The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 24-Oct-54-Neuvilly.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
In the Cambrai issue, the regional newspaper Nord-Matin for October 26, 1954, reported that "Sunday" - therefore on October 24, 1954 - around 6:30 p.m., their local correspondent in Neuvilly, Mr. Gérard Champagne, was alerted by his neighbor Mr. Eugène Baudhuin, living in the rue de la Maladrerie in Neuvilly, who had just seen a luminous disc in full descent in the sky.
A gathering of ten residents immediately formed in the rue de la Maladrerie, from where people observed the "moves of this mysterious luminous craft."
Above a curtain of poplars bordering the river "La Selle", there was an orange disc in the sky, at low altitude, at a fairly long distance, almost on the horizon, towards Inchy. There was no engine noise.
Suddenly, it disappeared then reappeared immediately, then the disc soon lowered slowly and appeared between two poplars; this descent went on, then there was nothing to see anymore.
The sighting had lasted approximately 7 to 8 minutes.
The same was reported in the Cambrai issue of the newspaper La Voix du Nord of the same day.
[Ref. nmn1:] NEWSPAPER "NORD-MATIN":
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Sunday, around 6:30 p.m., our local correspondent in Neuvilly: Mr. Gérard Champagne, was alerted by his neighbor, Mr. Eugène Baudhuin, living on rue de la Maladrerie in Neuvilly, who had just seen a luminous disc in the sky doing a descent.
A gathering of ten residents was immediately formed in the rue de la Maladrerie and one witnessed the moves of this mysterious luminous craft.
Above a curtain of poplars bordering the river "La Selle", a bizarre thing... an orange disc was, indeed, visible in the sky, at low altitude, at quite a long distance, almost to the horizon, towards Inchy. Suddenly it disappeared to reappear immediately, no engine noise. Soon, the disc descended slowly and appeared between two poplars; the descent continued and afterwards one saw nothing. Was there a landing or did the luminous craft continue its course in another direction?
This disc was visible for approximately 7 to 8 minutes.
[Ref. vdn1:] NEWSPAPER "LA VOIX DU NORD":
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Sunday, around 6:30 p.m., our local correspondent in Neuvilly: Mr. Gérard Champagne, was alerted by his neighbor: Mr. Eugène Baudhuin, living rue de la Maladrerie in Neuvilly, who had just seen a luminous disc in the sky.
A gathering of a dozen residents immediately formed in the rue de la Maladerie and witnessed the moves of the craft. Above a curtain of poplars which borders the river "La Selle" an orange disc was indeed visible in the sky, at low altitude, at a fairly long distance, almost on the horizon, in the direction of Inchy. Suddenly it disappeared only to reappear immediately, no noise. Soon the disc slowly descended between two poplars, then disappeared.
The disc was visible for about 7 to 8 minutes.
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The sighting immediately made me think of a red moon setting down. But that day, the Moon seen from Neuvilly had set at 4:17 p.m...
I checked Mars, but this planet is not well suited: it was indeed in the sky, in the direction 173° 5', but still quite high at 06:15p.m., at 17° 5', and it set only at 8 p.m.
Venus was at 232° but set at 06:01 p.m., and does not look orange colored, in principle.
I did not find a "rue de la Maladrerie" in Neuvilly, I just found that on leaving the village on the way to Briastre there had been a "Maladrerie mill". The mill is demolished but the river La Selle going towards Briastre is still there, of course. The witnesses would therefore have been close to the northwest of the village probably on the current Rue de la Selle or Rue des Prés.
The direction of Inchy is 235°, towards the Southwest. This is the direction where Venus had set at 6 p.m.
The only significantly low and bright star in this sector would be Antarès, at 224° 5' and 1° 9' of elevation.
It is therefore possible, but not certain, that the event was caused by a sunset of Venus and / or Antares.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Neuvilly, Nord, evening, journalist, Gérard Champagne, Eugène Baudhuin, rue de la Maladrerie, disc, luminous, descent, multiple, craft, La Selle, orange, low, distant, horizon, Inchy, silent, disappearance, reappearance, slow
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
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| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | March 18, 2020 | First published. |
