The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 26-Jan-54-Liffol-le-Grand.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
The regional newspaper L'Est Républicain for January 29, 1954, reported on page 2 that "The flying saucers gave a show to the morning cyclist".
The newspaper reported that a Mr. Louis Jacquot, residing at Liffol-Le-Grand, was leaving for work as a machine-driver at about at five o'clock in the morning. His home being quite far away, he was riding his bicycle.
At about 5:15 a.m., he was surprised by a gleam "which caused him a violent commotion, his ears buzzed and his eyes were dazzled, he had to get off the bike."
He said, "I got the feeling that the sky was opening in two, and it lasted a few seconds." Not knowing what to attribute this phenomenon to, he thought first of all to the explosion of airplane rockets or the movement of powerful projectors.
As soon as he arrived at work, he told his adventure to his comrades who paid no attention to it. He deeply regretted having been the only one to notice the strange occurence.
What the newspaper did not know is that at 04:45 in the morning that day, many inhabitants of various places in the Côte-d'Or and the Vosges saw the phenomenon, a meteor.
In the regional newspaper La Gazette Provençale for February 1, 1954, an article assured that these were "Luminous Celestial Craft", "flying saucers", while speaking of a "meteor". For the Liffol-le-Grand sighting, they mixed it up with another sighting, saying that the two witnesses "stated that they had the impression that the sky was split in two. They also felt a burn in their eyes and ears."
Ufology pioneer Jimmy Guieu knew of the numerous sightings, but stated it must have been an extraterrestrial "spaceship".
[Ref. ler1:] NEWSPAPER "L'EST REPUBLICAIN":
Mr. Louis Jacquot, resident of Liffol-Le-Grand, left to his work, as driver of machines, around five hours of the morning. His residence being quite far away, he hit the road by bicycle. It was 05:15 approximately, when he was surprised by a gleam which caused a violent commotion in him. His ears buzzed and his eyes were dazzled. It had to get down of his bicycle.
"I had the impression that the sky opened in two", he specifies. That lasted a few seconds. Not knowing to what to allot this phenomenon, he first believe in the explosion of plane rockets or the movements of powerful projectors. As soon as he arrived at work, he told this adventure to his comrades who gave no particular attention. He deeply regretted to have been to only one to note these strange facts. But one was to learn that Mr. Guyot, in Saint-Dizier, had also been witness of enigmatic celestial demonstrations.
[Ref. lgp1:] NEWSPAPER "LA GAZETTE PROVENCALE":
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DIJON. -- The "flying saucers" are more than ever on the agenda. Several people have witnessed the passage of a celestial body of great luminous intensity, in eastern France.
The phenomenon happened last week. It was barely 5 o'clock. The sky was quite overcast. A meteor suddenly emerged from the southeast, rushing northeast, radiating an intense purple light.
The first to report it were two policemen from Dijon. But the information soon poured in and for the first time in the already long history of the "flying saucers" five witnesses were afraid.
In Heuilles-sur-Saône, a lady schoolteacher made the following statement.
- It was almost as fast as a lightning bolt. I did not dare to look at the craft for more than a second, so much that impressed me."
Two other very characteristic statements were made by witnesses one residing in Til Châtel the other in Liffol le Grand who declared that they had the impression that the sky was split in two. They also felt a burn in their eyes and ears.
[Ref. jgu1:] JIMMY GUIEU:
Science-fiction writer and pioneer ufologist in France Jimmy Guieu indicates that on January 26, 1954, Mr. Louis Jacquot, of Liffole-Large in the Vosges at 100 kilometers of Tilchattel, who made these remarks in his report to the gendarmes:
"I had the impression that the sky split in two. I felt at the same time like a burn in the eyes and the ears."
[Ref. lgs1:] LOREN GROSS:
[... Other cases...]
January 26th.
"I felt rather disturbed at first."
Yet another "meteor-like" phenomenon swept over France terrorizing people. At 4:50 a.m. on January 26th a strange thing appeared above Dijon moving northwest, a giant orange oval spewing a dazzling stream of vapor behind it. The thing gave off considerable light, a part of which was a momentary violet ray. It's unlikely the object was a meteor if there was any truth to reports that place its passage at an altitude less then 4,000 feet. We know that a cloud ceiling was at 4,000 feet so unless the layer was very broken it seems evident the object was below that level given its brilliance. Although it may not have been a "saucer," its effects were nonetheless unnerving. At Nuits-Saint-Georges, a M. Guyennot was quoted as saying: "I felt rather disturbed at first and asked myself if I were dreaming." 58. Another fellow became blinded momentarily, and still another, a M. Louis Jacquot of the town of Liffol-le-Grand, told police: "It looked as though the sky was splitting in two. I had a sharp burning sensation in my eyes and ears." 59. Some people covered their eyes in fear, while others ran away seeking safety in fright. 60.
The sources "58". "59" and "60" refers to "Guieu, Jimmy. Flying Saucers Come Worn Another World, p.148."
[Ref. rbt1:] "LA GAZETTE DE COTE-D'OR" NEWSPAPER:
[... Other cases ...]
Intense light - January 26, 1954, Dijon
4h50, the city is asleep. A luminous object tears the sky of Dijon. It moves at very low altitude in direction of the North-West. The light it releases is dazzling, intense. Before disappearing the object projects a powerful purple ray which did not fail to frighten some unhappy people. "I was not very reassured and I wondered whether I had been dreaming" said Mr Guyennot of Nuits-Saint-Georges. Various witnesses residing at several tens of kilometers from each other said they saw the same phenomenon. Louis Jacquot in particular, a Vosgean of Liffole-Grand, states to the gendarmes "to have had the impression that the sky split in two and to have felt a burn at the eyes and the ears".
[... Other cases ...]
[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN:
Luc Chastan indicates that in the Vosges in Liffol le Grand on 26 January 1954 at 04:50 hours "The witness observed an orange cigar. He had the impression that it split in two, and felt at the same time like a burn at the eyes and the ears."
The source is indicated as "Les soucoupes volantes viennent d'un autre monde by Guieu Jimmy ** Fleuve Noir 1954".
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The meteor of January 26, 1954, at 04:50 a.m.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Liffol-le-Grand, Vosges, Louis Jacquot, night, single, cigar, orange, separation, effects, physiological
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | June 17, 2010 | First published. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | July 22, 2010 | Addition [cg1]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | October 31, 2016 | Additions [ler1], [lgs1]. |
| 1.3 | Patrick Gross | January 11, 2021 | Addition [lgp1]. In the Summary, addition of the paragraph "In the regional newspaper La Gazette Provençale...". |
