The 1954 French flap:

Discs, balls, cigars, rocket

A MARTIAN WITH A MUSTACHE SPENT HIS WEEKEND IN THE VIENNE

Only THREE Martians showed up over the weekend. Very reserved Martians. They abstained from the affectionate demonstrations to which they usually indulge in: caresses or hugs. No doubt they reserve these expressions of sympathy for rural populations: only country people have benefited from it so far.

A manual worker of Lavoux (Vienne), Mr. Roger Barrault, said that riding a bicycle at around 9 a.m. on Saturday, he was suddenly stopped there by a double beam of light directed by him by a "scuba diver" barely 1 m 50 tall with boots without heels very bright eyes and a strong mustache.

- The diver strolled for about a minute on the road, says Barrault, then suddenly disappeared into the nearby forest.

A mechanic from Carcassonne, Mr. Bertrand, saw, also on Saturday evening, on the road, while driving, a spherical craft of shiny metal whose upper part seemed to be made of plastic. He was able, he says, to easily distinguish two human forms in this craft; which disappeared at high speed in the east direction.

Mr. Bertrand could not specify if the two occupants of the craft were mustached like the Martian of the Vienne.

A Lyon resident, Mr. Morguin, claims that he has photographed a saucer over the Rhône.

- It was, he said, a red disc surrounded by white lights.

Several people saw a disc in Mâcon, above the Saône, not brilliant, this time, but dark.

From Montluçon to the Landes marshes...

A worker, Mr. Magnier, and truckers saw a luminous ball at Montluçon crossing the sky at high speed.

In Tourriers, 17 kilometers from Angoulême, around thirty people saw in the night from the 8th to the 9th a "kind of cigar" who remained motionless about forty meters above national road number 10 for about twenty minutes. The craft, which had two fins, then left at a speed of around 250 to 300 km per h.

Mrs. Lebert, guardian of the Pont-Chapelle castle in La Ferté-Macé (Orne), observed a craft in the middle of the afternoon mysterious that looked like a rocket and rose vertically silently, leaving behind a slight white trail.

Also, Mr. Christian Couette, son of a plumber from Tesse-la-Madeleine, was riding a bicycle towards Ranes when, near the Etang de Lande-Forêt, in the commune of Beauvain, he was overtaken by a strange luminous craft which, at high speed, grazed the top of the trees. The object, about 4 m in diameter, had the shape of a domed fireball.

STILL APPARITIONS OF MARTIANS

"I was stopped by a ray of light emanating from a diver"

claims an inhabitant of the Vienne

Poitiers, October 11. -- In all the corners of France and the world, several people worthy of faith claim to have been the witnesses of these phenomena that one calls "flying saucers".

But in Vienna, Mr. Roger Barrault, handworker in Lavoux, declared that, riding his bicycle, Saturday, around 7 p.m., he had been suddenly stopped by a double ray of light emanating from a kind of "diver", tall hardly of 1 m. 30 with boots without heels, very brilliant eyes and a strong moustache.

The diver walked approximately a minute on the road, claims Mr. Barrault, then disappeared suddenly towards the very close forest.

A cylindrical object with a dark core

Nelson. -- An inhabitant of Nelson (New Zealand), Mr. K.M. Gibbons, succeeded in taking with the teleobjective a series of photographs of three flying saucers.

When he had taken two shots of the three mysterious craft, those disappeared vertically, at high speed. He however continued to take photographs in the direction of the saucers. The developed film shows cylindrical objects, having a kind of dark core.

A SAUCER LANDS ON THE ROAD CLOSE TO CARCASSONNE

Mr. Louis Vessières, an inhabitant of Cavanac, locality very close to Carcassonne, saw, Sunday morning, a flying saucer which was posed on the ground in the middle of the road.

Mr. Louis Vessières, returning by motorbike, Sunday morning around 4:30, from the Talmier factories, close to Carcassonne, where he is employed, and moving towards Cavanac where he lives, found himself in the presence of a convex machine, oval, and very shining which, at its approach, released sparks and, without noise, flew away.

Mr. Vessières took a shortcut to avoid approaching the machine.

Arrived at the countryside of Lafarguette, Mr. Vessières stopped and saw then in the sky the gleam of this craft at approximately 500 meters in the direction of the "route neuve" which leads to Couffoulens.

Mr. Vessières returned at his place, very moved, and quickly had his wife stand up.

Both went up on the terrace of their house but it was too late. The saucer had disappeared.

A flying cigar has landed close to Munster

Munster, October 11. -- An cinema operator of Munster [Germany], Mr. Hoge, claimed to have observed, Saturday evening, during ten minutes an "unidentified craft" having the shape of a motionless cigar at approximately 1 Mr. 50 above the ground and under which four "men" of crew of 1 m. 20 were busy.

These beings had, according to him, a rather broad chest, a head proportionally too large for their slender body and legs. Mr. Hoge specified that they wore a kind of one-piece suit whose fabric resembled rubber.

Like the swallows
flying saucers
have their migration

Egypt in its turn enters the competition of flying saucers. At the beginning of Saturday night, several hundred residents of Alexandria reported the presence in the sky of a luminous object which seemed to change from red to orange, then to green and gray.

The deputy director of the observatory, Mr. Aroub Ismaïl, however told the Press that it could be an aurora borealis. A magnetic storm had been observed for 48 hours.

In Lebanon

In Beirut the newspaper "L'Orient" reports a statement by Mr. Max Favell, representative in Beirut of a German firm, who claims to have seen Saturday at 10:15 p.m. (loc) at the seaside a craft hovering in the sky which emitted a whitish light.

Mr. Favell clarified that the spacecraft which was a few meters from the ground landed for a few seconds then took off vertically while turning on itself to soon disappear in the sky. The witness did not notice any trace on the ground at the place of landing of the craft.

A flying mushroom

Several reliable people claim to have witnessed the flight of a "mushroom" on Sunday evening.

