The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 7-Jan-54-Dieppe.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
The French press widely reported the explosion of a meteor in the sky of Dieppe on January 7, 1954.
Between 4:30 and 5:15 a.m., dozens of dockers from the port of Dieppe had seen in the sky a blinding glow [sic], and four minutes later, they heard a tremendous explosion that opened many doors and broke many windows of the houses of the city. Most of the Dieppe residents had been awakened by the deafening noise.
A wary newspaper asserted: "It does not seem that it could be a hallucination because the testimonies are very numerous and agree on almost everything. There are only some differences among the witnesses, as far as the direction of the glow, which according to some came from the north, and from the others from the west."
The international press had also widely reported the event.
There have been many testimonies since this meteor was widely seen in the region.
The Institute of Astrophysics of Paris apparently explained that it was a meteor, but - wehther they told that or the press added that - one added this stupid argument: "the hour at which this observation was made - little before sunrise - supports this opinion."
The nonsense was just beginning, since in 1954, the pioneering ufologist Jimmy Guieu called the thing "a discoidal craft" which "seemed" to explode "after following a non-rectilinear trajectory" with a gap of three minutes between cities where it was seen; which - according to him - excluded a meteor. He added that the "fireball" had stopped for a moment and then started again, and that, therefore, no astronomer in the world will be able to call it "meteorite". (These arguments were based, of course, on the obvious mistake of taking the hours indicated by the different witnesses in different places as accurate to the minute, which resultsts in the alleged "non-rectilinear trajectory".)
In 1954 also, the other pioneering ufologist of the time, Aimé Michel, briefly reported the thing, but did not risk an opinion, indicating that a spokesman of the Institute of Astrophysics of Paris declared that it was "very likely that the phenomenon observed this morning in the Dieppe region was nothing but a fireball."
Others in the 1950s would recount the incident without seemingly thinking of the obvious explanation: Harold Wilkins, Donald Keyhoe, Leonard Cramp, and this would go on on the Web in the 2000s.
[Ref. ofe1:] NEWSPAPER "OUEST-FRANCE":
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DIEPPE, 7. - This morning, between 4:30 a.m. and 5:15 a.m., nearly 70 dockers of the Dieppe harbor saw in the sky a blinding gleam [sic], followed four minutes later of a tremendous explosion that opened a large number of doors and broke the windows of the houses in the city.
Most of the Dieppe residents were awakened by the deafening noise. It does not seem that this may be an hallucination because testimonies are numerous and agree on almost all points. Only some discrepancies among the witnesses are recorded in regard to the direction of the light; which according to some came from the north, and for some others from the west.
The mail car that ensures the traffic between Dieppe and Rouen was around the first of these two towns when the light occurred. But according to the two occupants of the vehicle, the explosion would have occurred eight minutes after the glow.
The Dieppe semaphore contacted that of Fécamp and those of all the small harbors along the coast. All agree to say that the phenomenon was seen in these points. However, the semaphore of Le Havre did not notice anything.
However, several witnesses from the Mailleraye locality at about 80 kilometers south of Dieppe, are adamant that they saw the glow coming from the Dieppe area.
This morning, a railways employee took his duty at the station of Orchies (Nord) and saw a disc of fire that moved horizontally at a dizzying speed. A luminous trail followed the glowing disc in its path.
The same phenomenon was seen at about the same time in Arras (Pas-de-Calais). A witness said he saw the disc motionless in the sky for a moment. But he did not have time to contemplate it. It immediately resumed its course and disappeared over the horizon.
Finally, it should be emphasized that about a week ago, a fishing boat arrived at Dieppe all riddled with small holes that might have been caused by a fireball.
The Institute of Astrophysics of Paris believes, however, that the phenomenon was no other than a meteor. The very hour that made this observation - shortly before sunrise - concurs to support this opinion [!]. But, they add, such explosions are not very rare, and one was able to record many others of them across the globe.
We know that the fireballs are bodies whose origin and composition are unclear and that, moving in the sky extremely quickly, warm up when they come to meet the Earth's atmosphere because of the resistance thereof. Then they become incandescent.
Sometimes they go without other signs than a luminous trail. Sometimes they break silently, sometimes noisily. It also happens that they fall to the earth's surface, whole or fragmented: this is the origin of fireballs falls.
[Ref. bre1:] NEWSPAPER "LA BOURGOGNE REPUBLICAINE":
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Dieppe, 7 (A.F.P.). -- This morning, between 4:30 a.m. and 5:15 a.m., nearly 70 dockers from the port of Dieppe saw a blinding glow in the sky, followed, four minutes later, by a formidable explosion which opened many doors and smashed several windows of houses in the city.
Most of the residents of Dieppe were woken up by this deafening noise. It does not seem that it could be a hallucination, because the testimonies are very numerous and agree on almost all points.
There are only some discrepancies among the witnesses regarding the direction of the light, which, according to some, came from the north and, according to others, from the west.
