apparatuses evolve in the sky of France...

Lodève, September 23. -- The mysterious apparatus, commonly called "flying cigar" reported in the Puy de Dôme and in the sky of Rome was seen last Saturday September 18 at 7 p.m. very precise by three residents worthy of faith of Lodève, in the north of the department of the Hérault whereas it evolved at 1.500 meters of altitude approximately. The object moved towards the south.

The witnesses managed to observe during nearly five minutes a pointed front, towing a brilliantly lit sphere enlightened in fire red and moving without noise roughly at the speed of an ordinary plane.

They were three

Returning from a patrol during the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, two gendarmes of Chateauroux, Misters Courtaud and Peninon stated to their chief to have seen between 09:15 p.m. and 09:45 p.m., above of Fleuranderie, community of Montierchaume (the Indre), a reddish luminous machine, immobilized in the sky at a height of approximately 1.500 meters; then two others of greenish color at greater altitudes. The three mysterious objects, after having veered at a right angle had taken the north-western to south-eastern direction.

Black dots

M. Louis Moll, rural officer in Oberdoff (the Moselle), stated to have seen Sunday around 09:15 p.m., an intense gleam coming from space and touching the ground in the east of Tromborn.

This gleam similar to that of a neon tube, added the guard, and coming from an object to the rather vast proportions, changed color. It became reddish and Mr. Moll affirms to have seen "black dots" evolving silently.

The object, motionless during nearly 40 seconds, was put in rotation and carried out an almost vertical rise, taking the aspect of an orange ball and becoming flattened before taking the direction of the south-east at a vertiginous speed. The total duration of the phenomenon was one minute approximately.

The authorities which recorded this statement opened an investigation.

FLYING SAUCER AND CIGARS
ARE STILL
SEEN IN FRANCE

MP asks written question to Secretary of State for Air

Several luminous or oddly shaped objects have still been seen in the skies of France in recent days, and everywhere the stories come from people known to be sensible and trustworthy. In front of the multiplicity of these testimonies, a deputy, Mr. de Léotard, asked a written question to the Secretary of State for the Armed Forces (Air), asking:

1° Wether instructions have been given so that these phenomena are systematically and scientifically observed;

2° If these "saucers" or "cigars" could not be hunted to be better observed, so that the public knows exactly if it is a matter of collective self-suggestion to dissipate, or if these phenomena should taken into consideration from the point of view of security and national defense.

THREE WITNESSES
IN THE HERAULT

The mysterious craft, commonly called flying cigar, reported in Puy-de-Dôme and in the skies of Rome, was seen on Saturday, September 18, at 7 p.m. very precisely, by three trustworthy residents of Lodève, in the north of the Hérault department, when it was operating at around 1,500 meters of height. The object was heading south.

The witnesses were able to observe for almost 5 minutes,

Continuation on the last page under the title: SAUCERS

Saucers

a tapered bow, towing a brilliantly lit fire-red globe and moving silently, approximately at the speed of an ordinary aircraft.

Mr. Louis Moll, country guard, in Oberdorf, (Moselle) stated that he saw on Sunday around 9:15 p.m., an intense glow coming from space and touching the ground east of Tromborn.

This glow, like that of a neon tube, added the guard, and coming from an object of fairly large proportions, changed color. It became reddish and Mr. Moll claims to have seen "black dots" move silently.

The object, motionless for almost 40 seconds, started to rotate and made an almost vertical ascent, taking the appearance of an orange ball and flattening before disappearing at a dizzying speed, in the southeast direction.

The authorities who recorded these statements have opened an investigation.

SO THAT THE PUBLIC MAKES UP THEIR MINDS

A member of parliament asks that the "flying cigars" are chased

Paris. -- The appearance of "flying saucers" and "flying cigars" intrigues the public opinion. This is at least what Mr. Léotard, deputy of the Seine thinks, whom has just asked on this matter a written question to the Secretary of State to the Armed Forces (Air).

The member of Parliament asks:

"1) Whether instructions were given so that these phenomena are systematically and scientifically observed;

"2) Whether these "saucers" or "cigars" could be chased to be better observed, so that the public knows exactly if it is a matter of collective autosuggestion to dissipate, or if it is necessary to take account of these phenomena, from the security and national defense point of view."

"Apparition" in the Hérault

Reported in the Puy-de-Dôme, the Allier, in Lorrain[e] and in the sky of Rome, the mysterious craft were also observed in the Hérault, Saturday, at 7 p.m., by three Lodève residents.

The witnesses were able to see, during five minutes, a fuselage towing a fire red shining illuminated sphere moving without noise, roughly at the speed of an ordinary plane.

The testimony of two gendarmes

In addition, returning from a round during the night, two gendarmes of Chateauroux, Misters Courtaud and Peninon, stated to their chief that they saw, between 09:15 p.m. and 09:45 p.m., above Lafleuranderie, a commune of Montierchaume (Indre), a luminous machine immobilized in the sky at an altitude of approximately 1.500 meters, plus two others of greenish color at a greater altitude. The three mysterious objects, after having veered at a right angle, reportedly took the north-western - south-east direction.