These are Colonel Cauvin, director of hygiene and prophylaxis of Cameroon, Doctor Menu, chief doctor of the hospital in Yaoundé, Mr. Dumont, director of the security services of Cameroon, Poilleux, counselor of the territorial assembly of Cameroon, Moreau, administrator, deputy mayor of Yaoundé, and their wives.

All these people, gathered at the head doctor of the hospital's, were preparing to go to the movies, when they were intrigued by the attitude of the house dog who suddenly began to growl and bristle his hair. Thinking that prowlers were wandering around his house, Doctor Menu went outside and saw a bright object in the sky. He immediately called his guests, who all later declared that they had seen almost vertically from the plate where the hospital is located, a huge disc, violently illuminated, motionless at an altitude of about 600 meters.

This appearance lasted fifteen seconds. The craft was very exactly in the shape of a mushroom, whose people could not exactly assess the diameter, under which very slightly swayed a cylinder with a length equal to the diameter of the hat and also very bright...

Suddenly, the saucer took the direction of the East and its volume seemed to decrease visibly. Then it stopped for a few seconds before quickly gaining altitude and disappearing.

Thirteen really serious
witnesses in Frankfurt

A flying saucer was observed for about two minutes by 13 members of a gliding school above the aerodrome of Ockstadt, near Frankfurt.

The thirteen pilots and student pilots were watching the progress of a monitor when they saw appearing above the glider in flight, at an altitude of about three thousand meters, "a slightly swollen silver disc" which moved without the slightest noise. The witnesses, including several former Luftwaffe aviators, are formal to declare that they cannot have been the victim of an optical illusion.

A mustached
diver

Mr. Roger Barrault, laborer in Lavoux (Vienne) said that riding a bicycle on Saturday around 7 p.m. he had been suddenly stopped by a double beam of light emanating from a kind of "diver" barely 1.50 meters with boots without heels, very bright eyes and a strong mustache.

Also, saucers, cigars, pots, discs and other flying objects are reported in Uzerche (Corrèze), Carcassonne, Saint Laurent-les-Mâcon, Tourriers (near Angoulême), La Ferté-Macé and Tesse-la-Madeleine.

Mysterious craft increase activity

A flying mushroom above the Yaoundé hospital (Cameroun)

Paris. -- Clear recrudescence of activity of the flying saucers during the last weekend and not only in the sky of France. Mysterious craft, indeed, were seen in Cameroun, Namur, in Lebanon, in Egypt and Germany.

The appearance in Cameroun deserves a particular attention. In Yauondé [the capital], a certain number of people were together at the head doctor of the hospital, Dr. Menu, and were on the point of going to the movies when they were puzzled by the attitude of the dog who suddenly started to grunt and whose hairs stood up.

An enormous and illuminated mushroom

Thinking that strangers were on the prowl near his residence, Dr. Menu went outside and saw, in the sky, a brilliant object. He immediately called his guests who all then stated to have seen, almost at the vertical of the plate where the hospital is located, an enormous violently illuminated disc, motionless at an altitude of approximately 600 meters.

This "appearance" lasted fifteen seconds. The machine had very exactly the shape of a mushroom, i.e. a very illuminated disc, whose people present could not evaluate the diameter exactly, under which a cylinder of a length equal to the diameter of the hat swung very gently, also very illuminated.

Suddenly, the craft took the direction of the East and its volume seemed to decrease at eyesight. Then it was immobilized during a few seconds before taking altitude quickly and disappearing.

The witnesses of this phenomenon are worthy of faith, since, in addition to Dr. Menu, they were colonel Cauvin, head of the services of hygiene and the disease prevention of Cameroun; Misters Dumont, director of the Services of Safety of Cameroun; Poilleux, adviser of the territorial Assembly of Cameroun; Moreau, administrator, assistant mayor of Yaoundé and their wives.

Two silhouettes in a cigar

Close to Namur, the rural mailman made its usual round, when he saw a flying cigar which rose towards the sky at his approach at a vertiginous pace. However, he had the time to clearly distinguish on board two "roughly human" silhouettes.

In Lebanon, it is a German firm's representative in Beirut, Mr. Max Favell, who stated to the newspaper "L'Orient" to have seen Saturday evening, at the seaside, a motionless machine in the sky which emitted a whitish light. The machine landed a few moments, then rose suddenly vertically without leaving traces.

Several hundreds of Alexandria residents followed the maneuvers of a luminous object which changed from the red to the orange and the green to the blue gray. The observatory of Helouan, close to Cairo, was alerted, but before the special telescope could be set up to photograph it, the craft had disappeared.

The sub-manager of the observatory, Mr. Azouz Ismail, stated that it was undoubtedly an aurora borealis, for a magnetic storm was observed since forty-eight hours. An extremely probable scientific explanation.

"Four men in rubber outfits"

A movie projectionist of Munster, Mr. Willi Hoge, declared that, going back home in the suburbs of Munster, Saturday after midday, he saw in a field at about fifty meters of the road, a rather sharp blue gleam. Believing initially that it was a broken plane, he approached a few meters and then saw a machine having the shape of a cigar and immobilized in the air at approximately 1 m 50 from the ground.

Under the craft, surrounded by a bluish gleam, the movie projectionist distinguished four "men" whose size was approximately 1 m. 20. These beings had, according to him, a rather broad chest, a head proportionally too large for their bodies and thin legs. Mr. Hoge specified that they wore a kind of combination whose fabric resembled rubber.

Not daring to approach more, the witness restricted himself to observe the whereabouts of the occupants of the craft. After ten minutes, the crew went up on board using a kind of ladder, and the craft rose quickly almost vertically, taking, after a few seconds of rise, the shape of a brilliant disc.

Mr. Willi Hoge finally claimed to have tried that very evening to cause an investigation, but he added that no police officer had agreed to go to the site to check his statements!

Lastly, close to Frankfurt, thirteen pilot pupils of a sailplane school followed the maneuvers of their teacher when they had their attention drawn by an "extremely reinflated silver disc" which moved without the least noise.