The postal car that provides traffic between Dieppe and Rouen was in the vicinity of the first of these two cities at the time of the glow. But, according to the two occupants of this vehicle, the explosion did not occur until eight minutes after the glow.
The Dieppe semaphore got in touch with that of Fécamp and with those of all the small ports on the coast. Everyone agrees that the phenomenon has been seen at these different points. However, the Le Havre semaphore found nothing.
However, several witnesses living in La Mailleraye, a village located approximately eighty kilometers south of Dieppe, and in Serqueux, a village 50 kilometers south-east of Dieppe, are categorical: they saw the light, which came from the direction of Dieppe.
Finally, it should be noted that about a week ago, a fishing boat arrived in Dieppe all riddled with small shards that could come from a fireball.
For the moment, we are getting lost in conjectures about the nature of this strange phenomenon.
Continued on page 8, under the title
PHENOMENON
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This morning at 4:27 a.m., a railway employee, who was on duty at the Orchies station, saw a disc of fire moving in the sky at a dizzying pace. A luminous trail followed the glowing disc in its path.
The phenomenon was seen around the same time in Arras. A witness said he saw the disc motionless for a moment in the sky, but did not have time to contemplate it. It immediately resumed its course and disappeared on the horizon.
It is very likely, according to the Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, that the phenomenon observed this morning in the Dieppe region was nothing but a fireball. The very time at which this observation was made - shortly before sunrise [!] - helps to support this opinion. But, it is added, such explosions are not very rare and many others have been recorded all over the world.
We know that fireballs are bodies whose origin and composition are not well known and which, moving in the sky with extreme rapidity, heat up when they come into contact with the Earth's atmosphere due to the resistance that it opposes to them. It is then that they become incandescent. Sometimes they pass without being noticed other than by a luminous trail. Sometimes they explode silently, sometimes with an explosion sound. It also happens that they fall on the surface of the globe, whole or fragmented: this is the origin of aerolite falls.
[Ref. lpl1:] NEWSPAPER "LE PROVENCAL":
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DIEPPE (A.F.P.).
Yesterday morning, between 4:30 and 05:15 nearly 70 dockers of the Dieppe harbor saw in the sky a blinding gleam followed, four minutes later, of a formidable explosion which opened very many doors and broke the windows of the houses of the city.
Most of the Dieppe residents were awaked by this deafening noise. It does not seem that it can be an hallucination for testimonys are very numerous and agree on almost all the points. Only certain divergences are recorded among the witnesses with regard to the direction of the gleam which, according to the ones, came from the North and according to the others, from the West.
The mail van which ensures the traffic between Dieppe and Rouen was around the first of these two cities at the time when the gleam occurred. But, according to the two occupants of this vehicle, the explosion occurred only eight minutes after the gleam.
Wintnesses are categorical
The semaphore of Dieppe was put in relation to that of Fécamp and those of all the small habors of the seaside. All agree to state that the phenomenon was seen in these various points. On the other hand the semaphore of Le Havre did not notice anything.
However, several witnesses from La Mailleraye, localised approximately 80 kilometers approximately in the south-east of Dieppe, and at Serqueux, village at 50 kilometers in the south-east of Dieppe, are categorical: they saw the gleam which came from the direction of Dieppe.
Lastly, it is necessary to stress that one week ago approximately, a small fishing boat arrived in Dieppe very sifted of small pieces which may come from an aerolite.
One loses oneself for the moment in conjectures about the nature of this strange phenomenon.
Same phenomenon in Orchies-en-Arras
Lille (A.F.P).
Yesterday morning, at 04:27, a railroad worker which took his service in the station of Orchies, saw in the sky a disc of fire which moved horizontally at a vertiginous speed. A luminous trail followed the reddish disc in its trajectory.
The same phenomenon was seen about the same hour in Arras. A witness stated to have seen the disc motionless one moment in the sky, but he did not have the time to contemplate it. It began again its race immediately and disappeared at the horizon.
[Ref. fas1:] "FEUILLE D'AVIS DE NEUFCHATEL" NEWSPAPER:
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Is it the fall of an aerolite?
Dieppe 8 AFP - A mysterious phenomenon occurred Thursday morning, between 3:30 and 4, in Dieppe. A dazzling gleam seen in particular by 70 dockers, was followed at the end of a few minutes by a formidable explosion which opened many doors and broke several windows in the city; the majority of the resident were suddenly awaken.
The semaphore of Dieppe contacted those of all the small harbors of the coastline. It was noted thus that the phenomenon had been also perceived by their residents, but that the semaphore of Le Havre did not observe anything.
Many testimonies were collected: while they diverge in their details, they all confirm the event on the origin of which one is lost in conjectures.
Some relate it with the fact that a small fishing boat returned in Dieppe, one week ago approximately, entirely punctured with very small pieces which could have come from an aerolite.
