The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 27-sep-54-Lanta.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
Several regional newspapers for September 30, 1954, such as L'Ardennais and Le Bien Public, reported that three residents of Lanta, near Villefranche-de-Lauragais, in the Haute-Garonne, Mr. and Mrs. Brunet and Mr. Gadra, teacher of the locality, affirmed to have seen "yesterday evening", above the village, a luminous disc of orange color, which "moved at a great height and was moving north-south."
"After being visible for 30 to 40 seconds, the luminous disc disappeared on the horizon."
In 1958, ufologist Aimé Michel, referring to the newspaper La Croix for September 30, 1954, as well, gave the same story without the names of the witnesses and indicating as date of observation: September 27, 1954.
[Ref. ppe1:] NEWSPAPER "PARIS-PRESSE":
|
THE Martians follow each other and are not alike. In Corrèze, they are small and helmeted. In Portugal, they are gigantic and clad in aluminum.
Schoolchildren in the Lot in turn assure that they saw one yesterday, near Figeac.
The children were on their way to school when it appeared to them.
- He spoke to us, they said, but we didn't understand what he was saying...
Whereupon he went down to a meadow, below the road from Figeac to Cahors. The children saw him climb into a small craft which rose vertically.
- It was a machine that looked like a box, they said.
After the saucers, cigars and flying discs, here is the flying box!
In Vienne, a resident of Montgadé, Mr. Yves David, also encountered, he says, a Martian. It happened on Friday September 17, around 10:30 p.m., on the road from Vouneuil to Cenon when he saw in front of him, placed on the path a bizarre craft about 3 meters wide. A small being descended from it, approached Mr. David and tapped him on the shoulder. After that, he returned to his machine which rose and disappeared, leaving behind a green light.
Saucers are reported everywhere. In Saint-Bazeille (Lot-et-Garonne), two people saw a phosphorescent disc, of bluish tint, crossing the sky. Another, orange in color, was seen in Lanta, near Villefranche-de-Lauraguais. A third, "of an indefinite color", flew over the Perpignan region; seven workers saw it; according to one he went away towards the sea; others say it crossed the Pyrenees.
In the Dauphiné it's a real carousel. Near Feyzin (Isère), it is an object in the shape of a dome; in the Drôme, near Chabeuil, it is a whistling disc. Same thing in Savoy, not far from Bourget Lake, where one of the witnesses, a doctor from Chambéry, former artillery observer, noted his observations and draw a sketch.
In Saint-Nicolas-de-Redon, finally, a mechanic and a driver who drove a locomotive, MM. Gérard and Paroux, see a mysterious object rising from the neighboring marshes. Mr. Paroux fell ill and had to undergo a medical examination.
[Ref. cpd1:] NEWSPAPER "LE COURRIER PICARD":
|
LYON, September 30. -- In the departments of Rhône, Isère, Drôme and Savoie, many people claim to have seen, in recent days, with more or less clarity, craft having either the shape of cigars or that of discs.
In the Arbresle region, one of these witnesses, director of a Parisian music hall, even filmed a of these mysterious craft which evolved at a height estimated by him at around 700 meters. We will thus know, after development of the film, whether or not it is an optical illusion.
Near Feyzin (Isère), a young man reportedly saw in the country, not far from the ground, a machine having the shape of a dome and from which came a very bright light.
The witness compared it to that caused by the combustion of magnesium. The craft suddenly went up vertically, leaving behind a shower of sparks and disappeared.
In the Drôme, a resident, Mrs. L ... who was walking near Chabeuil, claims to have met, in the path that she followed, a small being dressed so oddly that she thought at first that it was a cellophane scarecrow.
The dog accompanying the walker barked furiously, overcome with terror. As for Mrs. L..., also terrified, she hid behind a hedge.
It was then that she saw rising from the cornfield which bordered the path, a disc from which came a whistling sound. Shortly after, the witness and some peasants went into the field where, according to them, a circular trace approximately 3 meters in diameter was clearly distinguished, with ears of corn lying down and broken branches at the edge.
Other residents of Chabeuil also said they saw a flying saucer that day.
Finally, in Savoy, near Lac du Bourget, above Mont Revard, several motorists, a total of fifteen people, simultaneously saw a craft moving for about four minutes in the shape of a disc, -tes [sic], then suddenly disappear.
