The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 3-Oct-54-Champigny-sur-Marne.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
In his 1958 book on the French wave of 1954, Aimé Michel reported receiving a letter from Mr. Claude R., who reported that in Champigny-sur-Marne on October 3, 1954, at 09:30 p.m. exactly, he had observed the appearance of an object heading south at high speed. Aimé Michel said he had received the letter that very evening, two days before other observations in the region and in the North were known.
Aimé Michel indicated that when the witness discovered the object, at 09:30 p.m., it appeared as a kind of orange cigar, which was almost motionless to the south-southeast, in the direction of the Orly airfield.
The witness was going to bed when he incidentally noticed a sort of ball of fire; which he observed for a while. Finding its appearance abnormal, he called his father, his mother and his 15-year-old sister, and they all followed the evolution of the phenomenon until its disappearance below the horizon.
He explained that their house enjoys excellent visibility because it is located on the slopes of the Marne. He assured:
"Accustomed to making reports by my state of student in radio-electricity, I send you our observations in a form from which we tried to exclude any imaginative side."
They saw the thing slowly deform, diminish in size and luminous intensity, then split into two luminous dots similar to stars. These two dots again melted into one whose shape became more precise, taking the shape of a "saucer" tilted on the horizon and rapidly growing.
Then the object decreased in size while falling on the horizon, was further divided into two superimposed parts, the upper part and the lower part being each successively the brightest, then the phenomenon finally disappeared to the south decreasing quickly in luminosity.
Around 2017, "skeptical" ufologist Dominique Caudron showed that it was probably the Moon occasionally masked by cloud passages. He notes that the Orly airfield is not south-southeast, but south-west of the witnesses, which is also the direction of the setting moon that night.
[Ref. aml1:] AIME MICHEL:
Aimé Michel reports that he received a letter of Mr. Claude R., who announced that in Champigny-on-Marne at a few kilometers in the East of Paris, on October 3, 1954, at 09:30 P.M. precisely, he observed the appearance of an object moving towards the south at a fast pace. Aimé Michel specifies that he received the letter that same evening, two days before other observations in the area and in the North became known.
Aime Michel indicates that at the time when the witness discovered the object, at 09:30 P.M., it appeared as a kind of orange cigar, which was almost motionless towards the south-south-east, in the direction of the Orly airport.
Michel quotes from Mr. R.'s letter:
"It is when going to bed that I incidentally noticed a kind of ball of fire. I observed it one moment, then, finding his aspect abnormal, I called my father, my mother and my fifteen years old sister. Like I did, they managed to follow the evolution of the phenomenon until its disappearance below the horizon."
"Our house enjoys an excellent visibility, for it is located on the slopes of the Marne."
"Accustomed to submit reports by my state of student in radioelectricity, I address to you our observations in a form from which we tried to exclude any imaginative side."
"We saw it becoming changing shape slowly, decreasing in size and luminous intensity, then it divided into two luminous points similar to stars."
"The two points then merged again in only one whose form became precise, taking the shape of a "saucer" inclined on the horizon and growing bigger quickly. Then the object decreased in size while dropping on the horizon, divided once again into two superimposed parts, the higher part and the lower part being each one successively most brilliant: the phenomenon disappeared finally towards the south while its glare quickly decreased."
[Ref. aml2:] AIME MICHEL:
In an article in 1963, Aimé Michel adds:
b) a low-size object that witnesses saying their were close describe as like circular, hemispherical on the top, changing aspect in the bottom. In the night and in flight, the object is generally luminous, the reddish, orange or gilded top, the lower part likely to emit green, white, red, purple colors, either separately, or simultaneously; the closest witnesses state that, in this latter case (simultaneous emission of several colors), the sources of light are sort of small verticals rods under the object which were seen appearing, disappearing, exchanging between them their colors and thus giving an impression of whirling (for example, October 3, 1954, in Armentières, in Château-Chinon, in Montbeliard, and other dates a little everywhere in the world). Instead of the small rods, under the main object, sometimesappears a smaller object, very luminous, interdependent of the first but likely to go down vertically below him (for example, this same 3 October, in Marcoing, in Liévin, Ablain-St-Nazaire, Milly, Champigny).
[Ref. gqy1:] GUY QUINCY:
October 3 [, 1954]
[... other cases...]
08:30 p.m.: Champigny-sur-Marne(Seine):lum.sph. splitting in 2 then reunion
[... other cases...]
