The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 1-oct-54-Croix-d'Epine.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
On October 1, 1954 at 07:50 p.m., in France, in the department of the Oise, Ernest Delattre, a mechanic, aged 19, was driving back to his home in Saint-Crépin-Ibouvilliers on his scooter.
He was coming from Méru and had largely exceeded Lormaison when he saw, at the vertical and in front of him, a luminous object resembling a star. He told that although it looked like a star, its glare was so strange that while driving, he kept surveying it.
He saw it going down quickly and changing color, finally taking a phosphorescent bluish gray color, then landing at approximately 200 meters in front of him, at some 15 meters on the left side of the road.
He continued his ride, and ten seconds later, he arrived at the height of the object, and saw that it was an ovoid shaped craft of approximately 5 meters height and 1.50 meters length. The object made no noise.
He became frightened because he then saw, just at the side of the object, two silhouettes looking like potato bags, without defined contour, high of about 80 centimeters, who came on the side of the road. He had the vague impression that there are others of them.
He then accelerated, and a little farther along, he looked back and saw the craft taking off and following him for about 15 meters, during a few seconds, then suddenly veer and move away.
The case was mentioned in the press, and ufologist Charles Garreau told that the Gendarmes made an investigation; which revealed that two other witnesses had observed the evolution of the weird craft at the same hour.
The regional newspaper L'Oise-Matin had reported the affair on October 4, 1954. On October 6, 1954, the same newspaper published a second article, recalling the affair, and indicating that they had gone to see the witness, and had inspected the beet field where the craft was said to have landed. They found debris there, which they eventually identified as the remains of a weather balloon parachute.
[Ref. lon1:] NEWSPAPER "L'OISE-MATIN":
|
News about "flying saucers" continues to flow with disconcerting regularity, both in our region and in the rest of France. In the first case, it is at the limits of the departments of Somme and Oise, between Vironchaux and Vron (Somme) that two farmers, MM. Condette and Devoisin, said they saw last Friday around 6:45 p.m., an "orange-colored craft in the shape of a beehive, stabilized nearly one meter above the ground".
Having, they say, approached about 40 meters from the mysterious apparatus, they believed to distinguish inside "beings measuring no more than 90 cm to 1 m. in height".
"We tried to get closer, concluded the witnesses, but at this moment the craft disappeared, rising vertically at a frightening speed and in total silence."
The gendarmerie opened an investigation.
The other reports of saucers across France are rife, including the bizarre account of a road mender of bridges and roads who worked, in the rain, along the Coulommiers-Meaux road, not far from the Quincy-Voisins airfield, Mr. Bernard Goujon, 30-year-old.
Mr. Goujon claimed to have seen in a field, to the left of the road, about 200 meters from him, at the foot of a grove of poplars, a strange oval-shaped craft, measuring about 3 meters in diameter, and a height of 250 m. It was, he said, resting on the ground using three fairly high crutches. Its upper part had a small translucent dome apparently made of plastic. The whole craft was, he said, of a shiny metal like aluminum.
Mr. Goujon said that he had wanted to approach the craft, but when he arrived at about 150 meters, he was seized with tingling as if an invisible electric beam was darting at him.
"I felt, he said, paralyzed, and my sight was slightly scrambled. I then saw the saucer rise very slowly, silently, like a "dead leaf", up to 25 meters from the ground. It stopped for a moment, then still silently and without any luminous trail, disappeared at high speed."
Traces of about 10 centimeters deep were noted on the ground, and Mr. Goujon's comrades also claimed to have seen the "saucer" rise into the sky.
Are they, once again, hallucinations or misinterpretationss with certain atmospheric phenomena? Still, since Friday evening, the population of the peaceful town of St-Crépin-Ibouvillers is literally upset by the story that has just been given to those around them and to one of our reporters, a young man from the locality, Mr. Eugène Delattre.
"It was exactly 7:50 p.m.," he said, "I was riding my motorcycle back home from Méru, where I work. Suddenly, a luminous mass similar to a shooting star caught my attention." The young motorcyclist further specifies: "I continued on my way nonetheless, when I arrived at the place called "La Croix d'Epine", between St-Crépin and Lormaison, the luminous mass swung vertically and landed about twenty meters from the road. No sooner had the craft landed that several small beings came out and headed for the road."
Mr. Delattre described this mysterious craft to us.
It appeared to be designed in two oval-shaped parts, superimposed 4 to 5 meters long. The interior appeared to be lit with a gray-blue light.
Mr. Delattre, in spite of his fright, would have clearly distinguished "two small beings", who, as he passed, remained motionless on the side of the road.
We must specify that at the same time this new flying saucer was seen by a resident of Lormaison, Mrs. Breton.
[Ref. lon2:] NEWSPAPER "L'OISE-MATIN":
|
Martians spend their weekend on earth. They are reported everywhere, from North to South, from the shores of the Ocean to the banks of the Rhine.
It is not about Martians, because according to our most learned astronomers neither Mars nor Venus can be inhabited. Mars is too cold and lacks oxygen. As for Venus, it is currently in the middle of the Carboniferous period, a bit like the Earth, some 300 million years ago.
The unknown beings, piloting the evil dishes, are Uranians, German professor Hermann Oberth, rocket specialist, recently revealed.
The whole world is lost in guesswork. There are the proponents of the thesis of craft coming from another planet. There are those who believe them to be earth-made, something like upgraded V2s. Finally, there are those who see it as the object of hallucinations.