Continued at the 2nd page under the title:
FLYING SAUCERS
|
(Continued from the 1st page)
One of the witnesses, a doctor from Chambéry, is a former artillery observer. He carefully noted the observations and drew a diagram reproducing the path of the craft.
MM. Gérard, mechanic, and Paroux, driver, who were driving a high-speed machine coming from Nantes, saw, last night, while they were passing at a place called "La Butte du Rouge", commune of Saint-Nicolas-de-Redon (Ille-et-Vilaine) a craft which rose from the neighboring marshes.
This contraption, of some length, which was followed by a luminous trail, flew during ten seconds above the machine and disappeared in the sky.
Whereas the mechanic kept calm, the driver, however, was frightened, he fell ill and had to undergo a medical examination this morning.
Mr. Yves David, 28, a farmer in Brouloux, commune of Vouneuil-sur-Vienne, said he saw advancing on him, on the road from Cenon to Vouneuil, on September 10 at 10 p.m., a kind of "diver".
The latter, he said, came to caress his arm, uttered unintelligible sounds and withdrew towards a craft (that Mr. David cannot describe). A green beam of light was projected in its direction, nailing him on the spot, then the craft disappeared in the sky, vertically, without any noise.
Mr. David declares that he did not want to say anything about this bizarre encounter, lest someone makes fun of him. However, he shared it with a friend, asking him whether other people had seen the "diver". That's how the whole country learned about this.
A baker from Canet-Plage, said that when he returned from a delivery tour with his van, he saw above this locality, a brilliant disc which, after having flown in large circles, moved away towards the sea.
Also seven workers from a factory in the suburbs of Perpignan claim to have also seen an object of indefinite color evolving at high speed; which reportedly crossed the Pyrenees towards Spain.
Three residents of Lanta, near Villefranche-de-Lauraguais (Haute-Garonne), Mr. and Mrs. Brunet, and Mr. Gadra, local school teacher, say they saw an orange disc yesterday evening above the village.
The object moved at a great height and moved in a north-south direction.
After being visible for thirty to forty seconds, the luminous disc disappeared on the horizon.
[Ref. nnm1:] NEWSPAPER "LE NOUVEAU NORD MARITIME":
|
Châtellerault, 29. -- Mr. Yves David, 28, farmer in Les Brouloux, commune of Vouneuil-sur-Vienne (Vienne), said he saw advance towards him on the road from Cenon to Vouneuil, on September 19 at 10 p.m., a kind of "diver".
The latter, he said, came to caress his arm, made unintelligible sounds and withdrew towards a craft (which Mr. David cannot describe). A green beam of light was projected in his direction, nailing him on the spot, then the craft disappeared in the sky, vertically, without any noise.
Mr. David declares that he told nothing about this bizarre encounter for fear of being laughed at. He did, however, share it with a friend, asking him if anyone else had seen the "diver". That's how the whole country found out.
Stockholm, 23. -- A luminous sphere, which left behind a trail of fire, was photographed last night in Djuv, in the south-east of Sweden. The object, which was moving north, said the witness, was flying quickly, "as high, he said, as a jet plane but without making any noise".
At the Lund Observatory, it is stated that no meteor was observed at the time when the witness photographed the said phenomenon with the telephoto lens.
Perpignan, 29. -- A baker from Canet-Plage, Mr. Etienne Err, said that after returning from a tour of delivery with his van, he had seen above this locality, a brilliant disc which, after having flown in large circles, moved away in direction of the sea.
Also, seven workers from a factory in the suburbs of Perpignan claim to have also seen an object of indefinite color, moving at high speed and which would have crossed the Pyrenees towards Spain.
Toulouse, 29. -- Three residents of Lanta, near Villefranche du Laurageais (Haute-Garonne), Mr. and Mrs. Brunet and Mr. Garda, a teacher in the locality, claim to have seen, last night, above the village, a luminous disc of orange color.
The object moved at a great height and moved in a North-South direction.
After being visible for thirty to forty seconds, the luminous disc disappeared on the horizon.
Lisbon, 29. -- "Travelers from another world", whose visit to Portugal was announced by a Lisbon newspaper, were not even born from an imagination exacerbated by the countless visions of flying saucers. They were just the creation of hoaxers, which the same newspaper denounced yesterday.
Boulogne-sur-Mer, 29. -- Mr. Raoul Baptiste, 72, a retired entrepreneur domiciled in Wimereux, said he saw a craft, around 11 p.m. Sunday, which could be a flying saucer, heading very low to the north.
