The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 3-Oct-54-Montandon.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
In 1997, in his book on the French wave of 1954, the author Jean Sider indicated having found in the local newspaper Le Comtois, of Besançon, on page 2 for October 8, 1954, the following case, having taken place on October 3, 1954, at 4:00 p.m., in Montandon, in the Doubs.
Misters G. Froidevaux and L. Guillaume, from Maïche, were resting lying on the ground, during a hunting trip, when they suddenly saw two silver balls moving at the zenith.
Two more followed at short distance, then two more, and so on, about twenty balls in all.
Half an hour later, the witnesses found themselves surrounded by a small shower of particles similar to "angel hair". They tried to pick some up, but all sublimated.
In the 2010s, in the Web UFO sightings database UFO Datenbank, there was a case file saying that on October 3, 1954, at 4:00 p.m., in Maiche in France, there was an observation; no source and no details were given.
[Ref. jsr1:] JEAN SIDER:
|
30 - October 3, 4 p.m., Montandon, Doubs.
MM. G. Froidevaux and L. Guillaume, from Maïche.
The two witnesses rest lying on the ground, during a hunting trip. They suddenly see two silver balls moving at the zenith. Two others follow at a short distance, then two more, and so on, in all about twenty balls. Half an hour later, the witnesses found themselves surrounded by a small rain of particles similar to "angel hair." They try to pick some up, but they all sublimate.
Local source: Le Comtois, Besançon, October 8, 1954, p. 2.
[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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19541003 | 03.10.1954 | Maiche | France | 16.00 |
|
In autumn, young spiders of many species, but also adult spiders of some small species, come out of their cocoon, and attach themselves to a long thread, and the wind carries them away; then they leave the thread behind.
Sometimes not only do the young spiderlings get blown away like this, but their abandoned cocoons are blown away at the same time.
This mode of dispersal also exists in some butterflies. These airborne migrations allow to escape danger, to colonize new environments, to expand the hunting territory.
It was called "fils de la Vierge" ("Bless Vergin's threads"), in France at least, because popular supertitions of old times explained the remains of the silks as coming from "the distaff of the mother of Jesus." The "Virgin" was supposed to spin them at the end of her spindle, and let them scatter in the air, to make the birds' nests warmer in winter... In Anglo-Saxon countries, the expression "angel hair" is often used.
The report here is far too sparse in information for a claim that this is the definite explanation; but nothing really goes against it.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Montandon, Doubs, day, G. Froidevaux, L. Guillaume, Maïche, hunting, balls, silver, twentys, rain, angel hair, sublimated
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | June 5, 2022 | First published. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | February 13, 2017 | First published. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | June 26 | Addition [jsr1]. Location changed from "Maiche" to "Montandon". In the Summary, addition of the information from [jsr1]. |