[Ref. jve5:] JACQUES VALLEE:
| 220 | -002.51721 | 48.81150 | 03 | 10 | 1954 | 21 | 30 | 1 | * CHAMPIGNY/MARNE | F | 152144 | C | 205 |
[Ref. lex1:] UFOLOGY BULLETIN "LES EXTRATERRESTRES":
|
- The "Medusa-Saucer" (the metaphor alone is significant). It consists of a hemispherical dome that is compared to a half-moon (Champigny-sur-Marne October 3, 1954), to a mushroom cap (Hérissart October 3, 1954), a millstone... or a jellyfish. Why a jellyfish? because it is common for this object to hang from its lower part kinds of short cables (Hérissart), multicolored rods, or antennae. It would also seem that the "jellyfish saucers" have the ability to split, or at least to release an element. I will return to this phenomenon a little later.
[Ref. lex2:] UFOLOGY BULLETIN "LES EXTRATERRESTRES":
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Furthermore, it should be noted that whenever phenomena of separation or duplicating occur (Ablain-Saint-Nazaire October 3, 1954, Champigny-sur-Marne October 3, 1954) this always take place in the direction of the axis, the whole still retaining its character of radial symmetry. Never was a "flying saucer" split into portions like a pie.
[Ref. hdt1:] HENRI DURRANT:
The author notes that in the observation of Champigny-sur-Marne in France on October 3, 1954, the object split in two keeping its radial symmetry.
[Ref. gab1:] UFOLOGY GROUP "G.A.B.R.I.E.L.":
The antennas offer little information, on the other hand the lower rods are much more interesting because they are one of the particularities of a very precise type of "Flying Saucer". We will have the opportunity to come back to it, but let us point out right away that their presence is the cause of a very colorful term: the "Jellyfish Saucer". There is no shortage of observations of this type of device, we were spoiled for choice with (Hérissart, Liévin, Rue, Marcoing, Armentières, Milly, Champigny, Corbigny, [...] ... and this is only for France), [...]
(The part from which this excerpt is taken is about the question of the "antennae" of some "flying saucers". Of the cases quoted here, none is valid: those for which one could speak of "jellyfish saucer" are explained as misinterpretations, the others are cases for whichs there is no mention of antenna or anything of this kind in the reports.)
[Ref. gep1:] UFOLOGY GROUP "GEPO":
| 10/03/54 | (21.30) | Armentières Chap Dijon Champigny | 100V1 | 09 gilded |
[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH - "*U* COMPUTER DATABASE":
3952: 1954/10/03 21:30 1 2:31:00 E 48:49:00 N 3333 WEU FRN VDM 7:6
CHAMPIGNY sur MARNE,FR:RED NLTS DIVIDE+RECOMBINE INTO SCR FORM!:ASSEMBLY >S
Ref# 49 MICHEL,Aime: FS & STRAIGHT LINE TH: Page No. 121 : TOWN &CITY
[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN:
Luc Chastan indicates that in the Val de Marne in Champigny sur Marne on October 3, 1954 at 21:30 hours, the witness observes an almost motionless orange cigar towards the south-south-east. The object becomes slowly deformed decreasing in size and luminous intensity and splits in two luminous points resembling stars. The two points join in one taking the shape of a saucer askew on the horizon and growing bigger quickly. The object decreases and splits once again in two and disappears towards the south decreasing its glare. Three other people of the family observed the phenomenon.
Luc Chastan indique que la source est "M.O.C. par Michel Aimé ** Arthaud 1958".
[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on 3 October 1954 at 21:30 in Champigny-sur-Marne, France, "an unusual object was sighted, that had unconventional appearance and performance. One object was observed by four witnesses in a town (Rigault). Explanation: Planet.
The sources are noted: Michel, Aime, Flying Saucers and the Straight-Line Mystery, S. G. Phillips, New York, 1958; Vallee, Jacques, Computerized Catalog (N = 3073); Vallee, Jacques, Challenge to Science: The UFO Enigma, Henry Regnery, Chicago, 1966; Vallee, Jacques, Preliminary Catalog (N = 500), (in JVallee01); Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002.
[Ref. dcn1] DOMINIQUE CAUDRON:
Dominique Caudron indicates that the catalogue of 800 cases published in 1970 by Maurice Santos, is a good example of what one should not do; he indicates to extract from it the list of the cases of October 3, 1954; which he knows well as he had investigated into these cases of his area of Nord. For each case, below the text of the Santos catalogue, he states what should have been written, and the explanation after analysis, when there is one.