Brief meeting with a "diver" man with a moustache

In France, in the long list of the celestial appearances, it is necessary to note in particular the unexpected meeting which Mr Roger Barrault, workman in Lavoux (Vienna) made. Mr. Barrault drove a bicycle, Saturday evening, around 7 p.m., when he was stopped short on the road by a double beam of light emanating from a kind of "diver" hardly 1 m. 50 tall, with boots without heels, very brilliant eyes and a big moustache!

He must however have been a good man, for he walked one minute on the road without making the least evil to the awestruck Mr. Barrault who saw him disappearing in the nearby forest, walking.

New fact also in Mâcon where circulating on the bridge of Saint-Laurent-les-Mâcon who spans the rivers Saône, several people saw a disc, which for once was not brilliant, but dark.

In Tourriers, close to Angouleme, and in la Ferté-Macé (the Orne) it was two cigars who held the attention of the Sunday strollers, while a convex ball of fire shaved the summit of the trees in Beauvain, in the Orne too, under the amazed eyes of Mr. Christian Couette.

FLYING SAUCERS EXPLORE GERMANY

Bonn, 11. -- A "flying saucer was observed for about two minutes by 13 members of a gliding school above the aerodrome of Ockstadt, near Frankfurt.

The 13 pilots and student pilots were watching the progress of a monitor when they saw appearing above the glider in flight, at about three thousand meters above sea level, a "slightly swollen silver disc" which moved without the slightest noise. The witnesses, including several former Luftwaffe aviators, are formal to declare that they cannot have been victims of an optical illusion.

IN LEBANON

Beirut, 11. -- The newspaper "L'Orient" reports this morning a statement by Mr. Max Favell, representative in Beirut of a German firm, who claims to have seen Saturday at 10:15 p.m. (loc.) at the seaside a motionless craft in the sky which emitted a whitish light.

Mr. Favell clarified that the craft which was a few meters from the ground landed for a few seconds and then took off vertically, rotating on itself and soon disappearing into the sky. The witness did not notice any trace on the ground at the place of landing of the craft.

Following the publication of this statement, a journalist. Mr. Abdelkarim, revealed that he had also seen the same day but around 7:00 p.m., a kind of red ball moving in the sky and coming from the North. Mr. Abdelkarim, fearing that little credit would be given to his "vision", had not revealed it to anyone.

IN EGYPT

Alexandria, 11. -- Egypt in its turn enters the competition of flying saucers. At the start of Saturday night, several hundred residents of Alexandria reported the presence in the sky of a luminous object which seemed to change from red to orange, then to green and gray-blue. Officials from the meteorological service at the Alexandria aerodrome alerted the Helouan observatory, near Cairo, by telephone, asking that the phenomenon be photographed. However, it disappeared before the observatory's special telescope could be prepared.

The deputy director of the observatory, Mr. Azouz Ismail, told the press that it could be an aurora borealis. A magnetic storm was, indeed, observed for forty-eight hours, which would make the explanation plausible.

In Cameroon too

Yaounde, 11. -- Several reliable people claim to have witnessed one of these phenomena called "flying saucer" last night.

These are Colonel Cauvin, director of hygiene and prophylaxis services in Cameroon; Dr. Menu, chief doctor of the Yaounde hospital; by MM. Dumont, director of security services in Cameroon; Pailleux, adviser to the Territorial Assembly of Cameroon; Moreau, administrator, deputy mayor of Yaoundé, and their wives.

All these people, gathered at the chief doctor of the Hospital, were preparing to go to the movies when they were intrigued by the attitude of the house dog who suddenly started to growl and bristle his hairs. Thinking that strangers were lurking near his house, Dr. Menu went out and saw a bright object in the sky. He immediately called his guests, who all then declared that they had seen, almost vertically above the plate where the hospital is located, a huge, brightly lit, motionless disc at an altitude of about 600 meters.

This "appearance" lasted fifteen seconds. The machine was very exactly of the shape of a mushroom whose people could not exactly assess the diameter, under which a cylinder swayed very slightly, of a length equal to the diameter of the hat and also very bright.

Suddenly, the "saucer" took the direction of the east, and its volume seemed to decrease visibly. Then it stopped for a few seconds before quickly gaining altitude and disappearing.

Read more on the 8^th page.

Flying spheres
and... "divers"

Human forms

Carcassonne, 11. -- Saturday evening, around 4 p.m. while driving his car, Mr. Jean Bertrand, a mechanic in this city, saw, flying at low altitude, a spherical craft of shiny metal, the upper part of which seemed to be made of plastic. He was able, he says, to easily distinguish two human forms in this craft; which disappeared at high speed in the east direction.

A huge ball

Limoges, 11. -- Last Friday, around 10 p.m., in Uzerches (Corrèze), two young people, Charles and Alphonse Beaujou, were driving by car on the road to Eyburie, saw at the height of the castle of Fargeas and in the direction of Espartignac, a huge extremely shiny ball.

The two young people, having stopped their vehicle, watched this ball for about a quarter of an hour, it turned from white to orange then to red before disappearing in the direction of Lagraulière.

Other people saw the same phenomenon.

A character with a strong mustache

Poitiers, 11. -- Mr. Roger Barrault, farmer in Lavoux (Vienne), said that, riding a bicycle, around 7 p.m. on Saturday, he had been suddenly stopped by a double beam of light emanating from a sort of scuba diver hardly 1.50 m. tall with boots without heels, very bright eyes and a strong mustache.

The diver strolled about a minute on the road, says Barrault, then suddenly disappeared into the nearby forest.

An inconstant cigar

In Tourriers, 17 km from Angoulême, around thirty people saw on the night of 8-9, a "kind of cigar" which remained stationary at about forty meters above the national road Nr 10, during about twenty minutes. The craft, which had two fins, then decided to leave at a speed of around 250 to 300 kph.

Calais and Boulogne overflown by a "flying saucer"

Calais, 11. -- Several residents of Calais saw on Saturday morning around 9:15 a.m., a brilliant craft which moved in the sky.