(Continued on page 7)
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(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1)
Other witnesses, Dieppe peasants who went early to the market, reported that at the time of the explosion it was clear as in full daylight during nearly twenty seconds.
Others still stated that the projected light came from a ball whose apparent diameter was appreciably equal to half of that of the moon, and whichmoved from East to West. They add that immediately after the explosion, a fall of snow occurred.
These last testimonies suggest that we are in the presence of a purely meteoric phenomenon. In this respect, the institute of astrophysics of Paris estimates that it is very probable that it was a fireball.
Such explosions, it is stressed, are not very rare. The bolides, that their passage in the Earth's atmosphere overheats, become incandescent and burst sometimes with a crashing sound. Other times, they explode "silently" or fall in one piece on the surface of the Earth: this is the origin of the falls of aerolites.
[Ref. ern1:] NEWSPAPER "L'EST REPUBLICAIN":
Dieppe. -- Yesterday morning, between 4:30 a.m. and 5:15 a.m., nearly seventy dockworkers from the port of Dieppe saw a blinding glow in the sky followed, four minutes later, by a formidable explosion who opened many doors and smashed windows.
Most of the residents of Dieppe were woken up by this deafening noise. There are only some discrepancies among the witnesses as to the direction of the light which, according to some, came from the North and, according to others, from the West.
It should be noted that about a week ago a fishing boat arrived in Dieppe all riddled with small shards that could come from an aerolite.
The Dieppe semaphore was put in touch with that of Fécamp and with those of all the small ports on the coast. Everyone agrees that yesterday morning's phenomenon was seen at these different points.
However several witnesses living in La Mailleraye, a locality approximately 80 km south of Dieppe are categorical. They saw the glow, which came from the direction of Dieppe.
Equally disturbing observations were made in the Nord: at 4:27 a.m., a railway employee who was on duty at Orchies station saw a disc of fire in the sky moving at the horizontal at breakneck speed. A luminous trail followed the glowing disc in its path. The same phenomenon was seen around the same time in Arras. A witness said he saw the disc motionless for a moment in the sky, but did not have time to contemplate it. It immediately resumed its course and disappeared on the horizon.
It is very likely, according to the Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, that the phenomenon observed yesterday morning in the Dieppe region was a fireball. The very time that this sighting was made - shortly before sunrise - helps support this view.
The bolides are bodies whose origin and composition are poorly known and which move in the sky with extreme rapidity, heat up when they come into contact with the Earth's atmosphere due to the resistance that opposes them. It is then that they become incandescent. Sometimes they erupt silently, sometimes with a crash. It also happens that they fall to the surface of the globe, whole or fragmented. This is the origin of aerolithic falls.
[Ref. usa1:] USAF PROJECT BLUE BOOK, ALEXANDER MEBANE, AFP:
AI-F-
Dieppe, France, Jan. 7, 1954
Dieppe Jan. 7 (AFP) -- A mysterious phenomenon took place at Dieppe between 3:30 and 4 a.m. this morning (Greenwioh Mean Time). A dazzling light, noticed particularly by 70 Longshoremen, was followed some minutes later by an explosion which jarred open numerous doors and blew out several windows in the town, and awakened most of the townspeople with a start. The Dieppe semaphore (Coast Guard Station?) queried those of the smaller ports of the coast, and found that the phenomenon had also been noticed by them, with the exception of the Havre semaphore, which observed nothing. Numerous accounts were collected; although they differed in detail, all confirmed the event, whose origin is a matter of conjecture. Some drew a correlation with the fact that a fishing boat returned to Dieppe, about a week ago, all punctured by little splinters that might have come from an aerolite.
(Transl. by A. Mebane)
[Ref. ame1:] REUTERS PRESS RELEASE:
DIEPPE, FRANCE, Jan, 7, 1954 (Reuters) -- A powerful explosion rocked this port early today, shattering windows, blasting open doors and waking most of the inhabitants.
The explosion was preceded by a blinding flash in the sky.
Some people said the explosion came four minutes after the flash. Some said eight minutes. They also differed on the direction. It was seen 50 miles away.
A railwayman at Orchies, near the belgian border, said he saw a fiery disc in the sky at great speed about the time of the Dieppe explosion.
[Ref. ern1:] NEWSPAPER "L'EST REPUBLICAIN":
A satellite could have caused the light trails observed in the eastern sky
The appearance, a few days apart in the skies of Lorraine, Franche-Comté and Champagne of luminous trails, brought the curiosity of the public in all the Eastern region to the top: "collective hallucinations", some said ironically, "flying saucers", others said, "fireballs", some scientific circles said. In fact, the mystery remains intact and everyone is free to put forward the explanation which seems the most plausible to him. However, we wanted to record the hypothesis that Colonel Chappard, a retired engineer who has been interested in astronomy and nuclear energy for several years, kindly formulated for the benefit of our readers.