We are looking for explanations: fireballs, false suns, false moons, refraction phenomena, comets, meteors, rockets. Nothing satisfactory. Nothing definitive.
The testimonies are numerous. Many are fragile. Some seemingly solid do not always stand up to observation or lack the precision that can guarantee their authenticity.
The enigma is complete, the file of the saucers remains open but the windows of the museum of unknown flying objects remain empty. Remained empty, because since yesterday two exhibits can take place there. Thanks to "L'Oise-Matin".
We reported on Monday the astounding testimony of a young resident of Saint-Crépin-Ibouvillers, a neighboring town of Méru. Let us briefly recall the facts.
It was 7 p.m. 30. Ernest Delattre, a young mechanic worker, was riding his motorcycle back to his home in Saint-Crépin. He was approaching the descent to the place called "La Croix d'Epine" between Lormaison and St-Crépin, when a dot of light similar to a shooting star caught his attention.
The night was pitch black, the sky overcast. Suddenly the "star" dived towards the ground and came to rest in a beet field about fifty meters from the road. The motorcyclist continued on his way. In the slight climb that precedes St-Crépin, Ernest Delattre saw two small shadows on the road in front of his machine. "The height of my handlebars," he says.
Continued on page 10
[Photo caption:] Above, our young (and pretty) secretary examined with keen interest the exhibits collected near Méru: will women be interested in Martians? It would only imitate the (serious) scientists who develop inter-planetary machines like the one below exhibited for a few days in Turin and intended to transport travelers to... the moon.
|
Continued from 1st page
Frightened, the young man put on the gas, went through the shadows and returned home to faint. Having regained his senses, he recounted the phenomena he had witnessed quite closely, recommending people not to spread it. But the news spread very quickly and the details poured in.
The craft was shaped like two hollow plates placed side by side. It was brilliant. The interior appeared to be lighted.
We went to St-Crépin. We found Ernest Delattre there, building a wall.
- My first job, he tells us, I had to give it up following a head accident.
Very kindly, the witness accompanies us to the "landing" site: a vast beet field that we had already explored in all directions and where we would go back after returning Ernest Delattre to his home.
Other people "saw" the saucer. Mme Breton, from St-Crépin, another trustworthy person, residing in Lormaison. Finally a third, a young girl who at the time of the landing had a romantic date behind the wall of the cemetery! She saw the shooting star grow bigger and land!
The gendarmes were worried about these nocturnal visits of unknown craft. They have exhibits given by a witness: beet leaves with traces of burns. On examination, these burns turn out to be the consequences of old frosts.
We walk for hours through the beet (and landing) field. We see thousands of burnt leaves. Footprints too, ours, and then those of local nimrods.
We are desperate to find any clue. We are beginning to doubt it. Wasn't Ernest the victim of a hallucination? How could he, seized with fear and in less than a minute, carefully note so many details?
Suddenly, we come to a stop in front of a strange object: a disc about a meter in diameter, pierced with a hole in the middle. Ropes are attached to it. A little further on, we pick up a rubber tube stamped with hieroglyphics...
Careful consideration is in order. The disc appears to be made of heavy embossed paper. Seized in its center, it folds in on itself. Kind of like... but yes, that's it, like a parachute. The lines cut, seem too fragile to have supported a body.
We take it all away, overjoyed and moved at the same time. We may have the first pieces of evidence, those that will allow us to make the paper of our life!
On the way back we inflicted some severe blame on ourselves for speeding. For excess of optimism too. On arrival, the sentence is catastrophic. Our trophies are irrelevant, at least in the history of saucers. This is a piece of weather balloon and parachute that supports the measuring devices when the balloon bursts.
Is this enough to irremediably refute the testimony of Méru's little mechanic, that of the young lover of the cemetery? No.
The riddle remains intact.
Saucers can exist.
All we have to do is resume our investigation with the same thoroughness when a new appearance is reported to us. Until we can collect a crucial element: a fragment of a saucer for example. Or more simply an indisputable trace of landing.
Also, Mr. and Mrs. Plachot, bakers in Fitz-James, near Clermont, saw a ball the size of a bowl on Monday evening, giving off a very dazzling orange glow.
The mysterious phenomenon manifested itself for nearly a quarter of an hour, performing various convolutions in the sky before disappearing in an easterly direction.
Finally, our collaborator from Chantilly, Mr. Bertrand, well known to all Cantillians, himself saw a mysterious orange colored machine, moving at high speed.
Elsewhere in France, said they had seen "saucers" or "flying cigars":
Mr. and Mme Tessier, from St-Etienne, in Aurec-sur-Loire, two people who were walking at Ablain Saint-Nazaire; Mr. André Lefèvre, taxi driver in Le Havre; about thirty people between Varavill [sic] and Kerprich (Moselle).
Other similar reports came from: Chancelade (Haute-Vienne), Willer (Haut-Rhin), Gouesnach, near Quimper, Bautignecourt; Ambazac (Haute-Vienne), Dijon, Marcoing, near Cambrai, Pommier (Indre), Rouen, Ajaccio, La Rochelle, Quimper, Cholet and Valves.
Finally, we learn that a retired miner of Beuvry-les-Béthune confessed to having made himself some flying saucers in paper which worked like hot air balloons.
The hoaxer claimed that he had already built and launched more than a thousand of these devices.
