The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 3-Nov-54-Mareil-en-Champagne.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
The case was reported in the newspapers Les Nouvelles, of Sablé, for November 6, 1954 and La Libre Dépêche du Maine, of le Mans, for November 7, 1954, about an experience alleged by young farm hand Roland Poirier aged 15, on November 3, 1954.
That day, at 06:30, lighting himself with a hand lantern because of the fog, the young man, employed by Mr. Raymond Baré in La Grange, Mareil-en-Champagne, France, was going to seek the cows to milk. He had hardly walked five hundred meters, when he saw two strange beings in the fog.
He described them as having a hairy face and a big nose, eyes like China men, metallic looking clothes, capped with a round and transparent helmet. They walked like if they were skating.
He was very afraid and yelled. The beings started to walk around him, one in a contrary direction of that of the other.
His boss, the farmer, saw him suddenly arrive, out of breath, disfigured by the fear, and telling him that two strange beings, which had disappeared meanwhile, had chased him.
Upset by the fear, the teenager was sick all the day and did not want to sleep alone anymore. He claimed that he did not hallucinate, and it was said that he had never read anything about the flying saucers, nor the Martians.
[Ref. jsr1:] JEAN SIDER:
French ufologist and author Jean Sider notes that on November 3, 1954, at 06:30 a.m., in Mareil-in-Champagne, in the Sarthe, in France, Roland Poirier, aged 15, experienced a close encounter of the third kind reported in the newspapers Les Nouvelles, of Sablé, for November 6, 1954 on page 3, and La Libre Dépêche du Maine, of le Mans, for November 7, 1954 on page 3, in the following manner:
"A young farmer assistant aged 15 experienced last Wednesday the greatest fright of his life, It was 06:30, lighting himself with a hand lantern because of the fog, the young chap who works at Mr. Raymond Baré in La Grange (Mareil), was going to seek the cows to milk. He had hardly walked five hundred meters, when, if he must be believed, he saw in the fog two strange beings:"
"They had a hairy face and a big nose. Their clothing was like metal. And they were capped with a round and transparent helmet. I was very afraid and I yelled. They are started to walk around me, one in a contrary direction of that of the other."
"Suddenly, the farmer saw arriving his assistant, out of breath, disfigured by the fear. The young man however managed to entrust to him that two strange beings, which had disappeared meanwhile, had chased him. The young Roland also specified that the two beings advanced "like skating." Upset by the fear, the teenager was sick all the day and does not want to sleep alone anymore. However, he claims that he was not the victim of an hallucination. Moreover, he had never, it is claimed, read anything about the flying saucers, nor the Martians."
Jean Sider notes that the first journal gives calls the witness Roland Baré, but that Baré was the name of his boss, and not that of his father nor of his uncle, and that the correct witness name is indeed Roland Poirier.
Jean Sider also specifies that that the first source indicates that the eyes of the two beings were "like those of China men."
Further in his book, he indicates that he learned in an article from the newspaper La Dépêche Libre du Maine for November 7, 1954 that Roland Poirier, aged 15, remained sick a whole day after having seen two strange beings equipped with a transparent helmet who turned around him, on November 3, 1954 at 6:30 a.m. in Mareil-en-Champagne in the department of the Sarthe.
[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH - "*U* COMPUTER DATABASE":
4346: 1954/11/03 06:30 2 0:00:40 E 47:45:00 N 3333 WEU FRN SRT 8:7
MAREIL-sur-LOIR,FR:2 OBS:2 OIDS/MTL SUITS/FOG:HELMETS:GLIDE!:MST?:/LDLN#325
Ref#217 Jean SIDER: Le DOSSIER 1954 (2 vol.) Page No. 224 : FARMLANDS
[Ref. djn1:] DONALD JOHNSON:
For November 3, 1954, Donald Johnson indicates that two dwarf humanoids wearing metallic suits with helmets were seen in a thick fog at 6:30 a.m. at a farm in Mareil-sur-Loir, France. The beings glided over the ground, and there is the possibility that the two witnesses experienced an episode of missing time.
Donald Johnson indicates that the source is Larry Hatch, U computer database, case 4123, citing Jean Sider, Dossier 1954 et l'Imposture Rationaliste, page 224.
[Ref. ars1:] ALBERT ROSALES:
220.
Location. Mareil-sur-Loir France
Date: November 3 1954
Time: 0630A
Two observers see two humanoids wearing metallic suits and clear helmets. Both beings appeared to be encased in a mist or fog. One of the beings followed the younger of the observers. Possible missing time reported. No other information.
HC addition # 2433
Source: LDLN # 325
Type: E?
[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on 3 November 1954 at 06:30 in Mareil-sur-Loir, France, there was fog, mist, vapor. Two dwarf humanoids wearing metallic suits with helmets were seen in a thick fog. They glided over the ground. There was a possible missing time. Little men were observed. A cloud-like object object was observed in foggy weather by two witnesses on a farm for two minutes. Two dwarves, each wearing a silver suit and helmet, were seen. Two observers see two humanoids wearing metallic suits and clear helmets. Both beings appeared to be encased in a mist or fog. One of the beings followed the younger of the observers. A possible missing time was reported. There is no other information.
The sources are indicated as Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002; Rosales, Albert, Humanoid Sighting Reports Database.
[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN:
Luc Chastan indicates that in the Sarthe in Mareil sur Loir on November 3, 1954 at 06:30 hours, a teenager who works with the location La Grange fetched cows to milk with a lantern for there was fog. He falls nose to nose with two strange beings with hairy faces with a large nose and slanted eyes. Their clothing seems out of metal and they are capped with a round and transparent helmet. The young boy is afrais and shouts, the two entities then start to turn around him in reverse direction one from the other. The young witness would return to the farm with the face disfigured by the fear telling his story and saying that the two entities had chased him, moving as if they were skating.