[Ref. vdn1:] NEWSPAPER "LA VOIX DU NORD":
|
A rain of flying saucers crossed all the skies of France for a few days, that of the Dauphiné in particular, where a real aerial carousel has attracted the attention of many observers.
In the Rhône, Isère, Drôme and Savoie departments, many people claim to have seen, in recent days, with more or less clarity, craft in the shape either of cigars, or of discs.
One of these witnesses, director of a Parisian music hall, said that he had filmed a mysterious craft which was moving at a height estimated by him at around 700 meters. We will thus know, after development of the film, whether or not it is an optical illusion.
In the Drôme, a resident of Valence, Mrs. L ..., who was walking by Chabeuil, claims to have met in the path she was following, a short being, strangely dressed in some sort of cellophane.
She saw a maize field bordering the edge of the path, a whistling disc. Shortly after, the witness noticed in the field a circular trace of about 3 meters in diameter with lying ears and broken branches. Other residents of Chabeuil confirmed these observations.
Finally, in Savoy, fifteen people simultaneously saw a craft in the shape of a disc move for about four minutes.
One of the witnesses, a former artillery observer, drew a sketch reproducing the path of the mysterious craft.
***
A baker from Canet-Plage, Mr. Etienne Err, said that after returning from a delivery tour with his van, he had seen above this locality, a brilliant disc which, after having followed large circles, moved away in direction of the sea. Seven workers of a factory of the Perpignan suburbs confirmed his statements.
***
Three residents of Lanta, near Villefranche-de-Lauraguais (Haute-Garonne), Mr. and Mrs. Brunet, and Mr. Gadra, local teacher, say they saw, last night, for 30 to 40 seconds, above the village, a bright orange disc.
[Ref. nll1:] NEWSPAPER "NORD LITTORAL":
|
Lyon, September 29.
In the departments of Rhône, Isère, Drôme and Savoie, many people claim to have seen, in recent days, with more or less clarity, craft having either the shape of a cigars or that of discs.
In the Arbresle region, one of these witnesses, director of a Parisian music-hall, even filmed a of these mysterious craft which moved at a height estimated by him, approximately 700 meters. We will thus know, after development of the film whether or not it is an optical illusion.
Near Feyzin (Isère), a young man reportedly saw in the countryside, not far from the ground, a craft in the shape of a dome and from which sprung is a very bright light. The witness compared it to that caused by the combustion of magnesium. The craft suddenly went up vertically, leaving behind a shower of sparks and disappeared.
In the Drôme, a resident of Valence, Mrs. L..., who was walking near Chabeuil, claims to have met on the way that she was following, a being of small stature and dressed so oddly that at first thought it was a cellophane scarecrow. The dog accompanying the walker barked furiously, overcome with terror. As for Mrs. L..., also terrified, she hid behind a hedge.
It was then that she saw rising from the field of maize that bordered the path, a disc from which came a whistling sound. Shortly after, the witness and some peasants went into the field where, according to them, a circular trace approximately three meters in diameter was clearly distinguished, with ears of maize lying down and broken branches at the edge.
Other residents of Chabeuil also said they saw that day a flying saucer flying over the countryside.
Finally, in Savoie, near Lac du Bourget, above Mont Revard, several motorists, a total of fifteen people, simultaneously saw a craft in the shape of a disc, move for about 4 minutes, then suddenly disappear.
One of the witnesses, a doctor from Chambéry, is a former artillery observer. He carefully noted the observations and drew a sketch reproducing the path of the mysterious apparatus.
Redon, Sept. 29
MM. Gérard, mechanic and Paroux, driver, who were driving a high-speed machine coming from Nantes, saw last night as they passed at a place called "La Butte du Rouge", commune of Saint-Nicolas-de-Redon, (Ille-et-Vilaine), a craft that rose from the neighboring marshes.
This craft, of a certain length, which was followed by a luminous trail, flew during ten seconds above the machine and disappeared in the sky.
Whereas the mechanic kept his cool, the driver however was so frightened that he fell ill and had to undergo a medical examination this morning.
Read on page 8: The Chronicle of Heaven.
|
Stockholm, September 29.
- A luminous sphere, which left a trail of fire behind it, was photographed last night in Bjuv, in the south-east of Sweden. The object, which was moving north, said the witness, was flying quickly, "as high, he said, as a jet plane but silenttly."