[Ref. lon2:] NEWSPAPER "L'OISE MATIN:"
The case in St-Crepin-Ibouvillers is mentioned in an article of the newspaper L'Oise-Matin about the case in St-Samson-la-Poterie:
After the brainwashed worker of Quarouble, the affectionate Martian of the Auvergne, the flying saucers of Chapelle-en-Serval, the mysterious landing of St-Crepin-Ibouvillers, not to mention the hundreds of strange demonstrations of diabolic crockery, [...]
[Ref. jve1:] JACQUES VALLEE:
The author indicates that on October 2, 1954, at Croix-d'Epine, a young mechanic rode his scooter when he saw a very illuminated object, egg shaped, which was posed on the left side of the road at approximately 15 meters of him. He thinks of having seen short dark shapes "like potato bags" moving close to the object. He accelerated and, when reaching the top of the hill, he looked back. He then saw the object, compared to a "small bus" as for the size, whose color had passed from orange to blue, then with gray-blue, flying away.
The witness was very upset when he arrived at the village, and he fainted when telling his story. Two women submitted independent reports on the object.
[Ref. jve2:] JACQUES VALLEE:
|
180) October 2, 1954, 08:00 p.m. Croix d'Epine (France):
A mechanic, Ernest Delattre, 19, was riding home on his motor scooter when an egg-shaped object, brilliantly illuminated, landed on the left side of the road 15 m away. He saw short, dark shapes "like potato bags" moving about the object. He sped up, saw the object, the size of a small bus, taking off while its color changed from orange to blue and then to grayish-blue. The witness fainted while telling his story. Two persons in neighboring villages independently reported observing the object. (Personal)
[Ref. ldl1:] UFOLOGY MAGAZINE "LUMIERES DANS LA NUIT":
In a list of cases that the magazine called for investigation or re-investigation, there was:
180 10/2/54 Croix-l'Epine [sic]
[Ref. gal1:] CHARLES GARREAU AND RAYMOND LAVIER:
The two ufologists and authors indicate that on October 1, 1954 at 07:50 P.M. in Saint-Crépin-Ibouvilliers in the department of the Oise, Ernest Delattre was going back to his home in Saint-Crépin, coming from Méru riding his motorcycle, and had largely exceeded Lormaison when he saw at the vertical and in front of him a luminous object resembling a star. The witness told:
"But its glare was so strange that while driving, I do not lose sight of it. And I see it going down quickly, changing color. It finally takes a phosphorescent bluish gray color and it lands at approximately 200 meters in front of me, at some 15 meters of the road. Me, I continue to drive. Ten seconds later, I pass to his height. It is an ovoid shaped craft of approximately 5 meters height length and 1.50 meters. No noise. But I became frightened because I then see, just at its side, two silhouettes which resemble potato bags, without defined contour, high of about 80 centimeters, who come on the side of the road. I have the vague impression that there are others of them. Then, I accelerate. A little farther along, I look back. The craft took off and follows me for about fifteen meters, during a few seconds, before it suddenly veered and moved away."
The authors indicate that the gendarmes made an investigation following the statements by Mr. Delattre, and that their investigation revealed that two other witnesses had observed at the same time the evolution of the odd machine.
[Ref. agd1:] ALAIN GAMARD:
|
| Case # | Date | Time | Locality | Department | Witness(es) name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 029 | 01/10/1954 | 20.00 | Saint-Crepin-Ibouvilliers. | 60 | Ernest Delattre. |
[Ref. jve7:] JACQUES VALLEE - "HISTORIA" MAGAZINE:
A mechanic, Ernest Delattre, nineteen years old, was returning home on a scooter when an egg-shaped object violently illuminated, landed on the left side of the road, 15 meters away. He saw short, dark shapes, like sacks of potatoes, move near the object. He sped up, saw the object (the size of a small car), get away while its color changed from orange to blue to grayish blue. The witness fainted while telling his story. Without having been informed, two people of the neighboring villages reported observing the object.
[Ref. rsd1:] RAY STANFORD:
In his book about the famous UFO landing in Socorro, Ray Stanford indicates a number of other sightings of egg-shaped craft that may be significant in this regard.
Among those cases, he indicates that on October 2, 1954, at Croix d'Epine, France, a man was traveling on his motor-scooter when he saw an egg-shaped object land about fifty feet from him on the left side of the road.
He observed short silhouetted figures moving in the vicinity of the object. The witness sped up, then looked back, and saw the craft that he estimated to be about the length of a small bus take off while altering its surface coloration from orange, to blue, to blue-grey.
When the witness arrived at the nearby village, he was in a state of shock, and he fainted when he told his story. Two women made independent reports of having seen the craft.
[Ref. pdl1:] PIERRE DELVAL:
The author indicates that on October 2, 1954, at Croix-de-l'Epine, witnesses saw two absolutely indescribable dark "masses" going down from a machine which had just landed.
The authors note that "the ufologists suppose" that they are robots remote-controlled by an unknown will.
[Ref. prn3:] PETER ROGERSON:
|
354 2 October 1954 2000 hrs
CROIX D'EPINE (FRANCE) A mechanic, Ernest Delattre (19) was riding home on his motor-scooter when an egg shaped object, brilliantly illuminated landed on the left side of the road 15m away. He saw short dark shapes "like potato bags" moving about the object. He sped up and saw the object, the size of a small bus, taking off while its colour changed from orange to blue and then to greyish blue. The witness fainted while telling this story. Two persons in neighbouring villages independently reported seeing the object. (Ml80).