Santos wrote that for this case #543 of October 3, 1954, of "Various Forms" there had been in Champigny an Unknown Flying Object in form of two superimposed lids.
Dominique Caudron says that at 09:30 p.m., in Champigny-sur-Marne, 94, "a kind of orange cigar divided in two in the S-S-E (actually in the S-W) before disappearing under the horizon. No other sources than Aimé Michel). (in fact: The Moon)"
He notes that the numbering of the cases by Santos seemed a good idea, but that it prevents the evolution of the catalogue, whose numbering becomes incoherent at the first update: "For example, this catalogue contains only 10 cases for the area of the Nord, whereas we know 48 of them. How to place the 38 others?"
[Ref. ubk1:] "UFO-DATENBANK":
This database recorded this case three times:
| Case Nr. | New case Nr. | Investigator | Date of observation | Zip | Place of observation | Country of observation | Hour of observation | Classification | Comments | Identification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19541003 | 03.10.1954 | Champigny Marne | France | 21.30 | NL | |||||
| 19541003 | 03.10.1954 | Champigny Marne | France | 21.30 | NL | |||||
| 19541003 | 03.10.1954 | Champigny | France | 21.30 |
[Ref. dcn2:] DOMINIQUE CAUDRON:
|
For Champigny-sur-Marne, the only source available is the book of Aimé Michel, Since the original is a letter he received:
The first testimony was recorded the same evening by a letter which I received two days before the phenomena observed in the North were known. There it is:
"It was while going to bed that I noticed incidentally a kind of ball of fire. I looked at it for a moment, then, finding it unnatural, I called my father, my mother, and my fifteen-year-old sister. They, as I did, could follow the evolution of the phenomenon until its disappearance below the horizon.
"Our house enjoys excellent visibility because it is located on the slopes of the Marne.
"Accustomed to making reports by my state of student in radio-electricity, I send you our observations in a form from which we have tried to exclude any imaginative side."
Followed the report, signed by Mr. Claude R ..., Champigny-sur-Marne, located a few kilometers east of Paris.
The witness first points out that when he discovered the object at 9:30 p.m., the latter, a kind of orange cigar, was almost motionless to the south-southeast, in the direction of the Orly aerodrome.
Note: Is this big mistake voluntary? The Orly aerodrome is not south-southeast, but to the southwest, which is also the direction of the moon that night.
"We saw it deform slowly," says M. R, "diminish in size and luminous intensity, then split into two luminous points like stars. The two points then melted back into one, the shape of which became more precise, taking on the appearance of a "saucer" inclined on the horizon and growing rapidly. Then the object diminished in size by falling on the horizon, split again in two superimposed parts, "the upper part and the lower part being each successively the brightest: the phenomenon finally disappeared to the south, decreasing rapidly in 'brightness'.
Note: This description is that given by many witnesses of the Northern region, deceived by a cloud that split the image of the moon in two.
(Aimé Michel, Mystérieux Objets Célestes, Arthaud 1958, p 205)
Mr. Claude R. describes in the same direction, and at the same time the same phenomenon that the witnesses of the moon saw that night. How to escape the conclusion that it was simply the moon?
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Probable moon.
The median direction from Champigny-sur-Marne to the Orly strips is 222°, or approximately between 213° and 233°. The direction of observation is thus the South-West, as indicated by Dominique Caudron, and not the South-South-East indicated pr Aimé Michel.
At 09:30 p.m., the Moon was at the azimuth 226° 29', the elevation of 2° 5'. It will be behind the horizon at 09:49 p.m.. It is therefore very likely that the explanation by Dominique Caudron is the correct one.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Champigny-sur-Marne, Val-de-Marne, multiple, anonymous, cigar, object, luminous, brilliant, split, merge
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | January 17, 2006 | First published. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | January 9, 2009 | Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Additions [hdt1], [lcn1], [uda1]. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | June 21, 2010 | Addition [jve5]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | October 14, 2016 | Addition [dcn1]. |
| 1.3 | Patrick Gross | February 13, 2017 | Addition [dcn1]. |
| 1.4 | Patrick Gross | May 24, 2019 | Additions [lhh1], [dcn2], Summary. Explanations changed, were "Not looked for yet. Plane in the fog?" |
| 1.5 | Patrick Gross | April 22, 2022 | Additions [gqy1], [gep1]. |
| 1.6 | Patrick Gross | June 6, 2022 | Additions [lex1], [lex2]. |
| 1.7 | Patrick Gross | July 17, 2022 | Addition [gab1]. |