At the Lund observatory, it is stateed that no meteor was observed at the time when the witness photographed the phenomenon in question on the telephoto lens.
Perpignan, Sept. 29 -- A baker from Canet-Plage, Mr. Etienne Err, said that after returning from a delivery tour with his van he had seen, above this locality, a brilliant disc which, after having described large circles, moved away towards the sea.
On the other hand seven workers from a factory in the suburbs of Perpignan claim to have also seen an object of an indefinite color, moving at high speed and which would have crossed the Pyrenees towards Spain.
Toulouse, 29 Sept. -- Three inhabitants of Lanta, near Villefranche de Lauraguais (Haute-Garonne), Mr. and Mrs. Brunel and Mr. Gadra, a teacher in the locality, claim to have seen, last night, above the village, a luminous disc of orange color.
The object moved at a great height and moved in a north-south direction.
After being visible for 30 to 40 seconds, the luminous disc disappeared on the horizon.
Châtellerault, 29 Sep. -- Mr. Yves David, 28, farmer in Les Brouloux, commune of Vouneuil sur Vienne (Vienne), said he saw advancing on him on the road from Cenon to Vouneuil, on September 19 at 10 p.m. a sort of "diver."
The latter, he said, came to caress his arm, emitted unintelligible sounds and withdrew towards a craft (which Mr. David cannot describe). A green light beam was projected in his direction, nailing him on the spot, then the craft disappeared in the sky vertically without any noise.
Mr. David declares that he did not want to say anything about this bizarre encounter, lest someone make fun of him. He did, however, share it with a friend, asking if anyone else had seen the "diver." That's how the whole country found out.
[Ref. ads1:] NEWSPAPER "L'ARDENNAIS":
LYON - In the Rhône. Isère, Drôme and Savoy departments, many people claim to have seen, these last days, with more or less sharpness, craft having either the shape of cigars or that of disks.
In the region of the Arbresle, one of these witnesses, director of a Paris music hall, even filmed one of these mysterious craft that was evolving at a height estimated by him at about 700 meters, so we will know, after development of the film, whether or not it is an optical illusion.
Near Fezin (Isère) a young man reportedly saw a dome-shaped craft in the countryside, not far from the ground from where a very bright light sprang up. The witness compared it to that caused by the burning of magnesium. The craft suddenly climbed vertically leaving behind a shower of sparks and disappeared.
In the Drôme, a resident of Valence, Mrs. L ... who was walking near Chabeuil, said to have met in the path she followed a being of small size who was dressed so oddly that she thought at first that it was a cellophane scarecrow. The dog that accompanied the walker barked furiously, in terror. As for Mrs. L..., also terrified, she hid behind a hedge.
It was then that she saw a disk rising from the cornfield along the road, whistling. Shortly thereafter, the witness and some peasants went to the field where, according to them, there was clearly a circular trace of about 3 meters in diameter with corn stalks laid down and broken branches on the edge.
(See more at the 6th page)
(Continued from the first page)
Other residents of Chabeuil also said they saw a flying saucer flying over the countryside that day.
Finally, in Savoy, near the Lake of the Bourget, above Mount Revard, several motorists, in total about fifteen people, saw simultaneously a craft having the shape of a disc, moving for about four minutes, then disappearing suddenly.
One of the witnesses, a doctor from Chambéry, is a former artillery observer. He carefully noted the observations and drew a diagram reproducing the path of the mysterious apparatus.
Mr. Yves David, 28, farmer at the Brouloux, municipality of Vouneuil-sur-Vienne (Vienne) said he saw advance at him on the road from Cenon to Vouneuil on September 19 at 10 p.m. a kind of "scuba diver".
The latter, he said, came to caress his arm, uttered unintelligible sounds and withdrew to a craft (which Mr. David cannot describe). A green light beam was projected in his direction, nailing him on the spot, then the craft disappeared vertically in the sky without any noise.
Mr. David declares that he did not want to say anything about this strange encounter, lest anyone scoff at him. He told a friend, however, asking if other people had seen the "scuba diver". This is how the whole country learned about it...
PERPIGNAN - A baker from Cannet-Plage, Mr. Err, said that when he returned from a delivery tour with his pickup truck, he saw above this locality a brilliant disc which, after having flown in large circles, moved towards the sea. Also, seven workers of a factory of the suburb of Perpignan claim to have also seen an object of an indefinite color, moving at high speed, and which would have crossed the Pyrenees towards Spain.
