The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 31-Oct-54-Long.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
The regional newspaper Le Courrier Picard for November 3, 1954, reported on page 3 that "Sunday", therefore on October 31, 1954, in the evening, Mr. Petit, farmer in Long, went to his fields with a tractor to tow a beet cart.
Near a pasture belonging to Mr. Carpentier, he noticed about 20 meters away a "red ball which suddenly landed on the pasture."
Mr. Petit had the impression that his "eyelids were sticking together". He said that the "craft" was shaped like a haystack. Asked about the dimensions, he said: "Twice a kitchen table."
He had returned to his home, but the "saucer" which would have parked for almost ten minutes, according to the newspaper "then flew away in the direction of Abbeville and was seen by witnesses while flying at a relatively high altitude."
In the regional newspaper La Voix du Nord, in the issue for the Artois and the Somme for the same November 3, 1954, the sighting was reported too:
Sunday evening, around 8 p.m., a short distance from Long, in a pasture belonging to Mr. Maurice Carpentier, Mr. Petit had gone into the fields with a tractor in order to tow a car loaded with "greens" of beets. He was hitching up this cart when an orange disc shot down to the ground and landed in the pasture, about 20 meters from where Mr. Petit was.
The cultivator widened his eyes to get a better view of this round shape, about twice the size of a kitchen table, from which sparks of different colors were escaping, but mostly purple. It was then that the cultivator felt his eyelids pressed together as he looked in the direction of the saucer. Taken with fear, Mr. Petit quickly untied his trailer and, getting into his tractor, returned, all lights out, to his farm, where he recounted his misadventure. He had the impression, when he returned to the village, that the saucer had taken to the air, silently, to disappear in the direction of Abbeville.
Several people in the area did see an orange disc moving at high speed and at high altitude.
Ufologically, the case first appeared in a list by Jacques Vallée in 1966, then in his catalog of UFO landings in 1969.
He indicated that on October 31, 1954, in Corrompu, France, near the village of Long, P. Petit and his employee, Mr. Tillier, accompanied by a trader, Mr. Pecquet, saw an oval object on the ground.
When it took off, the lights of a tractor went out.
It measured about 4.5 meters and emitted a bright light similar to the flame of a torch. It turned around, veered and flew away to the southwest. It made a noise similar to that of a swarm of bees.
Jacques Vallée gave no source, and I did not find any primary source in the many re-publication of the case.
[Ref. cpd1:] NEWSPAPER "LE COURRIER PICARD":
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The truce of the saucers has ended
A clear lull had succeeded the veritable saucer carousel which, for long weeks, had taken our region for theater. No more saucers. Was it possible?
Despite the surprise of some, the disappointment of others - and it must be said - the cold indifference of many, it was necessary to face the facts. The mysterious craft had completely deserted our cities and our countries. They continued to criss-cross the sky, and if they seemed to abandon us, they appeared in other regions of France, in Spain, in Italy, in Hungary, in Egypt.
In the most curious shapes. The whole range, indeed, passed there. Cigars, "bedroom pots", crescents, stove pipes, pots. One even saw flying plates on the island of Java. Was it, in this particular case, the brutal conclusion of a domestic fight? We do not know. Enough kidding.
That of the saucers in the Picardy sky has lived.
Indeed, they resumed contact. And we are going to devote a column to them again. To the delight of those who despaired...
Sunday evening, Mr. Petit, a long-time farmer, went to his fields with a tractor, to tow a cart of beets.
Near a pasture belonging to Mr. Carpentier, he noticed about twenty meters away, a red ball which suddenly landed on the pasture.
Mr. Petit had the impression that his "eyelids were sticking together", the object, he said, was in the shape of a haystack. Asked about the dimensions, Mr. Petit said: "Twice a kitchen table."
The farmer returned to his home, but the "saucer" which would have been there for almost ten minutes, then flew towards Abbeville and was seen by witnesses, while it was flying at quite a high altitude.
Mr. Paul Granier, former officeware shop director, rue Miraumont, in Amiens, writes to us that driving in the car, on All Saints' Day, on the road leading from Villers-Bretonneux to Amiens, he saw around 4:15 p.m., "for a few minutes, in the sun a gray crown rotating concentrically and projecting around it gleams of different colors."
Two young motorcyclists, according to Mr. Granier, stopped to "contemplate" the phenomenon.