[Ref. dcn5:] DOMINIQUE CAUDRON:
|
The being seen in St Crépin 10/1/1954
[Ref. gab1:] UFOLOGY GROUP "G.A.B.R.I.E.L.":
"Martians" of the C C type
Here, anything is possible! We cannot go into details, we will content ourselves with citing the most significant cases.
On 10/02/1954 at Croix d'Epine (France) dark shapeless masses similar to bags of potatoes were observed.
[Ref. bbr1:] GERARD BARTHEL ET JACQUES BRUCKER:
The authors indicate a summary without source of the case of Lormaison:
"On October 1, 54, towars 8 p.m., a 19 year old mechanic, Mr. Delattre claims to have observed an object in the shape of an egg as well as at 15 m from there rounded shaped resembling potato bags".
They add that the witness specifies that these shapes were moving and comment on that he thus invented "the starch-Martian commonly named Parmentier-Ouranian" but that they become serious again and try to clear up this weird sighting.
They thus state that a collaborator of the "Lumières dans la Nuit" magazine carried out a first counter-investigation and that it emerges from this study that Mr. Delattre, after having been reticent and even hostile to the investigator, had only a very remote and very vague memory of "these potatoid beings". At the time of her second visit, the investigator "perfectly felt that the story of the 'potato bags' did not deserve any more credit; only a fugitive vision of an odd phenomenon still supported the story of the mechanic."
They indicate that themselves tried on several occasions to contact Mr. Ernest Delattre via his daughter, at his workplace, but in vain and that without pushing their research further they consider that the vision of these shapes "belongs to the collection of space vegetables like the black radish of Wittenheim" and that the case has no credibility whatsoever to them.
The authors note that the only source available to them was a summary by Jacques Vallée in his catalogue, indicating as source "Personal", which makes think that Vallée had had a personal knowledge of the case, while the same Jacques Vallée indicates in his book "Phénomènes Insolites de l'Espace" of 1967, La Table Ronde publisher, that the source is "L'Oise Matin" for October 2, 1954, with the headline "A Martian in St Crepin Ibouvillers?" which is thus surely the so-called "personal" source of Vallée. The authors wonder why he did not give this source in his catalogue, and suppose that it might have been to drown the case in mystery and to make it credible whereas it is a case of no interest.
[Ref. tbw1:] TED BLOECHER ET DAVID WEBB:
|
54-38 Oct. 2, 1954 2000 Croix d'Epine, France Type C
Ernest Delattre, 19, a mechanic, was riding home on his motor scooter when an egg-shaped object, brilliantly illuminated, landed on the left side of the road 15 meters away. He saw short, dark shapes "like potato bags" moving about the object. He sped up, & saw the object, the size of a small bus, taking off while its color changed from orange to blue. The witness fainted while telling his story. The object was observed by 2 other witnesses.
Investigator:
Source: Vallee, Magonia, p. 215.
[Ref. fru1:] MICHEL FIGUET AND JEAN-LOUIS RUCHON:
The two authors indicate that in Lormaison, in the department of Oise, on October 1st, 1954, at 07:50 p.m., Ernest Delattre, 19, mechanic, rides his motorcycle on the road which leads to Saint-Crépin Ibouvillers. He had just left Lormaison when he saw overhead a luminous object resembling first of all a star which goes down quickly while changing color. The object, of blue-gray phosphorescent color finally lands within approximately 200 meters of the witness at about fifteen meters of the road. The witness continues his travels, which brings him at the level of the object, when he realizes it has an ovoid shape. But he becomes frightened when he sees two shapes around the object, "like potato bags," 80 centimeters tall. He continues his ride, the object takes off, follows him on about fifteen meters, suddenly veers and moves away.
The authors quote:
I see it going down quickly, changing color. It finally takes a phosphorescent bluish gray color and it lands at approximately 200 meters in front of me, at some 15 meters of the road. Me, I continue to drive. Ten seconds later, I pass to his height. It is an ovoid shaped craft of approximately 5 meters height length and 1,50 meters. No noise. But I became frightened because I then see, just at its side, two silhouettes which resemble potato bags, without defined contour, high of about 80 centimeters, who come on the side of the road. I have the vague impression that there are others of them. Then, I accelerate. A little farther along, I look back. The craft took off and follows me for about fifteen meters, during a few seconds, before it suddenly veered and moved away."
The witness fainted while he was telling his history. It is said that other people saw a similar object evolving at the same hour.
The authors note that there was an investigation by the Gendarmerie and that the sources are C. Garreau and R. Lavier in "Face aux E.T." page 136 and Jacques Vallée's case 180 "Croix d'Epine", Croix D'Epine maybe being a location between Lormaison and Sant-Crepin d'Ibouvillers.
[Ref. mft5:] MICHEL FIGUET:
The cases used by J.-C. Fumeux and J.-F. Gille have as sources only press articles taken up by Vallée with a luxury of errors see the case of "Croix d'Epine" in fact that between Saint Crépin-Ibouvillers and Lormaison without exact geographical positioning which can allow the "isosceles" triangles to deform at will.
[Ref. mft1:] MICHEL FIGUET:
This ufologist noted:
| CASE Nr | CLASSIFICATION | DATE | HOUR | PLACE | ZIP CODE | CREDIBILITY SOURCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06 | CE3 | 01 10 1954 | 19.50 | b St-Crépin Ibouvillers and Lormaison "Croix d'Epine" | D, OVNI : p. 104 |
[Ref. lgs1:] LOREN GROSS:
Croix D' Epine, France. (10:00 p.m.)