Three inhabitants of Lanta, near Villefranche-de-Lauragais (Haute-Garonne), Mr. and Mrs. Brunet and Mr. Gadra, teacher of the locality, claim to have seen last night, above the village, a luminous disc of orange color. The object was moving at a great height and was moving north south.
After being visible for 30 to 40 seconds, the luminous disc disappeared on the horizon.
[Ref. lon1:] NEWSPAPER "L'OISE-MATIN":
|
Dozens of flying saucers were seen in the last 24 hours in the skies of France, North Africa, the Netherlands and even as far as Denmark and Sweden.
Some believe they have met "Martians"; a witness, manager of a Parisian music hall even went so far as to film one of these mysterious craft which he said was moving at around 700 meters of height, in a sky clear of clouds, for once.
The film is not yet developed and it will only be in a few hours that we will know whether the witness has been the victim, or not, of an illusion.
The craft was one of the many "flying cigars" or "discs" that witnesses said they saw in the departments of Rhône, Isère, Drôme and Savoie.
In this latter region, 15 witnesses saw, for a few minutes, an apparatus in the shape of a disc moving near Lac du Bourget above Mont Revard, then suddenly disappearing.
One of the witnesses, a doctor from Chambéry is a former artillery observer. He carefully noted his observations and drew a sketch showing the path of the mysterious craft.
Another group which claims to have seen "an object of an indefinite color moving at high speed", seven workers in a factory in the suburb of Perpignan specified that the craft would have crossed the Pyrenees towards Spain.
In the Haute-Garonne, three residents of Lanta, near Villefranche-de-Lauraguais, saw Tuesday evening above the village a luminous disc of
Continued on page 10
|
Continued from the 1stpage
orange color. The object, they said, was flying at a great height and moving in a North-South direction.
In Kourigra, a locality located about 130 kilometers from Casablanca, reliable witnesses said they saw the day before yesterday, a circular-shaped craft of red color moving at a high altitude and at a high speed.
In Denmark, many residents of the town of Strib also said they spotted a "cigar" while in Sweden a luminous sphere that left a trail of fire behind was photographed Tuesday evening in Bjuv, in the south-east of the country, by a witness.
It is in the Netherlands, where the testimonies relating to the passage of "saucers" multiply, that one is most currently passionate about these aerial phenomena. The curiosity of the population was carried to its maximum by the impressive story given by the captain of a freighter, Mr. J. P. Boshoff of the Holland-United States line. The captain says in fact that with five of his officers and using all the optical equipment on board, he was able to observe at leisure an object "the size of a half-moon" which finally disappeared on the way up, at an altitude of about 14,000 meters.
Such sightings are apparently not without danger to human nature judging by the adventure of Mssrs. Gérard, mechanic and Paroux, driver, who, driving a locomotive coming from Nantes, said they saw, while passing near Saint-Nicolas de Redon, in the Ille-et-Vilaine, a craft that rose from nearby swamps to quickly disappear into the sky.
The mechanic said he had kept his cool but the driver was so scared, said the A.F.P. dispatch recounting the incident, that he fell sick and had to undergo a medical examination the next day.
There are also reports of new encounters with strange beings.
The first case is that of Mr. Yves David, 28, farmer in Les Brouloux, commune of Vouneuil-sur-Vienne, in Vienne, who declared - belatedly - to have seen on September 19, at 2 o'clock, a sort of diver who came to stroke him on the arm while emitting unintelligible sounds before flying away inside a saucer.
In the Drôme, a resident of Valence who was walking near Chabeuil also lived, she said, an encounter with a small being which she at first took for a "cellophane scarecrow".
She took refuge, in the company of her dog, as terrified as herself, in a thicket. A few minutes later, she witnessed, she clarified, the start of a disc from which a whistling sound came.
This upsurge in testimonies obviously does not fail to excite public opinion. Will it be possible one day to unravel the mystery of the "saucers"?
[Ref. aml1:] AIME MICHEL:
The French ufologist indicates in his book that on September 27 at 08:00 P.M., in Lanta, in Haute-Garonne, within 18 kilometers of Toulouse, three witnesses, including the teacher, saw a luminous disc of reddish color crossing the sky at high speed and disappearing in forty second towards the South.