"Cigars" and other flying craft still move in the sky

PARIS. -- The mysterious machine commonly called "flying cigar" reported in the Puy-de-Dôme and in the sky of Rome was seen Saturday, September 18, at 7 p.m. very precisely, by three trustworthy residents of Lodève, north of the Hérault, as it moved around 1,500 m of altitude. The object was heading south.

The witnesses were able to observe for about 5 minutes a tapered front, towing a fiery red-lighted globe and moving approximately at the speed of a regular plane.

Seen by the gendarmes

Returning from a patrol during the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, two gendarmes of Châteauroux told their chief that they saw, between 09:15 p.m. and 09:45 p.m., above La Fleuranderie, municipality of Montierchaume (Indre), a luminous machine immobilized in the sky at a height of about 1,500 m., and two others of greenish color at a greater altitude. The three mysterious objects, after turning at right angles, would have taken the direction north-west, south-east.

And a country guard

Finally, Mr. Louis Moll, country guard in Oberdorf (Moselle), said he saw on Sunday at 09:15 p.m., an intense glow coming from space and touching land east of Tromborn.

This glow, similar to that of a neon tube, added the guard, and coming from an object of rather large proportions, changed color. It became reddish and Mr. Moll claims to have seen "black dots" move silently. The object, motionless for almost 40 seconds, started rotating and climbed almost vertically, looking like an orange ball and flattening before disappearing at a vertiginous speed, in the Southeast direction. The total duration of the phenomenon was about a minute.

AND NOW THE "FLYING BUS"

PARIS, Friday. -- A Rural Guard, M. Louis Moll, said yesterday he had seen a "flying bus" bedecked with "neon lights" descend from the night sky and land near the Lorraine village of Tromborn.

"A great light came down out of the sky. It had the form of a little bus and seemed to have neon tubes around it. There seemed to be little black objects moving around in the lighted machine. After 40 seconds it took off vertically and disappeared trailing orange jets. During all the time I heard no sound."

Another report in the recent series of stories of strange sights in the sky over France came from the town of Origny en Thierache in the north.

M. Robert Chovel, an industrialist, said he and two of his relatives "suddenly found ourselves looking at an enormous orange disc which seemed suspended a few hundred mètres above the trees."

He said it remained still for a time "then disappeared."

At Chateauroux two policemen said they saw a luminous machine hovering at an altitude of about 5000 feet then two other machines of a greenish color at a greater height.

In the Southern Department of Herault several witnesses reported seeing what appeared to be a "flying cigar" towing a fiery red ball at a high speed.

Michelle Morgan the actress claimed she saw two flying saucers over Les Invalides, in the centre or Paris.

A French Deputy has submitted a written question to the Secretary of State for Air asking whether the aerial phenomena are being studied so that the public can be told "what is going on". -- N.Z. P.A. - Reuter.

FLYING CIGARS IN THE FRENCH SKY

The mysterious craft, commonly called flying cigar, announced in Puy de Dôme and in the sky of Rome, was seen on Saturday September 18, at 07:00 P.M. very precisely, by three worthy of faith inhabitants of Lodève, in the north of the department of Hérault, whereas it evolved at 1500 meters altitude approximately. The object moved towards the south. The witnesses could observe it during nearly five minutes a tapered fuselage, towing a shiny lightened fire red sphere and moving without noise, roughly at the speed of an ordinary plane.

Two gendarmes saw it... And submitted a report with their chief.

On returning of a patrol during the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, two gendarmes of Chateauroux, Mr. Coutaud and Mr. Peninon, stated to their chief that they have seen, between 09:15 P.M. and 09:45 P.M., above Fleuranderie, village of Montierchaume (Indre), a luminous machine hovering still in the sky, at a height of approximately 1500 meters of altitude, then two others of greenish color at a greater altitude. The three mysterious objects, after having turned at a 90 degrees angle, are said to have taken the noth/west to south/east direction.

The forest service officer was there...

Mr. Louis Moll, rural officer in Oberdorf (the Moselle) stated that he saw, on Sunday around 09:15 P.M., an intense gleam coming from space and touching the ground in the east of Tromborn. This gleam was similar to that of a neon tube, he added, and coming from an object of quite vast proportions, and changed color. It became reddish and Mr. Moll claims to have seen black points evolving silently. The object, motionless during nearly 40 seconds, went into a rotation and carried out an almost vertical rise, taking the aspect of an orange ball and flattened before disappearing at a vertiginous speed in the south/east direction. The total duration of the phenomenon was one minute approximately.

What does Secretary of State for the Air think about it?

These evolutions of mysterious machine of which an increasing number people are or believe being the witnesses however start to intrigue the opinion. Therefore Mr. de Léonard, deputy for the Seine, has just asked the Secretary of State to the Air, in a written letter: 1) If orders were given so that these phenomena are systematically and scientifically studied; 2) If these saucers or cigars could not be chased so that they are better observed, so that the public knows exactly if it is a matter of collective autosuggestion to dissipate, or if it is necessary to take account of these phenomena with the point of view of safety and National Defense.

September 18 [1954]

07:00 p.m.: Lodève (Hérault)

1954 in the Hérault:

On September 18, three witnesses see a U.F.O. passing above the city of Lodève.