- The phenomena which have just been observed in France, Colonel Chappard told us, present a very clear difference from those in the United States. Indeed, while in America the luminous objects changed direction and marked a vertiginous acceleration, in France the trajectories were rectilinear...
"Before formulating a hypothesis, it is advisable to wonder about the dimensions of the objects which have been sighted, both in the north and in the east of our country. However, in the case of the phenomenon sighted in the north, this was followed by a violent shock wave which reached the ground four minutes after the luminous appearance. We could, therefore, determine that the height of the trajectory reached 70 kilometers of altitude while the object had a diameter of about 300 meters.
- "Can we conclude that this is an ordinary fireball?
- No, replies Colonel Chappard, because ordinary fireballs always have a very high speed, often exceeding 40 km per second, and their trajectory in the sky is only visible for a fraction of a second. However, the three phenomena observed in France in less than two months indicated much slower speeds and the trajectories were seen each time for several seconds."
- If it is not an ordinary bolide independent of the terrestrial system, would we be in the presence of an object orbiting the earth, that is to say a satellite?
Colonel Chappard thought for a moment and answered with all the precision of a man familiar with high mathematics:
- For an object crossing the sky close to the earth to be picked up by it and become its satellite, it is sufficient that the speed of this object is less than the speed of release at this spot. Let's take an example instead. for an object passing at a distance from the earth equal to that of the moon, to enter into gravitation around our planet, it would be enough for it to have a speed of less than 3,000 meters per second. However, very many small objects circulate between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter and sometimes approach dangerously to our earth.
"It is very possible that one of these objects, unknown until now due to its very small dimensions, came close enough to the earth to be "picked up..."
Colonel Chappard specifies, however, that this is still only a hypothesis.
- If this new satellite exists, if the object observed in the Nord on January 7 is the same one that was observed in the East on January 9 and if during this time it has only rotated once around the earth, its period of revolution is 51 h. 15 minutes. "Its orbit would be in the form of an elongated ellipse with a major axis about 140,000 km, or about a third of the distance from the earth to the moon."
"On its passage at the closest point to the earth, its speed would be approximately 10,900 kms per second and at the furthest point, its speed would be no more than 540 meters per second...
- Don't you think that if such a satellite exists, it should reappear?
- Certainly and even very soon! In my opinion, its most spectacular reappearance will be around February 4, when the lunar conditions that existed during the the appearance of Dieppe, will occur again.
[Ref. cia1:] CIA:
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CLASSIFICATION [Blackened out]
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROACASTS
| REPORT NO. | 00-W-29903 | |||
| CO NO.: | .. | |||
| COUNTRY: | Denmark, Dahomey (French West Africa), France, Sweden, West Germany, Pakistan, Union of South Africa | DATE OF INFORMATION: | 1953-1954 | |
| SUBJET: | Military; Scientific - Unidentified flying objects | |||
| HOW PUBLISHED: | Daily newspaper | DATE DIST.: | 20 Apr 1954 | |
| WHERE PUBLISHED: | As indicated | NO. OF PAGES: | 4 | |
| DATE PUBLISHED: | 2 Nov 1953 - 27 Jan 1954 | |||
| LANGUAGES: | French, German, Afrikaans, Swedish | SUPPLEMENT TO REPORT NO.: | ||
| [Blackened out] | [Blackened out] | THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION | ||
| SOURCE: | As indicated |
SIGHTINGS OF UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS
[... (Reports from other countries and France) ...]
EXPLOSION IN SKY BREAKS WINDOWS AT DIEPPE -- Stockholm, Dagens Nyheter, 8 Jan 54
Paris (TT-AFP) -- Inhabitants of Dieppe were awakened early on the morning of 7 January by a loud crash, accompanied by a dazzling light in the sky. The explosion was so powerful that doors were thrown ajar and many window panes were broken.
Up to now, no explanation for the phenomenon has been found. A railwayman in Orchies, near the Belgian frontier, claims that at about the same time as the explosion he saw a luminous flying saucer cross the sky at a very great speed.
[... (Next reports)]
[Ref. vmr1:] NEWSPAPER "VAR-MATIN - REPUBLIQUE":
It is said it is a bolide...
Dieppe, January 7. -- This morning, between 04:30 and 05:15, nearly 70 dockers of the Dieppe Harbour saw in the sky, a dazzling gleam followed four minutes later by a formidable explosion which opened numerous doors and broke several windows of the houses of the city.
Most of the Dieppe residents were awaked by this deafening noise. The Dieppe semaphore contacted that of Fécamp and with them, all the small harbours of the coast. All agree to state that the phenomenon was seen in these various points.
However, several witnesses in la Mailleraye, locality at 80 km approximately in the south of Dieppe, are categorical: they saw the gleam which came from the direction of Dieppe.
Lastly, it must be stressed that one week ago approximately, a small fishing boat arrived at Dieppe very sifted of small glares which might come from an aerolite.