He indicates as source the newspaper "La Croix" for September 30, 1954.
[Ref. aml3:] AIME MICHEL:
Monday, September 27 [1954].
[...]
Let's join Rixheim [actually the 28th] to Froncles [actually the 28th]: the line passes on the north of Paris and above La Varenne. Of all observations of the day, only finally that of Lanta proves to be resolutely erratic. All the others are located on two straight lines intersecting at Rixheim.
[Ref. gqy1:] GUY QUINCY:
|
September 27, 1954]
[... Other cases...]
08:00 p.m.: Lanta (Hte.Garonne: lum. disc
[... Other cases...]
[Ref. fru1:] MICHEL FIGUET AND JEAN-LOUIS RUCHON:
The two authors indicate that in Lanta in Haute-Garonne, on September 27, 1954, at 08:00 p.m., a flying disc was observed.
[Ref. gep1:] UFOLOGY GROUP "GEPO":
| 09/27/54 | (20) | Lanta (Haute-Garonne) F | N3 | 107C2 |
[Ref. via1:] UFOLOGY BULLETIN "VIMANA 21":
|
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 30 [Publication date]: ORANGE LUMINOUS DISK IN TOULOUSE -
Three inhabitants of Lanta (Haute Garonne). Mr. and Mrs. Brusset and Mr. Gadra, teacher, claim to have seen, yesterday evening, above the village, a luminous disk of orange color. The object evolved at a great height and moved in a north-south direction. After being visible for 30 to 40 seconds, the luminous disc disappeared on the horizon.
The source is said to be the newspaper Le Bien Public.
[Ref. lgs1:] LOREN GROSS:
Loren Gross reproduced this newspaper article without giving its source:
|
Lyon, September 29. -- In the departments of Rhône, Isère, Drôme and Savoy, many people claim to have seen in recent days, with more or less clarity, craft either in the shape of cigars or in the shape of discs.
In the region of Arbresles (Rhône), one of these witnesses, director of a Paris music hall, even filmed one of these mysterious apparatuses that moved at a height estimated by him at about 700 meters. We will thus know after development of the film whether or not it is an optical illusion.
Near Feyzin (Isère), a young man reportedly saw in the countryside, not far from the ground, a machine in the shape of a dome and from which a very bright light sprang forth. The witness compared it to that caused by the burning of magnesium. The craft suddenly climbed vertically leaving behind a shower of sparks and disappeared.
In the Drôme, a resident of Valence, Mrs. L... who was walking near Chabeuil, claims to have met in the path she followed, a being of small size dressed so oddly that she thought at first that it was a cellophane scarecrow. The
Continued on 12th page.
dog that accompanied the walker barked furiously in terror. As for Mrs. L... also terrified, she hid behind a hedge.
It was then that she saw rising from the corn field that bordered the road, a disc whence emanated a hissing sound. Shortly after, the witness and some peasants went to the field where, according to them, a circular trace of about three meters in diameter was clearly visible, with maize laid on the ground and broken branches on the border.
Other residents of Chabeuil also said that on that day they saw a flying saucer flying over the countryside.
Finally in Savoie near Lake Bourget, above mount Revard, several motorists, in total about fifteen people, saw simultaneously a craft with the form of a disc move for about four minutes, then suddenly disappear.
One of the witnesses, a doctor from Chambéry, is a former artillery observer. He carefully noted the observations and drew a sketch reproducing the path of the mysterious craft.
Perpignan, September 29. -- A baker from Canet-Plage, Mr. Etienne Err, said that after returning from a delivery tour with his van, he had seen above this locality, a brilliant disc which, after having described large circles, moved towards the sea.
On the other hand, seven workers from a factory in the suburbs of Perpignan claim to have also seen an object of an indefinable color moving at high speed, and which would have crossed the Pyrenees towards Spain.
***
Toulouse, September 29. -- Three inhabitants of Lanta, near Villefranche-de-Lauraguais [sic] (Haute-Garonne), Mr. and Mrs. Brunet and Mr. Gadra, teacher of the locality, affirm they saw, yesterday evening, above the village, a luminous disk of orange color.
The object was moving at a great height and was moving north-south.
After being visible for thirty to forty seconds, the luminous disc disappeared on the horizon.