On the other hand, a motorist from Calais saw at night, over the road to Boulogne-sur-Mer, a luminous object.

- It was 9:15 p.m., said the motorist, when to the left I saw a gleam coming from the fields and which could be that produced by the dynamo of a bicycle. The glow suddenly dove towards the road, in my direction, and a machine of very large proportions appeared to me. It was bluish in color, like that which emerged during the war from the windows painted blue. I braked and turned off my headlights. The craft passed over the road. It was a blue disc with above and clearly emerging, a dome. The machine moved silently. It flew over the road, turned and sped towards Calais. I saw it disappear and at that moment the primitive bluish glow gave way to a white headlight as it had originally appeared to me.

FLYING SPHERES
and "DIVER"

Carcassonne. -- Yesterday evening, around 4 p.m., while driving his car, Mr. Jean Bertrand, a mechanic in this city, saw, flying at low altitude, a spherical machine of shiny metal whose upper part seemed to be made of plastic. He was able, he says, to easily distinguish two human shapes in this apparatus which disappeared at high speed in the east direction.

***

Limoges. -- Last Friday, around 11 p.m., in Uzerches (Corrèze) two young people, Charles and Alphonse Beaujour, who were driving by car on the road to Eyburie, saw, above the castle of Fargeas and in the direction of Espartignac, a huge, extremely bright ball.

The two young men who stopped their vehicle, for a quarter of an hour, looked at this ball which changed from white to red before disappearing in the direction of Lagrulière.

Other people have seen the same phenomenon.

***

Poitiers. -- Mr. Roger Barrault, a laborer in Lavoux (Vienne) declared that, riding a bicycle on Saturday around 7 p.m., he had been suddenly stopped by a double beam of light emanating from a sort of "diver" barely 1.50 m. tall with boots without heels, very luminous eyes and a strong mustache.

The diver strolled about a minute on the road, says Barrault, then suddenly disappeared into the nearby forest.

***

Caen. -- Mr. Christian Couette, son of a plumber from Tesse-la-Madeleine, was riding a bicycle in the direction of Ranes, when near the pond of Lande-Forêt, on the commune of Bauvain, he was overtaken by a strange luminous craft which, at high speed, grazed the treetops. The object, about 4 meters in diameter, had the shape of a fireball domed on top. He was able to observe it for about ten seconds.

SAUCERS, DISCS, CIGARS...

A mustached Martian was walking
in the Vienne

If the round of "flying saucers" continues throughout France, we should not believe that our country is the only one to receive the visit of these craft. Now Cameroon, Lebanon, Germany, Egypt are entering their competition.

Mr. Roger Barrault, laborer in Lavoux (Vienne), riding a bicycle, was suddenly stopped by a double beam of light emanating from a sort of "diver" just 1.50 m high with boots without heels, very bright eyes and a strong mustache.

The diver strolled about a minute on the road, says Barrault, then suddenly disappeared into the nearby forest.

Several people have, on the bridge of Saint-Laurent-les-Mâcon, seen, above the Saône a disc which disappeared after a short while. New think, this disc was not bright but dark.

In Tourrières [sic], 17 km from Angoulême, around thirty people saw a kind of cigar which remained motionless at about forty meters above national road number 10 for about twenty minutes. The craft, which had two fins, then decided to leave at a speed of around 150 to 300 km / hour.

Mrs. Lebert, guardian of the Pont Chapelle castle at La Ferté-Macé (Orne), observed a mysterious craft in the middle of the afternoon in the sky. This craft, which looked like a rocket, rose silently vertically, leaving behind a luminous white trail. It could be observed for several seconds and then disappeared quickly. A woman and children living in the local suburbs have also witnessed the phenomenon.

Mr. Christian Couette, son of a plumber from Tesse-la-Madeleine, was riding a bicycle in the direction of Ranes, when he was overtaken near the pond of Lande-Forêt in the commune of Beauvain by a luminous craft which, at high speed, grazed the treetops. The object, about four meters in diameter, had the shape of a ball of fire domed on the top. It could be observed for ten seconds.

While driving his car, Mr. Jean Bertrand, mechanic in Carcassonne, saw, flying at low altitude, a spherical craft of shiny metal, the upper part of which seemed to be made of plastic. He was able, he says, to easily distinguish two hum-

MORE ON PAGE 8

The saucers

(Continued from the first page)

an forms in this craft; which disappeared at a high speed in the East direction.

IN CAMEROON

Yaoundé, 11. -- Several trustworthy people claim to have witnessed one of these phenomena known as "flying saucers".

These are Colonel Cauvin, director of hygiene and prophylaxis services in Cameroon, Doctor Menu, chief doctor of the Yaoundé hospital, and Messrs. Dumont, director of security services in Cameroon, Pouilleux, adviser to the territorial assembly of Cameroon, Moreau, administrator, deputy mayor of Yaoundé, and their wives.

All these people, gathered at the hospital’s chief doctor, were preparing to go to the cinema when they were intrigued by the attitude of the house dog who suddenly began to growl and bristle his hair. Thinking that strangers were prowling around his house, Doctor Menu went out and saw a bright object in the sky. He immediately called his guests who all then declared that they had seen, almost vertically above the plateau where the hospital is located, a huge disc, violently illuminated, motionless at an altitude of about 800 meters.

This "appearance" lasted 15 seconds. The craft was very exactly in the shape of a mushroom, whose diameter could not be precisely estimated by those present - under which a cylinder very slightly swayed whose length was equal to the diameter of the hat and also very bright.

Suddenly, the "saucer" took the direction of the East and its volume seemed to decrease visibly. Then it stopped for a few seconds before quickly gaining altitude and disappearing.

IN LEBANON

Beirut, 11. -- Mr. Max Favell, representative in Beirut of a German firm, claims to have seen at the seaside a motionless craft in the sky which emitted a whitish light.

Mr. Favell clarified that the craft which was a few meters from the ground landed for a few seconds, then took off vertically, spinning on itself, and soon disappeared into the sky. The witness did not notice any trace on the ground at the place of landing of the craft.