This morning, at 04:27, a railroad worker which took his service in the railway station of Orchies, saw in the sky, a disc of fire which moved horizontally at a vertiginous speed. A luminous trail followed the reddish disc in its trajectory. The same phenomenon was seen about the same hour in Arras. A witness stated to have seen the disc motionless one moment in the sky.
But he did not have time to contemplate it as it resumed its race immediately and disappeared at the horizon.
A fireball
It is most likely, the Institute of Astrophysics of Paris estimates, certain that the observed phenomenon was nothing else than a bolide.
The very hour when this observation was made, little before the sunrise, contributes to support this opinion, are not rare and many others were recorded on all the surface of the globe.
It is known that the bolides are bodies whose origin and composition are little known about and who, moving in the sky at an extreme speed, warm up when they suddenly met the Earth's atmosphere because of the resistance that it opposes to them.
That is when they become incandescent. Sometimes, they pass without being reported differently than a luminous trail, sometimes with great noise. It also happens that they fall on the surface of the globe, entirely or fragmented. Such is the origin of aerolites falls.
[Ref. dnr1:] "DAGENS NYHETER" NEWSPAPER:
Paris (TT-AFP) - Inhabitants of Dieppe were awakened early on the morning of 7 January by a loud crash, accompanied by a dazzling light in the sky. The explosion was so powerful that doors were thrown ajar and many window panes were broken.
Up to now, no explanation for the phenomenon has been found. A railwayman in Orchies, near the Belgian frontier, claims that at about the same time as the explosion he saw a luminous flying saucer cross the sky at a very great speed.
[Ref. lcx1:] NEWSPAPER "LA CROIX":
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Thursday morning, nearly 70 dockers from the port of Dieppe saw a blinding glow in the sky, followed, four minutes later, by a formidable explosion, which opened many doors and smashed the windows of houses in the city.
Most of the inhabitants of Dieppe were woken up by this deafening noise.
The keeper of the Dieppe semaphore got in touch with his colleague from Fécamp and with those of all the small ports on the coast. Everyone agrees that the phenomenon was seen at these different points.
On the other hand, the keeper of the Le Havre semaphore did not notice anything.
However, several witnesses living in La Mailleraye, a locality located approximately 80 kilometers south of Dieppe, and in Serqueux, a village 50 kilometers south-east of Dieppe, are adamant: they saw the light coming from the direction of Dieppe.
It is very likely, according to the Institut d'astrophysique de Paris, that the phenomenon observed in the Dieppe region was nothing but a fireball. The very time at which this observation was made - shortly before sunrise - helps to support this view. But, one adds, such explosions are not very rare, and one could record many others on all the surface of the globe.
[Ref. ppe1:] NEWSPAPER "PARIS-PRESSE":
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THE EMOTION raised by the appearance in the sky of Dieppe during two following nights of "balls of fire" is not yet quiet down. The phenomenon was not only observed by the dockers of Dieppe, but also by S.N.C.F. employees in Serqueux, by postmen in Rouen, by all the semaphore operators of Dieppe to Fécamp, and by the market gardeners of Forges-les-Eaux, Neuchâtel-en-Bray and of La Mailleraye. At about the same hour the ball of fire was also seen by a witness in Arras.
While popular opinion is convinced that these are "flying saucers", observers from the Paris Astrophysical Institute think of a fireball.
[Ref. jgu1:] JIMMY GUIEU:
Science Fiction writer and ufologist Jimmy Guieu reports that on January 7, 1954, at 04:30 a.m., a discoïdal craft seemed to explode after having followed a nonrectilinear trajectory, seen by several inhabitants of Dieppe, Orchies and Arras, with a three minutes variation between these cities which - according to him - excludes a meteor.
The author says that windows panes exploded, doors and of the windows were brutally slammed, walls vibrated as with a sonic boom from a supersonic plane. He says that the "ball of fire" had stopped and set out again at one time, and thus no astronomer in the world will be able to baptize it a "meteorite".
[Ref. gqy1:] GUY QUINCY:
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January 7 [1954]
04:26 a.m.: Arras (Pas-de-Calais): luminous disc (meteor?)
04:27 a.m.: Orchies (P.-de-C.): luminous d. (id?)
04:28 a.m.: Fécamp,Gournay,Nord S. Mme.: intense light
04:32 a.m.: Dieppe (S.Marit.): (Meteor explosion?)
[Ref. aml1:] AIME MICHEL:
Aimé Michel indicates that on January 7, 1954, a few seconds after 04:27 a.m., all the department of Seine-Inférieur, from Fécamp in the west up to Dieppe in the north, from la Mailleraye in the south to Gournay in the East, was illuminated by a general flashover of the sky. During one half-minute, the light was so intense that the railwamen of Serqueux could read the serial numbers of the coaches.
A few minutes later, Dieppe was shaken by a gigantic explosion which broke many windows and woke up from their sleep three quarters of the city.