[Ref. vdn1:] NEWSPAPER "LA VOIX DU NORD":
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Sunday evening, around 8 p.m., a short distance from Long, in a pasture belonging to Mr. Maurice Carpentier, Mr. Petit had gone into the fields with a tractor in order to tow a car loaded with "greens" of beets. He was hitching up this cart when an orange disc shot down to the ground and landed in the pasture, about 20 meters from where Mr. Petit was.
The cultivator widened his eyes to get a better view of this round shape, about twice the size of a kitchen table, from which sparks of different colors were escaping, but mostly purple. It was then that the cultivator felt his eyelids pressed together as he looked in the direction of the saucer. Taken with fear, Mr. Petit quickly untied his trailer and, getting into his tractor, returned, all lights out, to his farm, where he recounted his misadventure. He had the impression, when he returned to the village, that the saucer had taken to the air, silently, to disappear in the direction of Abbeville.
Several people in the area did see an orange disc moving at high speed and at high altitude.
[Ref. jve5:] JACQUES VALLEE:
| 400 | -001.97901 | 50.04000 | 31 | 10 | 1954 | LONG-SOMME | F | 0013 | 2E |
[Ref. jv1:] JACQUES VALLEE:
323
Oct. 31, 1954 Corrompu (France).
Near Long, P. Petit and his employee, Mr. Tillier, with a shop owner, Mr. Pecquet, saw an oval object on the ground. When it took off, the lights of a tractor went out. It measured about 4.5 m, emitted a bright light similar to a welder's torch. It came back, turned, and flew to the south-west. It made the same noise as a swarm of bees. (Personal).
[Note: When Vallée wrote that the source is "personal", it did not mean that he perrsonally investigated, it just means that he has a source in his file.]
[Ref. jve3:] JACQUES VALLEE:
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October 31, 1954 Corrompu (France).
Near Long, P. Petit and his employee, Mr. Tillier, with a shop owner, Mr. Pecquet, saw an oval object on the ground. When it took off, the lights of a tractor went out. It measured about 4.5 m, emitted a bright light similar to a welder's torch. It came back, turned, and flew to the south-west. It made the same noise as a swarm of bees. (Personal).
[Note: When Vallée wrote that the source is "personal", it did not mean that he perrsonally investigated, it just means that he has a source in his file.]
[Ref. ldl1:] UFOLOGY MAGAZINE "LUMIERES DANS LA NUIT":
In a list of cases that the magazine called for investigation or re-investigation, there was:
321 10/31/54 Corrompu
[Ref. ous1:] "OURANOS" MAGAZINE:
10/31/1954 Corrompu (Somme).
That night, two witnesses. Mr. Pecquet and Mr. Tillier observed on the ground an extremely brilliant oval object that took off producing a sound similar to the buzz of a swarm of bees (Valley 323).
In this case, the buzz is formally attested, it is even reinforced by comparison (swarm), which seems to prove that it was perfectly perceived. And moreover, there were two witnesses... And yet, can we, with these elements very favorable to be certain of the reality of the sound?
[Ref. fru1:] MICHEL FIGUET AND JEAN-LOUIS RUCHON:
The two authors indicate that on October 31, 1954, in Long in the department of the Somme, at the location named "Corrompu," three witnesses saw an oval object of 4 m 50 length, emitting a brilliant light similar to the flame of a blowtorch on the ground. When it took off, the lights of a tractor went out. It made a half-turn, veered and flew away towards the south-west in the direction of Hallencourt. It made a noise similar to that of a swarm of bees.
The authors indicate that they investigated themselves with M. A. Chaloin, but it is not clear whether they meant this case or another similar one, and indicate as reference the Bulletin de l'AAMT #15, and the Vallée catalogue.
[Ref. mrr1:] MARK RODEGHIER:
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Oct. 31, 1954 |
FRANCE, "Corrompu," near Long: Three people in a field saw an oval orange object on the ground. Their tractor's lights went off when the object lifted from the ground. It emitted a bright light when taking off, and made a noise Iike bees in a beehive while in flight. It eventually turned towards the southwest and moved away. Witnesses estimated its size to be four to five meters. (The Humanoids, Bowen) |
[Ref. lgs1:] LOREN GROSS:
October 31st.