"Fainted while telling the story."
Nineteen-year-old Ernest Delattre was roaring down the highway on his motor scooter near Croix D' Epine 10:00 p.m. on October 2nd, when he noticed a brightly lit, egg-shaped mass dropping down out of the night sky. The UFO came to rest next to the roadway which enabled Delattre to estimate its size. It seemed as big as a bus. As he approached, Delattre thought he saw small, dark, shapes doing something in the vicinity of the UFO, but before he got too close the mystery craft shot skyward, giving off different colors of light, changing from one color to another in turn:orange, blue, and a gray-blue. M. Delattre was so excited he fainted while telling the story to the authorities. 17.
[Ref. pbs1:] PETER BROOKESMITH:
The author indicates that on October 2, 1954, in Croix d'Epine, France, 19-year-old mechanic Ernest Delatre was riding home on a motor scooter when a brightly lit egg-shaped orange UFO the size of a small bus landed in the road. He saw dark shapes "like potato bags" moving near it. As he approached the UFO took off, changing color to blue. Two other witnesses in nearby villages also independently reported the UFO.
[Ref. jsr1:] JEAN SIDER:
Ufologist and author Jean Sider indicates that on October 1, 1954, at 07:50 p.m., in "Lormaison / Saint-Crepin-Ibouvillers, Oise" Mr. Ernest Delattre was riding on his way home on a motorcycle. He had exceeded Lormaison when he saw a bright object at the zenith which rapidly came down while changing color, eventually taking a phosphorescent blue gray color.
The object landed about 200 meters from the witness and 15 meters from the road. When the witness reached its level, he noticed that it was egg-shaped, and that near it were two silhouettes like potatoes sacks, about 80 cm tall.
Noting that the apparent creatures were going towars him, he got scared and sped. A little farther, he looked back and noticed that the craft had taken off and was following him at fifteen meters for a little while, and finally suddenly veered and flee.
Jean Sider indicates that his source is "Figuet, p.104-105."
[Ref. ars1:] ALBERT ROSALES:
113.
Location. Croix d'Epine France
Date: October 2 1954
Time: 2000
Ernest Delattre, 19, a mechanic, was riding home on his motor scooter when an egg shaped object, brilliantly illuminated, landed on the left side of the road 15 meters away. He saw short, dark shapes, "like potato bags" moving about the object. He sped up, 7 saw the object, the size of a small bus, taking off while its color changed from orange to blue. The witness fainted while telling his story. The object was observed by 2 other witnesses.
Humcat 1954-65
Source: Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia
Type: C
[Ref. djn1:] UFOCAT'S "ON THIS DAY":
On this Day
October 1
[...]
1954 - Mechanic Ernest Delattre, age 19, was riding home on his motor scooter between Lormaison and St-Crepin-Ibouvillers, France at eight o'clock when a brilliantly illuminated egg-shaped object landed on the left side of the road 15 meters away. He saw short, dark shapes "like potato bags" moving about the object. He sped up, saw the object, the size of a small bus, taking off while its color changed from orange to blue and then to grayish-blue. The witness fainted while telling his story. Two persons in neighboring villages independently reported observing the object. (Sources: Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia: A Century of Landings, p. 215; Michel Figuet and Jean-Louis Ruchon, OVNI: Le premier dossier complet des rencontres rapprochees en France, p. 104). [Note: Vallee lists the date as October 2nd but Figuet and Ruchon believe the correct date is October 1st.]
[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH - "*U* COMPUTER DATABASE":
3894: 1954/10/01 19:50 5 2:05:40 E 49:15:40 N 3333 WEU FRN OIS A:8
CROIX d'EPINE/MERU,FR:1+2 OBS:5M SCR/ROAD:2 80cm POTATO SACKS near:/r30p104
Ref#197 WEINSTEIN, D: French Newsclips 1954 Page No. 41 : ROAD+RAILS
[Ref. goe1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:
The Belgian ufologist indicates that in France between Lormaison and St Crepin Ibouvillers, or in Croix d'Epine according to Jacques Vallée, who dates the case October 2, 1954 at 8 p.m., on October 1, 1954 at 07:50 p.m., Ernest Delattre was going back to his house by scooter when an violently illuminated egg shaped object landed on the left side of the road 15 meters further.
He saw short and dark forms resembling potato bags, moving close to the object.
He accelerated, saw that the object of the size of a small bus moved away while its color passed from orange to blue then to greyish blue.
He fainted while telling his story. Without being consulted, two people of the nearby villages reported to have observed the object.
Van Overmeire indicates that the sources are "Jacques Vallée in "Chronique des apparitions ET", Denoel, J'ai Lu collection, 1972, page 265, and M. Figuet et J.L. Ruchon in "Ovni, Premier dossier complet...", Alain Lefeuvre publisher, 1979, page 104".
[Ref. fbn1:] FABRICE BONVIN:
Fabrice Bonvin notes:
Case #015: 01/10/1954, p. 104 (Lormaîson)
[Ref. jbu1:] JEROME BEAU:
Jérôme Beau notes:
Saturday, October 2, 1954
[...]
8 p.m. : In Croix d'Epine (France), Ernest Delattre 1 goes to his house by scooter when 1 egg-shaped object, very illuminated, lands on the left side of the road, 15 m further. He sees short and dark forms, resembling potato bags, move close to the object. He accelerates to approach, sees the object (the size of a small bus) moving away while its color passes from orange to blue then to greyish blue. The witness, upset while arriving at the village, faints when telling his story. Without being consulted, 2 women of the close villages make independent descriptions of the object (8).
