The 1954 French flap:

A flying saucer
lands near Melun

Its three crutches leave 10 cm deep marks in the ground

Melun, 2. -- Several road workers from Ponts-et-Chaussées who were working in the rain along the Coulommiers-Meaux road, not far from the Quincy-Voisins airfield, said they saw a flying saucer.

One of them, Mr. Bernard Goujon, 30, said he saw in a field, to the left of the road, about 200 meters from him, at the foot of a poplar bush, a strange oval craft, measuring about 3 meters in diameter, and 2 m. 50 high. It was said to have been posed on the ground on three rather high crutches. Its upper part had a small translucent dome that appeared to be made of plastic. The whole thing was made of a metal shiny like aluminum.

Mr. Goujon said that he wanted to approach the craft, but that when he arrived about 150 meters away, he was tingled as if an invisible electric ray was darted on him.

"I felt," he said, paralyzed, and my eyesight blurred slightly. I then saw the saucer rise slowly, noiselessly, like a dead leaf", until 25 meters from the ground. It stopped for a moment and then, still without noise and without any light trail, disappeared at high speed."

Traces of about 10 centimeters deep were found on the ground.

***

Quillant, 2. -- Yesterday afternoon Mr. Saboureau, lemonade maker in Belesta (Ariège) saw a brilliant ball in the sky.

The object, which was moving relatively slowly and silently, was followed, he said, by a trail of gray smoke.

***

Monceau-les-Mines, 2. -- Two mason workers, MM. Romain Sebastiani and Buratto, both cyclists at the Union Vélocipédique de Roanne, said they saw a craft taking off along the road from Blanzy to Montceau with a shrill whistling sound. The craft was, they said, in the shape of a very dark yellow cigar, three meters long and about 60 to 80 centimeters in diameter.

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THE TESTIMONY OF THE COMMANDER IN SECOND OF A CARGO SHIP

Brest, 2. -- M. Arsène Stephan, second in command of a freighter ship which stopped at Brest, stated that during the night of September 23-24, when the boat was in the Bay of Biscay, by 44 degrees 48 north and 4 degrees 50, he had seen a star four times larger than the others. Two of his sailors who were by his side also made the same observation. Through binoculars they noticed that it was a moving disc on which green reflections appeared at times.

Last Thursday, at dusk, a sailor who was at the helm of the tanker "Port-Lyautey" saw, at 500 meters from him, a saucer-shaped object of red color grazing the surface of the water and then quickly ascending vertically and disappearing, leaving a red flame.

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Caudry, 2. -- Three workers from St-Hilaire-les-Cambrai said they saw yesterday morning at 6 a.m. a strange luminous craft which trailed behind it a white gleam comparable to that of a blowtorch.

Flying saucers (continued)

"A roadmender sees a strange apparatus posed on the ground, with assistance of crutches! But when he approached of the craft, he is paralysed by an invisible ray."

Melun, October 2.

Several roadmenders of the Bridges and Road who worked under the rain at the edge of the Coulommiers-Meaux road, not far from the Quincy-Voisin airfield, stated they saw a flying saucer.

One of them, Mr. Bernard Goujon, 30 year-old, claimed to have seen in a field, on the left of the road, at approximately 200 meters of him, at the foot of a group of poplars, a strange apparatus of oval form, measuring approximately three meters in diameter and of a height of 2,50m. "It was, he said, posed on the ground with the assistance of three rather high crutches. Its higher part comprised a small translucent cupola that seemed made of plastic. The whole of the craft was of a metal shining like aluminum."

Mr. Goujon told that he had wanted to approach the craft but when he arrived at approximately 150 meters, he felt tickling as if "an invisible electric ray" were aimed at him.

"I felt, he said, paralysed, and my sight was slightly scrambled. I then saw the saucer rise very slowly, without noise, in the manner of a falling leaf up to 25 meters of the ground. It was motionless one moment, then, still without noise nor any luminous trail, it disappeared at sharp pace."

On the ground, traces of approximately 10 cm depth were found.

A shining ball.

Quillant. -- Yesterday afternoon, Mr. Saboureau, bar owner in Belestre (the Ariège), saw in the sky, a brilliant ball. The craft machine which moved rather slowly and without noise, was followed, he said, of a trail of gray smoke.

A strong whistling sound.

Montceau-les-Mines. -- Two bricklayers, Misters Romain Sebastiani and Buratte, both cyclists racing with the velocipedic union of Roanne, stated to have seen at the edge of the road of Blanzy, in Montceau, a machine taking off with a strong whistling sound. The craft, they said, was cigar-shaped, of very dark yellow color, of three meters in length and a diameter of approximately 60 to 85 cm.

Sailors report their sightings.

Brest. -- Mr. Arsène Stephan, second in command of a cargo ship which made a stopover in Brest, declared that during the night from September 23 to 24, whereas the boat was in the Bay of Biscay, at 44° 48' north and 4°50', he had seen a star four times larger than the others. Two of its sailors, who were at his sides also made the same observation. With the binocular, they noted that it was an object in which the green reflections appeared at times.

Last Thursday, at dayfall, a sailor who was conducting the tanker "Port Lyautey" saw, within less than 500 meters of him, a craft in the shape of a saucer and red in color skim the surface of water, to then go up fast and vertically, and to disappear while leaving a red flame.

An aerial blowtorch.

Caudry. -- Three workmen of St Hilaire les Cambrai claimed to have seen, this morning at 6, a strange luminous machine which trailed in its continuation a white gleam comparable with that of a blowtorch.