Corrompu, France, (no time known)
Three Frenchmen encountered an oval object about 4.5 meters in diameter resting on the ground. Soon after its discovery, the object launched itself skyward and flew away, returning moments later, only to finally leave the area for good on a southwest course. The headlights of a tractor were affected during the incident.
A light on the object was so intense it was compared to a welder's torch. A funny sound like a swarm of bees was heard. 236.
[Ref. jsr1:] JEAN SIDER:
The author indicates that on October 31 at an unknown hour in Long, in the Somme, Messrs P. Petit, Tillier, Pecquet and an anonymous person observed a 4.50 meters long oval object posed on the ground which emitted a light similar to the flame of a blowtorch. When it took off the lights of a tractor went off. The object made a half-turn with a noise similar to that of a swarm of bees.
The source is indicated as "Figuet, p. 204".
[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH - "*U* COMPUTER DATABASE":
4316: 1954/10/31 00:00 10 1:58:40 E 50:02:40 N 3331 WEU FRN SMM 8:8
nr LONG,FR:3 OBS:4.5M SCR/GND:TRACTOR EMEs/TAKEOFF:RETURNS:SOUNDS/BEES:>> SW
Ref# 8 VALLEE,Jacques: PASSPORT TO MAGONIA. Case No. 323 : FARMLANDS
[Ref. goe1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:
Godelieve van Overmeire indicates that in 1954, on October 31, in France, in Corrompu, "close to the village of Long, P. Petit and his employee Tillier and one Pecquet tradesman saw an oval object on the ground. When it took off the lights of a tractor died out. It measured approximately 4, 50 m and emitted a light similar to the flame of a blowtorch. It made a half-turn, veered and flew away towards the south-west. It made a noise similar to that of a swarm of bees."
The source is indicated as "Jacques Vallée: 'Chronique des apparitions ET' - DENOEL 1972 - J'AI LU COLL. - p. 291".
[Ref. fbn1:] FABRICE BONVIN:
Fabrice Bonvin notes:
Case #026: 31/10/1954, p. 204 (Corrompu)
[Ref. djn1:] DONALD JOHNSON:
On this Day
October 31
[...]
1954 - Mr. P. Petit and his employee, Mr. Tillier, with shop owner Mr. Pecquet, saw an oval object on the ground in Corrompu, France. When it took off the lights of a tractor went out. It measured about 4.5 meters (15 feet) in length and emitted a bright light similar to a welder's torch. It came back, turned, and flew off toward the southwest. It reportedly made the same noise as a swarm of bees. (Sources: Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia: A Century of Landings, p. 240, case 323; Mark Rodeghier, UFO Reports Involving Vehicle Interference, p. 5).
[Ref. jbu1:] JEROME BEAU:
Jerome Beau indicates that on Sunday October 31, 1954 in "Corrompu (France), close to the village of Long, P. Petit and his employee, Mr. Tillier, in company of a tradesman, Mr. Pecquet, see 1 oval object on the ground. When it takes off, the lights of a tractor die out. It measures approximately 4,5 m and emits a brilliant light similar to the flame of a blowtorch. It makes a half-turn, veers and flew away towards the south-west. It makes a noise similar to that of a swarm of bees."
There is no indication of a source.
[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN:
Luc Chastan indicates that in the Somme in Long on October 31, 1954 at an unknown hour, "At the location 'Corrompu' Three witnesses see an oval object of 4 m 50 in length, emitting a brilliant light similar to the flame of a blowtorch on the ground. When it takes off, the lights of a tractor die out. It makes a half-turn, veers and flies away towards south-west in direction of Hallencourt. It makes a noise similar to that of a swarm of bees."
The source is indicated as "Ovni, Premier dossier complet... by Figuet M./ Ruchon J.L. ** Alain Lefeuvre pub. 1979".
[Ref. tai1:] "THINK ABOUT IT" WEBSITE:
Date: October 31, 1954
Location: Corrompu (France
Time:
Summary: Near Long, P. Petit and his employee, Mr. Tillier, with a shop owner, Mr. Pecquet, saw an oval object on the ground. When it took off, the lights of a tractor went out. It measured about 4.5 m, emitted a bright light similar to a welder’s torch. It came back, turned, and flew to the southwest. It made the same noise as a swarm of bees.