Rennes, September 29th. - MM. Gérard, a mechanic, and Paroux, a chauffeur, who drove a top-of-the-line machine from Nantes, spotted last night as they passed the place called "La Butte du Rouge", municipality of Saint-Nicolas de Redon (Ille-et-Vilaine), a craft that rose from neighboring marshes.
This craft of some length which was followed by a luminous train flew for about ten seconds above the machine and disappeared in the sky.
If the mechanic kept his composure, the driver was so frightened that he fell ill and had to get a medical examination this morning.
[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH - "*U* COMPUTER DATABASE":
3851: 1954/09/27 20:00 1 1:39:20 E 43:34:40 N 3333 WEU FRN HGR 6:8
LANTA,FR:D1 11mi E/TOULOUSE:TEACHER+2:LUMn RED SCR CROSSES SKY >S/40sec:NFD
Ref# 49 MICHEL,Aime: FS & STRAIGHT LINE TH: Page No. 88 : PASTURE
[Ref. djn1:] DONALD JOHNSON:
Encounters with Aliens On this Day
September 27
[...]
1954 - A luminous disc-shaped object was observed in Lanta, Haute-Garonne, France at 8 o'clock in the evening. (Source: Michel Figuet and Jean-Louis Ruchon, OVNI: Le premier dossier complet des rencontres rapprochees en France, p. 92).
[...]
[Ref. cpr1:] CLAUDE POHER, UFO RESEARCH GROUP "GEPA":
In 1968-1969, before the official GEPAN ufology effort started, its future head Dr Claude Poher was a member of the unofficial GEPA ufology group, and gathered a computer coded listing of more than 700 UFO reports on which multiple factors statistical computation could be run. In the file were a number of 1954 French UFO reports, among those this one.
For readability, a decoded interpretation of the data is provided here under the original 80 character encoded string. Decoding was done according to the original indications, the code number and its generic meaning is given. Please note that the generic meaning of each code is a predefined category, not the real specific details of the case. For example, if the main witness' age was 33, the coding would result in a number "3" which corresponds to a category "Adult from 21 to 59 years."
| Original code: | 0607552409195420001JA3105010060010AA0A034000100000000000000000000000000000000000 |
|---|---|
| Location: | Lanta (Hte Gne) - France |
| Case number: | 0607 |
| Source code: | 55 |
| Nature of the source: | Reports from official French sources: Police, Gendarmerie, Army, Pilots |
| Day: | 24 |
| Month: | 09 |
| Year: | 1954 |
| Hours: | 20 |
| Minutes: | 00 |
| Type of Time: | 1 = local time |
| Number of witnesses: | 3 |
| Main witness named: | 1 = name(s) indicated |
| Main witness age: | 0 = no indication |
| Main witness occupation: | 4 = army, police, fireman, constable |
| Official investigation: | 1 = an official investigation was made |
| Weather: | 0 = no indication |
| Duration: | 0 = no indication |
| Minimal distance witness - phenomenon: | |
| Method of observation: | 0 = no indication |
| Number of "objects" observed simultaneously: | 01 = 1 |
| Shape of the "object" (terminology of witness(es)): | |
| Dimensions of the phenomenon: | ZZZZ = no indication |
| Color of the observed phenomenon: | 00 = no indication |
| Luminosity of the phenomenon: | 3 = shining, very luminous |
| Lights or projectors on the phenomenon: | 0 = no indication |
| Moving speed of the phenomenon: | 0 = no indication |
| Acceleration of the phenomenon: | 0 = no indication |
| Trajectory of the phenomenon: | 0 = no indication |
| Sounds perceived during observation: | 0 = no indication |
| Maximum angular height of observation (horizon = 0°): | 0 = no indication |
| Nature of the landing place: | 0 = no indication |
| Number of contact points with ground: | 0 = no indication |
| Traces of landing: | 0 = no indication |
| Observation of "occupants" | 0 = no indication |
| Height of the occupants observed: | 00 = no indication |
| Garment of the occupants: | 00 = no indication |
| Garment: | 0 = no indication |
| General behavior of "occupants": | 0 = no indication |
| Interaction of "occupants" with witness: | 0 = no indication |
| Head, hair: | 0 = no indication |
| Voice, breathing, chin: | 0 = no indication |
| Skin: | 0 = no indication |
| Eyes: | 0 = no indication |
| Mouth: | 0 = no indication |
| Various details: | 0 = no indication |
| Thermal effects: | 0 = no indication |
| Luminous effects: | 0 = no indication |
| Magnetic effect (or electromagnetic): | 0 = no indication |
| Odor perceived by witness: | 0 = no indication |
| Physiological effects on the witness(es): | 0 = no indication |
| Psychological effect on the witness(es): | 0 = no indication |
| Effects on animals: | 0 = no indication |
| Other effects reported: | 0 = no indication |
| Nebulosity: | 0 = no indication |
| Oscillations, emission of matter: | 0 = no indication |
| Spin, formation flight: | 0 = no indication |
| Immediate disappearance: | 0 = no indication |
| Halo surrounding the phenomenon: | 0 = no indication |
| Interaction witness / phenomenon (complement to the other rubrics): | 0 = no indication |
| Drawing or photo: | 0 = no indication |
| Structural details observed: | 0 = no indication |
[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN:
Luc Chastan indicates in his database that in the Haute Garonne (31) in Lanta on September 27, 1954 at 20:00 hours, "Three witnesses, among them a teacher, saw a dazzling disc of orange color cross the sky at high speed and disappear in forty seconds towards the South. It was described as 'huge' and moved without noise."