Aimé Michel notes that after the observations of that day, in the evening, a spokesman of the Institute of astrophysics of Paris sais it was very likely a meteor. Aimé Michel comments:
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In the Dieppe affair for example, it is obvious that the fireball best explains the observations made in Seine-Inférieure. But what does the Institute of Astrophysics think of the observation of Mr. Brévart? They don't think anything of it. Scientists accept scientific fact only those who leave traces. And they are right, of course. This attitude is consistent with the very principles of experimental science.
But it leaves us frustrated. Because if we can possibly doubt the story of the Arras baker [Brévart], it is difficult in the long run to continue to systematically ignore hundreds and thousands of concordant stories, observations that meet on details impossible to invent, because they are meaningless until further notice: what, for example, is this "rocking" invented by the baker from Arras? Why invent a tilting of this imaginary craft? However, the riôcking is uniformly indicated by the thousands of witnesses who saw a saucer go from stillness to movement. This is how it is. The "imaginary" object, designated under the name of saucer, tilts when departing in all the stories, without exception, that have been collected since the A. E. F. [French Central Africa] to Arizona, via Arras and South Africa.
[Ref. mhc1:] NEWSPAPER "NIEUWE HAAGSCHE COURANT":
DIEPPE "FLYING SAUCER" CALLED METEORITE - (Paris) French astronomers are convinced that the object which exploded over Dieppe recently was an exceptionally large meteorite.
[Ref. mtl1:] MAGAZINE "LE MONDE DU TRAVAIL":
On 7 January 1954 at 0420 hours, a Sabena pilot preparing to land at Melsbroek saw a ball of fire low on the horizon, moving in a north-northwesterly direction. The ball was white, edged with green, and was followed by a long trail. The phenomenon illuminated the whole sky and the pilot supposed at the time that it was a green rocket signal set off by the airport authorities. Since the latter denied this, it was assumed that he had seen the same light which was seen over Dieppe.
[Ref. hws1:] HAROLD WILKINS:
The author says that on January 7, 1954, an unknown object like a disk with a wake of crimson light streaked across the Northern French sky and fell with a violent explosion into the Channel off Dieppe. French military authorities deny that it was either a plane or secret missile. Houses were shaken over a wide area. The blinding flash, white, then orange, was seen 80 miles away, and for three seconds was like the noon-day sun at night. A French trawler, about 30 miles off the coast, said he saw "a tremendous ball of fire flash over the sky in the direction of Dieppe. It left a wake of sparks."
[Ref. dke1:] DONALD KEYHOE:
Donald Keyhoe indicates that on January 7, 1954: Dieppe, France, a disc was sighted above the city moving at high speed, and immediately afterward, a typical sky-quake shook many Dieppe houses, frightening hundreds of residents.
[Ref. lcp1:] LEONARD G. CRAMP:
The author says that on January 7, 1954, an unknown object like a disk with a wake of crimson light streaked across the Northern French sky and fell with a violent explosion into the Channel off Dieppe. French military authorities deny that it was either a plane or secret missile. Houses were shaken over a wide area. The blinding flash, white, then orange, was seen 80 miles away, and for three seconds was like the noon-day sun at night. A French trawler, about 30 miles off the coast, said he saw "a tremendous ball of fire flash over the sky in the direction of Dieppe. It left a wake of sparks."
[Ref. cpr1:] CLAUDE POHER, UFO RESEARCH GROUP "GEPA":
In 1968-1969, before the official GEPAN ufology effort started, its future head Dr Claude Poher was a member of the unofficial GEPA ufology group, and gathered a computer coded listing of more than 700 UFO reports on which multiple factors statistical computation could be run. In the file were a number of 1954 French UFO reports, among those this one.
For readability, a decoded interpretation of the data is provided here under the original 80 character encoded string. Decoding was done according to the original indications, the code number and its generic meaning is given. Please not that the generic meaning of each code is a predefined category, not the real specific details of the case. For example, if the main witness' age was 33, the coding would result in a number "3" which corresponds to a category "Adult from 21 to 59 years."