Following this statement, a journalist, Mr. Abdelkarim revealed that he had also seen the same day, but around 7 p.m., a kind of red ball moving in the sky and coming from the North. Mr. Abdelkarim, fearing that little credit would be given to his "vision", had not revealed it to anyone.

IN EGYPT

Alexandria, 11. -- Several hundred residents of Alexandria reported the presence in the sky of a luminous object which seemed to move from red to orange, then to green and blue gray. Officials from the meteorological service at the Alexandria airfield alerted the Helouan observatory, near Cairo, by telephone, asking that the phenomenon be photographed. However, it disappeared before the special telescope of the observatory could be readied.

The deputy director of the observatory, Mr. Azouz Ismaïl, told the press that it could be an aurora borealis. A magnetic storm had been observed for 48 hours; which would make the explanation likely.

IN GERMANY

Bonn, 11. -- A "flying saucer" was observed for about two minutes by 13 members of a gliding school above the airfield of Ockstadt, near Frankfurt.

The thirteen pilots and student pilots were watching the evolution of an instructor when they saw appearing above the glider in flight, at about 3.000 meters of atlitude, a "slightly swollen silver disc" which was moving without the slightest noise. The witnesses, including several former Luftwaffe aviators, are formal to declare that they cannot have been the victim of an optical illusion.

[...]

Must we go on?
Do we need to mention the furry being, bearing for it around the size a broad corset of orange color, seen close of a saucer by Mr. Narcy, in edge of the road of Wassy (Haute-Marne), October 5 with 7 a.m.. 15 of the morning?

Or also, the 96 centimeters man, carrying a broad leather belt, shoes and panties, which rose in the airs thanks to two boxes in the shape of pears, placed under each arm. This being was seen by Mr. Lacambre, forestry workman in Saint-Pardoux (the Lot), on Monday, October 4, at 8:10 a.m., and the witness has even determined from the footprints that the small being fitted shoe size 21 [Europe standard]...

What to think of the assertion of Mr. Garreau, who swears "on his honor" to have seen a "flying soup tureen" landed in his property, and two perfectly normal men get down of it, who shook hands with him and cuddled his dog before leaving as quickly as they came...

And this handworker of Lavoux (Vienna), Mr. Roger Barrault who, on Saturday October 9, at 7 p.m., was paralyzed by a luminous ray emanating from a "diver" high of 1 m. 50, fitted with boots, with shining eyes, and carrying a heavy moustache...

And the cigar posed in a clearing, in Diges in Yonne, near which Mrs. widows Gaffroy [sic, Geoffroy] saw a man, from the back, in combination and capped of a khaki bonnet...

And Mr. Jean Labonne, of Bergerac, who, on October 2, at 10 p.m., saw a metal mushroom in his garden. "Who's there?" he shouted when distinguishing a shade. "What do you want from me?" But the shade climbed in the mushroom which rose in the airs at an extraordinary speed.

Even in England which started to worry and almost become indignant that not the least saucer, not the least "cigar" or cigarillo, had made the honor of an appearance to the people which had won the battle of Trafalgar. This gap has been just been largely filled by the sensational revelations of an ornithologist, Mr. Cedric Allingham, who claims to have met, on February 18, in the north of Scotland, not a Martian, but a Venusian with whom he had a lengthy and difficult conversation!

This Venusian measured about 1 m 73, had short brown hair, and his skin seemed tanned. He was completely wrapped in a kind of combination which had the appearance of a armored coat. In his nose were two small tubes joined by a metallic wire... Mr. Allingham managed to touch the saucer whose metal was slightly warm, and he finally took the leave of Venusian, not without having offered him his pen, which the man carefully put in a pocket of his combination and after having taken on the run a photograph of the strange character. This rather fuzzy image is, it should be acknowledged, rather unrevealing. One sees the silhouette of a man seen from the back, walking slightly curved, and that, without a little imagination, could easily be matched with the silhouette of any earthman.

Lastly, with the latest news, it is a true avalanche of Martians that comes falling on our grounds.

In Pournoy La Chétive, in the Moselle, three children were roller skating, when a round machine, of 2.50 meters of diameter, lands close to them. A man left from there, holding in the hand a lit lamp which dazzled the children.

He was dressed of a black cassock "like that of our priest", and after having said some unintelligible words, he flew away in his saucer.

In the island of Oléron, for the first time, it was two Martian girls who put foot on the ground. It is Mr. Martin, a colonial teacher on holiday, who brings their description to us. They carried small boots and leather gloves, as well as brilliant helmets. They were extremely pretty and nicely agreed to sign an autograph to the teacher.

I would take a whole book to bring back all the cases in detail. But all these good people swear to god that they invent nothing. Their entourage echoes that. Him, to invent such a story? A family man known for his respectability... A boy who never drank any drop of alcohol in his life? Come on!

So what? Should it be concluded from this that they really saw strange beings, hairy, helmeted, in boots, speaking an incomprehensible language? Do we need to have faith to this story of mysterious green ray which paralyze human beings? Are their accounts, on the contrary, totally invented? Do they rest on a serious basis exaggerated thereafter?

Nothing, absolutely nothing in the current state of the collected information which was made available to the public allows to conclude in the sense of the authenticity. The investigations were led as if it were a question of "checking" the statements of the witnesses and not in the spirit to eliminate all the assumptions leading to plausible and relatively simple explanations. These assumptions are numerous, they go from the joke to the hallucination not to mention the optical illusion. To eliminate them, one would need extremely thorough police information, doubled, in all the cases, of a thorough psychological investigation.

Then only the facts would remain, logically unexplainable, which would constitute the true file on the Martians. One would then notice that this file is extremely thin, if not non-existent, and that in this business, there is much, far too much, literature.

SCIENCE

Martians over France

One morning last October, Jean Narcy, a road mender of Haute-Marne, France, was riding to work on his bicycle. In a wheat field he saw a little whiskered man just under 4 ft tall, who wore a fur coat, an orange corset and a plush cap.