[...]
(8) Vallée, J., cas n° 42, "Rapport sur l'analyse de 200 observations documentées faites en 1954"
[...]
[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN:
Luc Chastan indicates that in the Oise in Lormaison on October 1, 1954 at 19:50 hours, "The witness circulates by motorcycle on the road which leads to St Crepin Ibouvillers. He has just left Lormaison when he sees at his vertical a luminous object initially resembling a star which goes down quickly while changing color. The object of gray blue phosphorescent color finally lands at approximately 200 meters of the witness at about fifteen meters of the road. The witness continues his ride which brings him at the level of the object, he realizes the latter has an ovoid form. But he becomes afraid when he sees two shapes around the object "like potato bags" 80 centimeters high. He continues his ride, the object takes off follows him on about fifteen meters, veers suddenly and moves away. It seems that other witnesses saw the maneuvers of the object."
The source is given as "Ovni, Premier dossier complet... by Figuet M./ Ruchon J.L. ** Alain Lefeuvre pub. 1979".
[Ref. rin1] "RIGOROUS INTUITION" BLOG:
[... Other cases ...]
Dolan in the first volume of his UFOs and the National Security State:
October 2: At 8pm, in Croix d'Epine, a man on his motor scooter saw a bright, oval object land off the road fifty feet from him. He saw short, dark shapes "like potato bags" moving around the object, which was the size of a small bus. It quickly took off, changing from orange to blue, then grayish-blue. The man fainted while telling his story. Two people in nearby villages independently reported seeing the object. (Dolan)
[... Other cases ...]
[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on 1 October 1954 at 19:50 in Croix D'Epine, France, "Close encounter with an unidentified craft and its occupants. One object was observed by three witnesses on a road."
The source is indicated as "Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002."
[Ref. uda2:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on 2 October 1954 at 20:00 in Croix d'Epine, France, "Mechanic riding home on motor scooter when saw egg-shaped UFO, illuminated, landed on left side of road 15 m away. Two short, dark shapes "like potato bags" moving about. Object changed color red blue."
And: "Mechanic Ernest Delattre, age 19, was riding home on his motor scooter between Lormaison and St-Crepin-Ibouvillers, France at eight o'clock when a brilliantly illuminated egg-shaped object landed on the left side of the road 15 meters away. He saw short, dark shapes "like potato bags" moving about the object. He sped up, saw the object, the size of a small bus, taking off while its color changed from orange to blue and then to grayish-blue. The witness fainted while telling his story. Two persons in neighboring villages independently reported observing the object."
And: "Close encounter with an unidentified craft and occupants. Multiple independent witnesses. One orange ovoid object, about 20 feet across, about forty feet away, was observed by three male witnesses, typical age 19, on a road for ten minutes (Delattre, E; Janiki). A non-humanoid being was seen."
And: "Ernest Delattre, 19, a mechanic, was riding home on his motor scooter when an egg shaped object, brilliantly illuminated, landed on the left side of the road 15 meters away. He saw short, dark shapes, "like potato bags" moving about the object. He sped up, 7 saw the object, the size of a small bus, taking off while its color changed from orange to blue. The witness fainted while telling his story. The object was observed by 2 other witnesses."
The sources are indicated as "Webb, David, HUMCAT: Catalogue of Humanoid Reports; Guieu, Jimmy, Flying Saucers Come from Another World, Citadel, New York, 1956; Michel, Aime, Flying Saucers and the Straight-Line Mystery, S. G. Phillips, New York, 1958; Menzel, Donald H., The World of Flying Saucers, Doubleday, Garden City, 1963; 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); Delaire, J. Bernard, UFO Register Volume 7 (1976), Data Research, Oxford, 1976; Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002; Rosales, Albert, Humanoid Sighting Reports Database."
[Ref. uda3:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on 2 October 1954 at 20:00 in Croix d'Epine, France, "An egg-shaped object, brilliantly illuminated, landed. Short, dark shapes "like potato bags" moved about the object."
And: "A mechanic, Ernest Delattre, 19, was riding home on his motor scooter when an egg-shaped object, brilliantly illuminated, landed on the left side of the road 15 meters away. He saw short, dark shapes "like potato bags" moving about the object. He sped up, saw the object, the size of a small bus, taking off while its color changed from orange to blue and then to grayish-blue. The witness fainted while telling his story. Two persons in neighboring villages independently reported observing the object. One blue-orange object was observed."
The source is indicated as Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002.
[Ref. cnu1:] UFOLOGY MAGAZINE "LES MYSTERES DE L'EST":
We are now going to present to you observations testimonies of non-human entities in the ufological casuistry. Charles Garreau and Raymond Lavier report this observation in their book "Face aux extra-terrestres" - Jean-Pierre Delarge publishers 1975: page 136-137.
Saint-Crépin-Ibouvilliers (60 - Oise), October 1, 1954, at 19:50.