| Original code: | 2643590701195404301JAZ000000000011ZZZZ000000360000000000000000000000000000000000 |
| Location: | Dieppe - France |
| Case number: | 2643 |
| Source code: | 59 |
| Nature of the source: | J. Guieu: Les soucoupes volantes viennent d'un autre monde |
| Day: | 07 |
| Month: | 01 |
| Year: | 54 |
| Hours: | 04 |
| Minutes: | 30 |
| Type of Time: | 1 = local time |
| Number of witnesses: | Z = "several, many" |
| Main witness named: | 0 = name is not indicated |
| Main witness age: | 0 = no indication |
| Main witness occupation: | 0 = no indication |
| Official investigation: | 0 = no indication |
| Weather: | 0 = no indication |
| Duration: | 0 = no indication |
| Minimal distance witness - phenomenon: | 0 = no indication |
| Method of observation: | 0 = no indication |
| Number of "objects" observed simultaneously: | 01 = 1 |
| Shape of the "object" (terminology of witness(es)): | 1 = disk, saucer, lenticular |
| Dimensions of the phenomenon: | ZZZZ = no indication |
| Color of the observed phenomenon: | 00 = no indication |
| Luminosity of the phenomenon: | 00 = no indication |
| Lights or projectors on the phenomenon: | 00 = no indication |
| Moving speed of the phenomenon: | 00 = no indication |
| Acceleration of the phenomenon: | 00 = no indication |
| Trajectory of the phenomenon: | 3 = brutal turns |
| Sounds perceived during observation: | 6 = violent explosion noise |
| Maximum angular height of observation (horizon = 0°): | 0 = no indication |
| Nature of the landing place: | 0 = no indication |
| Number of contact points with ground: | 0 = no indication |
| Traces of landing: | 0 = no indication |
| Observation of "occupants": | 0 = no indication |
| Height of the occupants observed: | 00 = no indication |
| Garment of the occupants: | 00 = no indication |
| Garment: | 0 = no indication |
| General behavior of "occupants": | 0 = no indication |
| Interaction of "occupants" with witness: | 0 = no indication |
| Head, hair: | 0 = no indication |
| Voice, breathing, chin: | 0 = no indication |
| Skin: | 0 = no indication |
| Eyes: | 0 = no indication |
| Mouth: | 0 = no indication |
| Various details: | 0 = no indication |
| Thermal effects: | 0 = no indication |
| Luminous effects: | 0 = no indication |
| Magnetic effect (or electromagnetic): | 0 = no indication |
| Odor perceived by witness: | 0 = no indication |
| Physiological effects on the witness(es): | 0 = no indication |
| Psychological effect on the witness(es): | 0 = no indication |
| Effects on animals: | 0 = no indication |
| Other effects reported: | 0 = no indication |
| Nebulosity: | 0 = no indication |
| Oscillations, emission of matter: | 0 = no indication |
| Spin, formation flight: | 0 = no indication |
| Immediate disappearance: | 0 = no indication |
| Halo surrounding the phenomenon: | 0 = no indication |
| Interaction witness / phenomenon (complement to the other rubrics): | 0 = no indication |
| Drawing or photo: | 0 = no indication |
| Structural details observed: | 0 = no indication |
[Ref. rct1:] ROBERT CATINAT:
|
So let's see this day of January 7, 1954:
- On this day, between 4:30 a.m. and 5:15 a.m., nearly 70 dockers from the Dieppe harbor saw a blinding glare in the sky, followed 4 minutes later by a formidable explosion which opened many doors, and smashed the windows of town houses.
Witnesses who were in the harbor at the time of the explosion saw a huge ball of fire which lit the horizon. The phenomenon lasted 2 s, then the night came back. 4 or 5 minutes later the formidable explosion tore the air apart.
[Ref. gni1:] GNEOVNI:
|
1/7/1954 - ORCHIES -59- Type III
At 4:30, a discoidal craft which appeared to explode after having followed a non-rectilinear trajectory was observed by several inhabitants of Dieppe, Orchies and Arras (with a gap of 3 minutes between these cities). Windows were broken by the explosion. At one point this ball of fire stopped then started again.
(Les S.V. viennent d'un autre monde J. Guieu p.159)
[Ref. gep1:] UFOLOGY GROUP "GEPO":
| 01 07 54 (04) | Arras Dieppe | X | 100X1A |
[Ref. lgs1:] LOREN GROSS:
|
[... Other cases...]
Meteor or what?
The American CIA surveying foreign newspapers found the following in the Liege, Belgium, newspaper Le Monde du Travail:
"On 7 January 1954 at 0420 hours, a Sabena pilot preparing to land at Melsbrock saw a ball of fire low on the horizon, moving in a northnorthwesterly direction. The ball was white, edged with green, and was followed by a long trail. The phenomenon illuminated the whole sky and the pilot supposed at the time that it was a green rocket signal set off by the airport authorities. Since the latter denied this, it was assumed that he had seen the same light which was seen over Dieppe." 31.
We have two sources that mention the phenomenon at Dieppe. Both tell of a blinding explosion that turned night into day and broke windows. It was said the remains of the meteor, or whatever it was, fell into the English Channel off shore near Dieppe. Witnesses abord a French trawler reported the passage of a tremendous ball of fire leaving sparks in its wake. 32.
Jimmy Gieu [sic, Guieu], a French source for this episode, asserts that the object passed over the towns of Arras, Orchies, and Dieppe in a "series of short curves" and for a time "hovered for a few seconds." 33.
A CIA agent in North Africa discovered the following in a French language newspaper. The agent documented this:
"At approximately 0427 hours on 7 January 1954, a fiery disk, followed by a luminous trail, was sighted in Arras, Pas-de-Calais Department. An observer stated that the disks [sic] remained motionless in the sky for an instant, after which it flew away and disappeared over the horizon." 34.