"Bonjour, [Hello]" said Mr. Narcy.

The little man muttered something like "I'll be seeing you." Then he jumped into a small (10 ft. in diameter) flying saucer, took off with a buzzing sound and disappeared into the clouds.

With Narcy's "Hairy Martian" as a starting point, the French press run wild, and a deluge of Martians have been raining down ever since. They have come in flying cigars, crowns, comets, winged mushrooms, even a flying chamber pot. Unlike Americans who have seen flying saucers, the French "sighters" paid little attention to the vehicles. They were interested in the people from space.

The Martians were anything but standardized. One who stopped Mr. Roger Barrault near the town of Lavoux had brilliant eyes, an enormous moustache, wore rubbers and spoke Latin. Another asked Mr. Pierre Lucas, a Breton baker, for a light. He was bearded and had a single eye in the middle of the forehead. Mr. Lucas could not remember what language he spoke.

Paralysing Pygmies. As the Martian invasion of France proceeded, the invaders became more bizarre. A tropp of pygmies in plastic helmet gamboled down a railroad track near Quarouble and transfixed Mr. Dewilde with "a paralyzing beam of light." Some Martians were blue, others were yellow or pink. A traveling salesman of the Côte du Nord saw a wonderful sight: a deep rose flying cigar from which stepped a zebra-stripped Martian. As he alighted, he changed color, chameleon-like, from yellow to green.

The Martians marched en masse into French affairs. Cartoonists welcomed them delightedly (see cuts). As they multiplied, they even gained respectability. Le Figaro reported: "Counsellor General of Alpes Maritimes greets flying saucers' first appearance on the Côte d'Azur." France Soir announced that "a daily flying-saucer service seems to have been established between Marais-Poitevin and La Rochelle." A man from space even made the social columns of Paris-France: "Mustached Martian spends weekend at Vienna." Angry deputies asked questions in Parliament. Air Force Authorities (even as in the US) were badgered for explanations.

Before the many-colored Martians rained down on France, fames Swiss Psychiatrist C. G. Jung was asked what he thought about the saucer epidemic.

"Something is being seen," said Jung. "What is seen may be, in the case of a single observer, a subjective vision (hallucination). In the case of many observers, it may be a collective vision. Such a psychic phenomenon... could be a spontaneous reaction of the subconscious to the present conscious situation; the fear of an apparently insoluble political situation in the world... At such times eyes turn heavenwards ... and miraculous forebodings of a threatening or consoling nature appear from on high."

No More Dreams. Dr. Jung blames the U.S. air Force for mishandling the saucer epidemic and for permitting irresponsible journalists to pump it for bits of sensational-sounding information. He does not believe that the saucers are space ships. Those that are not hallucinations, he thinks, are probably misinterpretations of physical objects or effects. But he was willing to speculate about the effect on the human race of an invasion by beings from another world.

"Should the origin of the phenomenon turn out to be an extraterrestrial one," said Dr. Jung, "it would prove an intelligent interplanetary link. The impact of such a fact on humanity is unforeseeable. But, without doubt, we would be placed in the very questionable position of today's primitive societies that clash with the superior culture of the white race. All initiative would be wrested from us. As an old witch doctor once said to me, with tears in his eyes: We would 'have no more dreams.'

Our sciences and technology would go to the junk pile. What such a catastrophe would mean morally we can gauge by the pitiful decline of the primitive cultures that takes place before our eyes. The capacity to manufacture (interplanetary space ships) points to a technology towering sky sky high over ours."

"Just as the Pax Britannica made an end to the tribal warfare in Africa, so our world could roll up its Iron Curtain and use it for scrap ... This might not be so bad. But we would have been 'discovered' and colonized."

One saucerian who met Roger Barrault near Lavous [sic], France, was described as having brilliant eyes, an enormous mustache [sic], and wearing rubbers. He also spoke Latin.

October 9 [, 1954]

[... Other cases...]

07:00 p.m.: Lavoux (14 km E.Poitiers--Vienne): dwarf in diving suit, 1,50 m tall hairy head, shining eyes+double lumin. paralysing beam

[... Other cases...]

October 9, 1954: Lavoux (14 km INS East Poitiers--Vienne): Mr. Roger Barrault, handworker (dwarf 1,50 m high., in diving suit, hairy head, shining eyes)

Finally, on Saturday October 9 [1954], around 7 p.m., another cyclist found himself face to face with a small man in a diving suit (and this testimony, once again, is confirmed by his situation on a "straight line"). He provides the following description: height, about 1.50 m, his legs "had no heel" (Ezekiel said: their legs were straight and ended like the feet of a calf), his head looked like an enormous tuft of hair, with shining eyes. The being, or animal, moved on the road for a minute in front of the "paralyzed" witness, then disappeared into the nearby forest.

First of all, we should exclude the Carcassonne case and the Chemin-Long case, on which we have at present vera little information.

221) October 9, 1954, 07:00 p.m., Lavoux, Vienne (France):

Mr. Barrault was riding a bicycle when he suddenly saw a being dressed like a diver who directed two rays of light on him. He wore boots without heels and his eyes were very brilliant. He walked on the road for a minute and then entered the forest. The witness was "paralyzed" for the duration of the incident. The being had a hairy chest and there were two lights one above the other, in front of him (P. 45, P. 48, M. 153)

We do not believe that we have to apologize for the inclusion of testimonies which may justifiably appear incredible or grotesque. We do not claim that there exists in this Catalog a single observation of a physical event of an unknown nature.

We are not publishing a table of experimental results obtained in the laboratory, but only a general guide to facilitate the study of the abundant literature which has accumulated on an astonishing topic.

It would therefore be dishonest and a serious misunderstanding of our design, to treat all the cases of this catalog as if they had the same level of validity, or to affirm that the presence of this or that particular case reinforces or destroys by itself the degree of confidence that one can place in another case. WE CANNOT ACCEPT LIABILITY FOR ERRORS FROM THOSE WHO IGNORE THIS WARNING.