The sources are indicated as: "Ovni, Premier dossier complet... by Figuet M./ Ruchon J.L. ** Alain Lefeuvre pub. 1979" and "Les OVNI vus de près by Gross Patrick ** http://ufologie.net" and "Les Universons by Poher Claude ** http://www.premiumwanadoo.com/universons/".
[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on 27 September 1954 at 20:00 in Lanta, France, "Teacher and two others watch luminous red disc cross sky, to the south for 40 seconds."
And: "A luminous disc-shaped object was observed in Lanta, Haute-Garonne, France, at 8 o'clock in the evening."
And: "A flying disc was observed. One red disc, of huge size, was observed by three witnesses in a pasture for 42 seconds (Brunet; Gadra)."
The sources are indicated as *Michel, Aime, Flying Saucers and the Straight-Line Mystery, S. G. Phillips, New York, 1958; Poher, Claude, Etudes Statistiques Portant sur 1000 Temoignag, Author, undated; Vallee, Jacques, Computerized Catalog (N = 3073); Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002*.
[Ref. nip1:] "THE NICAP WEBSITE":
*Sep. 27, 1954 - A luminous disc-shaped object was observed in Lanta, Haute-Garonne, France at 8 o'clock in the evening. (Source: Michel Figuet & Jean-Louis Ruchon, OVNI: Le premier dossier complet des rencontres rapprochees en France, p. 92).
[Ref. ubk1:] "UFO-DATENBANK":
The case was recorded three times in this database:
| Case Nr. | New case Nr. | Investigator | Date of observation | Zip | Place of observation | Country of observation | Hour of observation | Classification | Comments | Identification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19540924 | 24.09.1954 | Lanta | France | 20.00 | ||||||
| 19540927 | 27.09.1954 | Lanta | France | 20.00 | NL | |||||
| 19540927 | 27.09.1954 | Lanta | France | 20.00 | NL |
|
A meteor or a plane are possible; the date is not very certain, the hour is only "evening".
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Haute-Garonne, multiple, teacher, disc, red, reddish, fast, meteor
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | January 3, 2006 | First published. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | February 1, 2010 | Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Additions [lcn1], [uda1]. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | November 15, 2014 | Addition [nip1]. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | December 8, 2016 | Additions [cpr1], [ubk1]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | July 28, 2019 | Additions [ads1], [via1], [lhh1], Summary. Explanations changed, were "Not looked for yet. Possible meteor." |
| 1.4 | Patrick Gross | January 10, 2020 | Addition [ppe1]. |
| 1.5 | Patrick Gross | February 20, 2020 | Addition [cpd1]. |
| 1.6 | Patrick Gross | March 1, 2020 | Addition [nnm1]. |
| 1.7 | Patrick Gross | April 19, 2020 | Addition [vdn1]. |
| 1.8 | Patrick Gross | June 13, 2020 | Addition [nll1]. |
| 1.9 | Patrick Gross | May 5, 2021 | Addition [lon1]. |
| 1.9 | Patrick Gross | November 19, 2021 | Addition [gqy1]. |
| 2.0 | Patrick Gross | April 9, 2022 | Addition [gep1]. |
| 2.1 | Patrick Gross | July 12, 2022 | Addition [aml3]. |