(See French newspaper clipping from the La Bourgogne Republicaine) [Wich is not about this meteor but about another one 2 day later, see January 9.]
[... Other cases...]
[Ref. jca1:] JACQUES COSTAGLIOLA:
The author indicates that on January 7, 1954, in France, "Dieppes, disc, explosion, broken windows".
[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN:
Luc Chastan indicates that in the Seine Maritime in Dieppe on January 7, 1954 at 04:30 hours, "Several witnesses observed an object in the shape of a disc doing sudden turns. Disappearance occurred in a great noise of explosion which made the walls shake and destroyed some windows."
The sources are indicated as "Les Universons by Poher Claude ** http://www.premiumwanadoo.com/universons/" and my website: "Les OVNI vus de près par Gross Patrick ** http://ufologie.net".
[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on 6 January 1954 in Dieppe, France, "An unidentified object was sighted, but with appearance and behavior that most likely would have a conventional explanation. One object was observed by one witness."
The sources are indicated as Vallee, Jacques, Computerized Catalog (N = 3073).
[Ref. uda2:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on 7 January 1954 at 04:30 in Dieppe, France, there was a "Mysterious explosion. One disc was observed by nine witnesses on the ocean for 99 minutes."
The sources are indicated as Michel, Aime, The Truth About Flying Saucers, Pyramid T1647, New York, 1967; Poher, Claude, Etudes Statistiques Portant sur 1000 Temoignag, Author, undated; Keyhoe, Donald E., Flying Saucer Conspiracy, Holt, New York, 1955; Vallee, Jacques, Computerized Catalog (N = 3073); Cramp, Leonard G., Piece for a Jig-Saw, Somerton, Isle of Wight, 1966; Schoenherr, Luis, Computerized Catalog (N = 3173); National Investigations Committee Aerial Phenomena, NICAP investigation files; Hall, Richard H., UFO Reports from the Files of the CIA, Fund for UFO Research, Washington; Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002.
[Ref. ubk1:] "UFO-DATENBANK":
This database recorded this case eight times instead of one:
| Case Nr. | New case Nr. | Investigator | Date of observation | Zip | Place of observation | Country of observation | Hour of observation | Classification | Comments | Identification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19540106 | 06.01.1954 | Dieppe | France | NL | ||||||
| 19540107 | 07.01.1954 | Dieppe | France | |||||||
| 19540107 | 07.01.1954 | Dieppe | France | |||||||
| 19540107 | 07.01.1954 | Dieppe | France | |||||||
| 19540107 | 07.01.1954 | Dieppe | France | |||||||
| 19540107 | 07.01.1954 | Dieppe | France | 05.00 | ||||||
| 19540107 | 07.01.1954 | Dieppe | France | |||||||
| 19541007 | 07.10.1954 | Dieppe | France | 16.00 |
[Ref. ema1:] "LES EMANENTS, MESSAGERS DE LA NATURE" WEBSITE:
The southern region of France is subject to mysterious vibrations of unknown origins, other regions of France too, this phenomenon is known in other countries.
[... other cases...]
- On 07/01/1954 in Dieppe, the loud explosion of a disc-shaped object that was seen flying over other localities in the north of France, perhaps in this case it was a meteor.
[... other cases...]
|
The January 7, 1954, meteor.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Dieppe, Seine-Maritime, fast, trail, luminous, noise, explosion, meteor, multiples, damages
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | August 11, 2004 | First published. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | December 17, 2009 | Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Additions [jgu1], [dke1], [lcn1], [uda1], [uda2]. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | 11 février 2010 | Addition [jca1]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | March 4, 2010 | Addition [vmr1]. |
| 1.3 | Patrick Gross | April 9, 2010 | Addition [lpl1]. |
| 1.4 | Patrick Gross | October 22, 2011 | Addition [fas1]. |
| 1.5 | Patrick Gross | October 19, 2016 | Addition [ofe1]. |
| 1.6 | Patrick Gross | November 30, 2016 | Additions [lgs1], [ubk1]. |
| 1.7 | Patrick Gross | December 4, 2019 | Additions [ema1], Summary. |
| 1.8 | Patrick Gross | January 12, 2020 | Addition [ppe1]. |
| 1.9 | Patrick Gross | January 18, 2020 | Additions [rct1], [gni1]. |
| 2.0 | Patrick Gross | January 8, 2021 | Additions [lcx1], [bre1]. |
| 2.1 | Patrick Gross | February 2, 2021 | Addition [ern1]. |
| 2.2 | Patrick Gross | February 18, 2021 | Addition [gqy1]. |
| 2.3 | Patrick Gross | April 12, 2022 | Addition [gep1]. |
| 2.4 | Patrick Gross | June 22, 2022 | Addition [ern1]. |