References: gendarmerie report, personal file
A motorcyclist, Mr. Ernest Delattre, returns to his home in Saint-Crépin. He comes from Méru and has far exceeded Lormaison when he sees vertically and in front of him, a luminous object resembling a star:
"But its brilliance was so unusual that, while riding, I do not lose sight of it, and I see it coming down quickly, changing color, finally taking on a bluish gray phosphorescent hue and landing at about 200 m ahead, at about fifteen seconds later, I pass up to it, it's an ovoid craft, about 5 meters long and 1,50m high, no noise, but I'm scared because I then see, next to it, two silhouettes that look like potato sacks, without definite outlines, about 80 cm high, coming from the side of the road, I have the vague impression that there are some others. Then I accelerate. A little further, I look back, the craft took off and follows me for about fifteen meters, for a few seconds before turning sharply and moving away."
The gendarmerie investigation, carried out following the statements of Mr. Ernest Delattre, revealed that two other witnesses had followed, at the same time, the moves of a "weird" apparatus.
Other references found on this case:
|
[Ref. prn1:] PETER ROGERSON:
October 2 1954, 2000hrs.
CROIX D’ EPINE (OISE : FRANCE)
Mechanic Ernest Delattre was riding home on his motor scooter when a brilliantly illuminated egg-shaped object landed on the left hand side of the road 15m away. He saw short dark shapes that resembled potato bags moving about the object. He sped up and saw this object, which was the size of a small bus, taking off, while its color changed from orange to blue and then to greyish blue. Ernest was so shaken that he fainted while telling his story. Two people in neighboring villages independently reported the story
Vallee case 180 citing “personal” information.
[Ref. jgz1:] JULIEN GONZALEZ:
The author indicates that there was a CE3 between Lormaison and Saint-Crépin-Ibouvillers, at the locality "Croix d'Epine", in the Oise, on October 1, 1954, at 07:50 p.m.
Ernest Delattre, 19, mechanic, was returning home by motorcycle, coming from Méru and having largely exceeded Lormaison, when he saw at the vertical and in front of him, a luminous object resembling a star:
"But its glare was so strange that, while riding, I do not lose sight of the thing, and I see it going down quickly, while changing color. It finally takes a bluish gray phosphorescent color, and lands within approximately 200 meters in front of me, at about fifteen meters of the road. I continued to ride. Ten seconds later, I pass at its level, it is an ovoid machine, of approximately 5 meters length, and 1,50 m height. No noise, but I become frightened, for I see then, next to it, two silhouettes, which resemble potato bags, without defined contours, high of 80 centimetres approximately, and which come on the side of the road, I have the vague impression that there are others of them. Then, I accelerate. A little further, I look back. The machine took off and follows me to about fifteen meters, during a few seconds, before suddenly veering and moving away."
Julien Gonzalez adds that the investigation of gendarmerie, carried out following the declarations of the witness, revealed that two other witnesses had followed at the same hour, the maneuvers of an odd machine.
The sources are indicated as C. Garreau and R. Lavier, in Face aux Extra-Terrestres, pages 136-137; Michel Figuet and Jean-Louis Ruchon, in OVNI, le premier dossier complet des rencontres rapprochées en France, pages 104-105; Jean Sider, in Le dossier 1954 et l'imposture rationaliste, page 177.
[Ref. nip1:] "THE NICAP WEBSITE":
*Oct. 1, 1954 - Mechanic Ernest Delattre, age 19, was riding home on his motor scooter between Lormaison and St-Crepin-Ibouvillers, France at eight o'clock when a brilliantly illuminated egg-shaped object landed on the left side of the road 15 meters away. He saw short, dark shapes "like potato bags" moving about the object. He sped up, saw the object, the size of a small bus, taking off while its color changed from orange to blue and then to grayish-blue. The witness fainted while telling his story. Two persons in neighboring villages independently reported observing the object. (Sources: Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia: A Century of Landings, p. 215; Michel Figuet & Jean-Louis Ruchon, OVNI: Le premier dossier complet des rencontres rapprochees en France, p. 104). [Note: Vallee lists the date as October 2nd but Figuet & Ruchon believe the correct date is October 1st.]
The website recorded the same case a second time with another date:
|
*Oct. 2, 1954 - At 8:00 p.m. in Croix d’Epine, Oise department, France Ernest Delattre, age 19, a mechanic, was riding home on his motor scooter when a brilliantly illuminated egg-shaped object landed on the left side of the road 15 meters away. He saw some short, dark shapes, “like potato bags” moving about the object. He sped up, then saw the object, which was the size of a small bus, take off. During the ascent the object's color changed from orange to blue. The object was observed by two other witnesses. As an additional note, Mr. Delattre fainted while telling his story (Sources: David F. Webb & Ted Bloecher, HUMCAT: Catalogue of Humanoid Reports, case # 1954-65 (A0267); Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia: A Century of Landings, case # 215). |
[Ref. tai1:] "THINK ABOUT IT" WEBSITE:
Location: Croix d’Epine France
Date: October 2 1954
Time: 2000
Ernest Delattre, 19, a mechanic, was riding home on his motor scooter when an egg shaped object, brilliantly illuminated, landed on the left side of the road 15 meters away. He saw short, dark shapes, “like potato bags” moving about the object. He sped up, 7 saw the object, the size of a small bus, taking off while its color changed from orange to blue. The witness fainted while telling his story. The object was observed by 2 other witnesses.