On October 9, 1954, in Lavoux, Vienne, France, a farmer who was riding his bicycle suddenly stopped as he saw a figure, dressed in a sort of "diving suit," aiming a double light-beam at him. The individual, who seemed to have "boots without heels," very bright eyes, and a very hairy chest, carried two "headlights," one below the other, on the front of his suit.

221

Oct. 09, 1954, 07:00 P.M. Lavroux (France).

Mr. Barrault was riding his bicycle when he suddenly saw a figure in a diving suit aiming a double beam of light at him. The individual had boots without heels and very bright eyes, walked on the road for one minute and went into the forest. The witness was "paralyzed" throughout the incident. The entity had a hairy chest and two lights, one above the other, in front of him. (45, 48; M 153; Magonia) (Le Figaro, 11 oct. 1954, Paris-Presse, 12 oct. 1954).

Again, this paralysis seems to be deliberately inflicted by the "ufonauts", since, in hundreds of other cases where people were near saucers placed on the ground, no phenomenon of paralysis intervened. The following report is also significant on October 9, 1954, in Lavoux (France), a farmer on a bicycle saw a figure dressed in a "diving suit" which pointed a double beam of light at him and which paralyzed him.

[... Other cases ...]

The two creatures who stole a hen from Marius de Wilde, in Quarouble, about the same time, were of the same size. As for the one who was seen in Lavoux, in Vienna, by Mr. Barrault and three children, it was a little larger and had "large eyes" and a hairy face.

[... Other cases ...]

394 9 October 1954 1900hrs

LAVOUX (FRANCE)

Roger Barrault vas riding his bicycle when he suddenly saw a figure in a diving suit aiming a double beam of light at him. The individual had boots without heels and very bright eyes, walked on the ground for one minute then went into the forest. The witness was "paralysed" throughout the incident. The entity had a hairy chest and two lights, one above the other, in front of him (M221; Figaro, ll Oct 54; Paris-Presse, 12 Oct 54; Michel II, 153; Magonia, 85)

October 9, 1954, 07:00 p.m., Lavoux, Vienne (France):

Mr. Barrault was riding a bicycle when he suddenly saw a being dressed like a diver who directed two rays of light on him. He wore boots without heels and his eyes were very brilliant. He walked on the road for a minute and then entered the forest. The witness was "paralyzed" for the duration of the incident. The being had a hairy chest and there were two lights one above the other, in front of him (Le Figaro, Oct. 11; Paris-Presse, Oct. 12)

09/10/1954 Lavoux (Vienne)

Around 7:00 p.m., Mr. Barrault who was returning home on a bicycle suddenly found himself face to face with a 1.50 m being clad in a spacesuit. The legs of the being had no heel and his head looked like a tuft of hair with large, bright eyes. He moved on the road in front of the paralyzed witness, then disappeared in the woods. (Centre Matin for 10/12/54)

BUT:

A counter-investigation carried out by L.D.L.N. showed that M. Barrault of Lavoux had simply been dealing with a farce organized by an 18 year old boy who had disguised himself and whom he had perfectly recognized. All the rest (paralyria and the like) is just an invention of a journalist in search of material.

[...]

2/ Only half an hour after the story of Pournoy la Chétive, Mr. Barrault was the victim of a farce which he denounced, but which will be distorted by a journalist until it had no relation to reality but in a way corresponding exactly to what had just happened 30 minutes before at another end of France and in perfect agreement with two testimonies which had had no impact on the public at the time.

On October 9 [1954], at 7 o'clock in the morning, it is a farm laborer of Lavoux, close to Poitiers, who sees a 1 m high creature, dressed of a kind of diving suit, with the brilliant eyes and long hair.

A N H type "Martians"

10/05/1954 Loctudy (Finistère)

Around 4 a.m., Mr. Paul Lucas, a bakery worker, was in the bakery when he saw in the courtyard of the bakery a circular craft 2.50 to 3m in diameter near which a 1.20m tall being was standing, who approached the witness and touched his shoulder while uttering incomprehensible words... He had an oval face covered with dark hair and huge eyes... (J. Giraud; "Centre Matin" of 10/07/54)

A hairy "Martian"! The whole of France burst out laughing! The only brake on this hilarity was that Mr. Lucas did not long remain the only witness to have observed such a being. Similar apparitions multiplied. These "Martians" belonged to type A N (humanoids and small) but they had a new characteristic: hair! Hence the "H". They were observed on:

10/05/1954 in Mertrud (Haute Marne) ... "The 1.20m being seemed dressed in a coat covered with hair..."

10/09/1954 in Pournoy la Chétive (Moselle) ... "The 1.20m being had a hairy head and big eyes..."

10/09/1954 in Lavoux (Vienne) ... "The being measured 1.50m, he was housed in a diving suit, his legs didn't have heels and his head looked like a tuft of hair with glowing eyes..."

10/12/1954 Montluçon (Allier) ... "A being covered with hair or wearing a long coat of hair..."

14/10/1954 Lewarde (Nord) ... "A small being with large oblique eyes and a body covered with furs..."

24/10/1954 Les Egots (?)... "A man with long hair and a hairy face whose eyes were as large as those of a cow..."

Seven appearances of "Hairy Martians" in twenty days, it was a bit too much for the fact to be considered only as a hallucination or a drunken rambling... Especially since similar beings had been observed in Caerphilly (Wales) in 1909 on May 18 to be quite precise. A fact is therefore certain, the "Martian" of the A N H type exists, but a difficulty arises: in half of the cases, it is the face which is hairy; in the other half, it is the whole body which seems to be covered in fur... A question therefore arises: is it natural hairiness (hair, beard, bristles...) or is it some equipment (diving suit, spacesuit, balaclava, etc.)? The answer cannot yet be provided. We believe that the hairiness observed on the faces is natural and that the one observed on the bodies is artificial (outfit). Otherwise, and in the latter case, it would be necessary to assume that the "Hairy Martians" are naked!