The source is noted "Lumières dans la Nuit".
[Ref. pgs1:] A READER:
Subject: mareil sur loir 1954
From: [name].[firstname]@neuf.fr
Date: February 19, 2009
good evening
being from the sarthe and a fan of your articles I wanted to know if the witness of November 3, 1954 in mareil en champagne (and not mareil sur loir) could reaffirm his C3 encounter
actually this Mr Roland Poirier is untraceable at this time, but a quick investigation reveals that it was purely a prank to frighten this poor boy who was obviously regarded as very influenceable
it seems that mister Barre (deceased very recently) was an accomplice of this prank
the newspaper indeed reported this " event"
hoping this will helpl in your updates
regards
[Initials]
[Ref. nip1:] "THE NICAP WEBSITE":
*Nov. 3, 1954 - Two dwarf humanoids wearing metallic suits with helmets were seen in a thick fog at 6:30 a.m. at a farm in Mareil-sur-Loir, France. They glided over ground. There is the possibility that the two witnesses experienced an episode of missing time. (Source: Larry Hatch, U computer database, case 4123, citing Jean Sider, Dossier 1954 et l'Imposture Rationaliste, p. 224).
[Ref. tai1:] "THINK ABOUT IT" WEBSITE:
Location: Mareil-en-Champagne, Sarthe, France
Date: November 3 1954
Time: 0630A
Farmhand, Roland Poirier, 15, had gone to the fields looking to milk the cows. He had hardly walked five hundred meters when he saw two strange beings in the fog. He described them as having a hairy face, large noses, large slanted eyes and wearing metallic clothing capped with round transparent helmets. The strange beings walked “as if they were skating”. Terrified, Roland began to scream as the beings began to walk around him, one in the contrary direction of that of the other. Roland ran back to the farmhouse and was reportedly sick the rest of the day, unable to sleep.
Source: LDLN # 325
[Ref. jgz1:] JULIEN GONZALEZ:
The author indicates that in Mareil-en-Champagne, in the Sarthe, on November 3, 1954, at 06:30, Roland Poirier, 15-year-old, help of culture working at Mr. Raymond Baré's in La Grange (Mareil) had felt "last Wednesday" the greatest fear of his life.
Lighting himself with a lantern because of the fog, he went to fetch the milking cows and had not gone five hundred meters, if he is to be believed, that he saw in the fog two strange beings.
They had a hairy face and a big nose, their clothes were like metal, and they were wearing a round and transparent helmet.
He was very scared, yelled, and the beings started to turn around him, one in a direction contrary to that of the other.
Suddenly, the farmer saw his clerk out of breath, disfigured by fear. The young man, however, was able to tell him that two strange beings, who had disappeared in the meantime, had pursued him.
The young Roland also specified that the two beings advanced "as by skating". Shocked by fear, the teenager was sick all day long and did not want to sleep alone anymore.
Julien Gonzalez indicates that the sources are Les Nouvelles (Sablé) of November 6, 1954; La Libre Dépêche du Maine (Le Mans) of November 7, 1954; Jean Sider, Le dossier 1954 et l'imposture rationaliste, pages 224-225.
[Ref. ubk1:] "UFO-DATENBANK":
| Case Nr. | New case Nr. | Investigator | Date of observation | Zip | Place of observation | Country of observation | Hour of observation | Classification | Comments | Identification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19541103 | 03.11.1954 | Mareuil | France | 22.45 |
[Ref. prn2:] PETER ROGERSON - "INTCAT":
November 3 1954. 0630hrs.
MAREILEN-CHAMPAGNE (SARTHE : FRANCE)
Farm hand Roland Poirier went out with a lantern in his hand on this foggy morning to milk the cows. He had only gone 500m when he encountered two strange beings in the fog. He described them as having hairy faces, large noses, oriental eyes and wearing metallic clothes and transparent helmets. They seemed to skate or glide along rather than walk. The boy ran away in terror as the beings circled around him. He was afraid they were chasing him. He arrived back at the farm out of breath, his face distorted by fear and he was sick all day and refused to sleep alone.
URECAT citing Sider 1997 pp 224, 268 + in Lumieres dans le [sic] Nuit 325 citing Les Nouvelles 6 November 1954. p3 + La Depeche Libre du Maine 7 November 1954. p3
Note: The source reference "URECAT" is my file as it appears in my CE3 catalogue URECAT; the file content is the same as this page of my France 1954 catalogue.
|
Prank.
This is a little known case of the famous 1954 French flap, unfortunately not investigated, discovered in Press archive by researcher Jean sider.
The notions that there were two witnesses and a possible "missing time" which appeared in the foreign sources mentioning the case is without base.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Mareil-en-Champagne, Mareil-sur-Loir, Sarthe, humanoids, suit, metallic, helmet, missing time, sick, night, prank, Barre, Roland Poirier
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | February 24, 2005 | First published. |
| 0.2 | Patrick Gross | July 26, 2007 | Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | December 22, 2008 | First formal version. Additions [lcn1], [uda1]. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | March 3, 2009 | Addition [pgs1]. Change: "Mareil-sur-Loir" to "Mareil-en-Champagne". |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | October 19, 2014 | Addition [nip1]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | February 2, 2017 | Addition [ubk1]. |
| 1.5 | Patrick Gross | December 4, 2018 | Additions [lhh1], [prn2]. |
| 1.6 | Patrick Gross | January 12, 2019 | Addition [jgz1]. |