Source: Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia 180
[Ref. ubk1:] "UFO-DATENBANK":
This database recorded this case 7 times instead of one:
| Case Nr. | New case Nr. | Investigator | Date of observation | Zip | Place of observation | Country of observation | Hour of observation | Classification | Comments | Identification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19541002 | 02.10.1954 | Croix | France | 20.00 | CE III | |||||
| 19541002 | 02.10.1954 | Croix Epine | France | 20.00 | CE III | |||||
| 19541002 | 02.10.1954 | Croix Epine | France | 20.00 | CE III | |||||
| 19541002 | 02.10.1954 | Croix Epine | France | 20.00 | CE III | |||||
| 19541002 | 02.10.1954 | Croix d´ Epine | France | |||||||
| 19541002 | 02.10.1954 | St. Crepin | France | 20.00 | CE III | |||||
| 19541002 | 02.10.1954 | St. Crepin Ibouviler | France | 20.00 | CE III |
[Ref. prn2:] PETER ROGERSON - "INTCAT":
October 2 1954. 2000hrs.
CROIX D' EPINE (OISE : FRANCE)
Mechanic Ernest Delattre was riding home on his motor scooter when a brilliantly illuminated egg shaped object landed on the left hand side of the road 15m away. He saw short dark shapes that resembled potato bags moving about the object. He sped up and saw this object, which was the size of a small bus, taking off, while its color changed from orange to blue and then to greyish blue. Ernest was so shaken that he fainted while telling his story. Two people in neighbouring villages independently reported the story
Vallee case 180 citing "personal" information
Jacques Vallée apparently has the date wrong and the time rounded.
|
|
The question of the locations of this alleged sighting and of the two others which are said to be co-commits arises.
Ernest Delattre, according to the newspaper of the 4th, was at a place called "La Croix d'Epine", between St-Crépin and Lormaison, coming from Méru. We must understand that he had left Méru, had passed Lormaison, was not yet in Saint-Crépin-Ibouvillers. The said place should therefore be between Lormaison and Saint-Crépin-Ibouvillers, where he immediately told his story when he arrived, it seems.
In the newspaper of the 6th, we are told that he "was approaching the descent to the place called "La Croix d'Epine" between Lormaison and St-Crépin". So on the current D 129.
Mrs. Breton is not precisely placed in the newspaper. On the 4th, L'Oise-Matin tells us that she is a resident of Lormaison, on the 6th, this newspaper tells us: "Mme Breton, from St-Crépin, another person worthy of faith, living in Lormaison." We may understand that she lived in Lormaison but had made the observation from Saint-Crépin-Ibouvillers. But one may interpret that this was yet another person.
The girl in the cemetery: we are not told which cemetery. I don't see one in Saint-Crépin-Ibouvillers in 2021 - but there may have been one in 1954, there is enough land near the church for that. In 2021, there is a cemetery in Méru. But above all, there is an important cemetery in Lormaison, at the exit on the D129, and with a clear view towards "La Croix d'Epine", towards Saint-Crépin-Ibouvillers. This reinforces, or at least leaves plausible, that the phenomenon seen by the young girl is indeed the "saucer" seen by Ernest Delattre.
The exit from Lormaison, just after the cemetery, is a downward slope. There is a second descent when one arrives at the the junction to Ribeauville - crossing which is perhaps the locality "La Croix D'Epine" - I did not find any sign of that locality in 2021.
The distance between leaving Lormaison and arriving at Saint-Crépin-Ibouvillers is approximately 1.5 km.
There remains the question of the weather balloon parachute. The newspaper dismisses it as an explanation, without explaining why. I myself think that the observation does not have a weather balloon as cause; on the one hand this would imply that Ernest Delattre invented "beings", on the other hand, there is no chance of describing a falling weather balloon as "a luminous point similar to a shooting star" (Delattre ) or "She saw the shooting star grow bigger and land!" (the girl according to the newspaper). Also, a weather balloon explodes at high altitude, and it is the measuring devices that come down under the parachute. The parachute is not luminous, and the instruments are not found - maybe they had been recovered long ago. The newspaper did tell about "cut strings" of the parachute.
I see no natural phenomenon nor causes of confusion which could explain in a satisfactory manner what Mr. Delattre said he observed. It is very regrettable, if there indeed was an investigation by the Gendarmerie, that nothing of it was made available to the public.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Croix d'Epine, Oise, St Crepin-Ibouvillers, Lormaison, Ernest Delattre, object, egg-shaped, ovoid, luminous, landing, road, occupants, orange, blue, grey, night.
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | March 27, 2003 | First published. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | December 20, 2009 | Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Additions [lcn1], [uda1], [uda2], [uda3]. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | March 6, 2010 | Addition [pbs1]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | July 7, 2010 | Addition [rin1]. |
| 1.3 | Patrick Gross | August 13, 2013 | Addition [prn1]. |
| 1.4 | Patrick Gross | October 4, 2014 | Additions [jsr1], [nip1], [tai1]. |
| 1.5 | Patrick Gross | December 13, 2014 | Additions [lgs1], [jgz1], [ubk1]. |
| 1.6 | Patrick Gross | July 1, 2019 | Additions [dcn5], [agd1], [mft1], [mft5], [gab1], [lhh1], [cnu1], [prn2]. |
| 1.7 | Patrick Gross | May 9, 2021 | Additions [lon1], [lon2]. Explanations changed, were "I see no natural phenomenon nor causes of confusion which could explain in a satisfactory manner what Mr. Delattre said he observed. It is very regrettable, if there indeed was an investigation by the Gendarmerie, that nothing of it was made available to the public." In the Summary, addition of the paragraph "The regional newspaper L'Oise-Matin..." |
| 1.8 | Patrick Gross | August 28, 2021 | Addition [tbw1]. |
| 1.9 | Patrick Gross | April 16, 2022 | Addition [ldl1]. |