Source: Magonia 323
[Ref. nip1:] "THE NICAP WEBSITE":
*Oct. 31, 1954 - Mr. P. Petit and his employee, Mr. Tillier, with shop owner Mr. Pecquet, saw an oval object on the ground in Corrompu, Somme, France. When it took off the lights of a tractor went out. It measured about 4.5 meters (15 feet) in length and emitted a bright light similar to a welder's torch. It came back, turned, and flew off toward the southwest. It reportedly made the same noise as a swarm of bees. (Sources: Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia: A Century of Landings, p. 240, case 323; Mark Rodeghier, UFO Reports Involving Vehicle Interference, p. 5).
[Ref. ubk1:] "UFO-DATENBANK":
The case is recorded several 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19541031 | 31.10.1954 | Corrompu | France | |||||||
| 19541031 | 31.10.1954 | Corrompu | France | CE II | ||||||
| 19541031 | 31.10.1954 | Long | France | 20.00 | CE I | |||||
| 19541031 | 31.10.1954 | Long | France | |||||||
| 19541031 | 31.10.1954 | Long | France | |||||||
| 19541031 | 31.10.1954 | Long | France | NL | ||||||
| 19541031 | 31.10.1954 | Long | France |
[Ref. prn2:] PETER ROGERSON - "INTCAT":
October 31 1954. Night.
CORRUMPU [sic] (SOMME : FRANCE)
Near Long, pPetit [sic] and his employee Mr Tillier, with a shop owner Mr Pecquet saw an oval object like a torch 4.5m long on the ground, emitting a light like that of a welder. When a tractor's light went out, the object took off, came back, turned and flew off to the southwest, making a noise like a swarm of bees.
Vallee Case 363 + Figuet and Ruchon 1979 p204 citing AAMT Bulletin 15 + Vallee.
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[mrr1] puts the witnesses on the tractor which lights died out. Actually nothing comes to support this in the previous sources available to me, it is possible that the four people were in a car or walking by and saw in addition to the UFO, this tractor in a field. The tractor driver might have turned the lights off, possibly for better seeing the "UFO"... Anyway, certainly, nothing comes to corroborate the idea that it was the "UFO" who caused this extinction. The fact that the tractor had its lights on suggests that the observation took place in the night.
An observation distance of 20 meters is a very sighting; but I nevertheless checked the Moon situation that night.
Indeed the Moon was at 227° (South-East) and at the very low elevation of 1° 40' at 8 p.m.; in other words there was at one time that evening a low Moon, setting, perhaps "red" - the "Red Moon" phenomenon, in any case low enough to make a misinterpretation of the "landing" type possible.
We can hardly count on the newspaper: their information is obviously incomplete, there is neither hour nor direction and they did not "dig" into the matter at all. The size "like two tables" for example, means nothing: two tables at what distance? Really 20 meters?
So I think it was a possible setting red moon.
I stick to "possible", since the Moon was in the last quarter, that the haystack shape is therefore not very consistent, that the distance of "20 meters" poses a certain problem, and that the effect on the eyelids remains somewhat strange.
As for the "saucer" which "took off" to head for Abbeville (11 km west-northwest), the newspaper fantasized: the witness having left did not see that. And what was seen in Abbeville, about which the newspaper says nothing more than what is in this article of November 3, was probably another sighting.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Long, Somme, Petit, farmer, tractor, field, pasture, Carpentier, ball, red, haystack, effect, eyes, duration, landing, P. Petit, M. Tillier, Pecquet, object, oval, landing, failure, headlights, car, light, brilliant, buzz, hum, multiple, manoeuvers
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | October 26, 2003 | First published. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | April 14, 2009 | Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Additions [mrr1], [jsr1], [goe1], [djn1], [jbu1], [lcn1]. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | July 1, 2010 | Addition [jve5]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | October 31, 2011 | A search on the web and in my documentation did not reveal other sources. |
| 1.3 | Patrick Gross | October 10, 2014 | Additions [tai1], [nip1]. |
| 1.4 | Patrick Gross | December 13, 2016 | Additions [lgs1], [ubk1]. |
| 1.5 | Patrick Gross | December 7, 2018 | Additions [ous1], [lhh1], [prn2], Summary. |
| 1.6 | Patrick Gross | February 3, 2020 | Addition [cpd1]. |
| 1.7 | Patrick Gross | October 23, 2021 | Addition [vdn1]. In the Summary, addition of the information from [vdn1]. |
| 1.8 | Patrick Gross | May 18, 2022 | Addition [ldl1]. |