54-59 Oct. 9, 1954 1900 Lavoux, France Type E

Roger Barrault, bicycling in the dusk, found himself confronting a humanoid about 4.5 ft tall, dressed in a "diver's suit". Its feet "had no heels" (no shoes worn) & its helmeted head looked like a shaggy bunch of hair out of which shone dazzling eyes. Two lights, like very bright headlights, one above the other, were on its front. It moved along the road for a minute and disappeared in the wood.

Investigator:

Source: Michel, Straight-Line Mystery, p. 153.

October 9, 1954 1900 Lavoux (Vienne), France

This case is a fable: M. Barrault actually saw only a youth of 17 (whom he recognized), dressed up as a "Martian" to frighten women.

Investigator: Baillon.

Source: F. Lagarde, Mystérieuses Soucoupes Volantes (Albatros, 1973), pp. 143f

On October 9 [1954], at 7 a.m., an agricultural worker from Lavoux, near Poitiers, saw a creature 1 m high, dressed in a kind of diving suit, with eyes shiny and with long hair.

1954/10/09 FRANCE, LAVOUX

Source: Official UFO, Feb. 76
October Scenario

A cyclist was paralyzed from two beams of light coming from the chest of a small being along the road.

EFFECTS:
Paralysis
Light beam

On October 9, 1954, in Lavoux in the Vienne, France, a farmer on a bicycle suddenly stopped at the sight of a figure dressed in a "diving suit" who aimed at him with a double beam of light. The individual, who appeared to have "heelless boots", very bright eyes and a hairy chest, wore two "headlights", one below the other, on the front of his garment.

Lavaux [sic], France, (no known time)

Perhaps the most bizarre tale of the day was M. Roger Barrault's, a resident of Lavaux, who told everyone he had encountered a singular being, a being with: "...brilliant eyes, arid an enormous moustache, who spoke Latin." 37.

• 37. Keyhoe, Donald. [actually Wilkins, Harold.] Flying 5aucers Uncensored. p.231.

October 9th. Lavoux, France, (no known hour)

Another "mysterious figure in a diving suit" encountered a Frenchman on October 9th when a farmer, on his way home on his bicycle, found the road barred by a "bright-eyed, hairy-chested" figure wearing "boots without heels" and a device on its chest that "beamed two headlights." 87.

• 87. Vallee, Jacques. Dimensions. New York, N.Y.: Ballantine Rooks, 1988. pp. 108-109.

! 1954/10/09 LAVOUX, Vienne, FRANCE: Teen in costume with lights.

142.

Location. Lavoux France

Date: October 9 1954

Time: 1900

Roger Barrault, bicycling in the dusk, found himself confronting a humanoid about 4.5 ft tall, dressed in a "diver's suit." Its feet "had no heels" & its helmeted head looked like a shaggy bunch of hair out of which shone dazzling eyes. Two lights, like very bright headlights, one above the other, were on its front. It moved along the road for a minute and disappeared in the woods.

Humcat 1954-82

Source: Aime Michel

Type: E

TABLE 1. UFO OCCUPANT SIGHTINGS, 1954-1963

[...]

October 9, 1954 Roger Barrault, Lavoux, France 7:00 P.M.

One 4-1/2 ft tall being, diver's suit, bright eyes, two lights on chest; bicyclist at dusk encountered being, who disappeared into woods; no craft seen".

[...]

On this Day

October 9

[...]

1954 - Mr. Barrault was riding his bicycle in Lavoux, France at seven o'clock in the evening when he suddenly saw a figure in a diving suit aiming a double beam of light at him. The individual had boots without heels and very bright eyes. It walked along the road for about a minute and then went into the forest. The witness was paralyzed and was unable to move throughout the incident. The entity had a hairy chest and two lights, one above the other, in front of him. (Sources: Aime Michel, Flying Saucers and the Straight Line Mystery, p. 153; Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia, p. 222).

[...]

Saturday, October 9, 1954

[...]

At 07:00 a farm laborer (riding a bicycle?) close to Lavoux, close to Poitiers (the Vienne), sees a 1 m high creature, dressed of a kind of diver's suit, with shining eyes and the long hair. The creature aims a double beam of light at him, and seems to have boots without heels, a hairy chest, and carries 2 headlights, one below the other, in front of its clothing.

[...]

[...]

Mr. Barrault rides a bicycle when he suddenly sees 1being dressed like a diver who aims at him 2 luminous rays. He wears boots without heels and his eyes are very shining. He walks on the road during 1 mn then enters in the forest. The witness is "paralysed" throughout the incident. the being has a hairy chest and there are 2 lights one above the other, in front of him.

[...]

Examples of testimonies reporting hairy beings

[... Other cases ... ]

[...] Lavroux [sic] on October 9, 1954

[... Other cases ... ]

[... Other cases ...]

October 9: A man on a bicycle in Lavoix saw a figure in a diving suit with very bright eyes aiming a double beam of light at him, which paralyzed him. The being then walked into the forest. In Carcassone, a man saw a metallic sphere in the road. The top half of the object was transparent, and he saw two human-shaped figures standing inside. The craft soon left at high speed. (Dolan) The individual seemed to have "boots without heels" and very bright eyes.... The entity had a very hairy chest and carried two "headlights" placed one below the other on his chest. (Vallee)

[... Other cases ...]

*Oct. 9, 1954 - Mr. Barrault was riding his bicycle in Lavoux, France at seven o'clock in the evening when he suddenly saw a figure in a diving suit aiming a double beam of light at him. The individual had boots without heels and very bright eyes. It walked along the road for about a minute and then went into the forest. The witness was paralyzed and was unable to movethroughout the incident. The entity had a hairy chest and two lights, one above the other, in front of him. (Sources: Aime Michel, Flying Saucers and the Straight Line Mystery, p. 153; Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia: A Century of Landings, p. 222, case # 221).

Location: Lavoux France

Date: October 9 1954

Time: 1900

Roger Barrault, bicycling in the dusk, found himself confronting a humanoid about 4.5 ft tall, dressed in a "diver’s suit." Its feet "had no heels" & its helmeted head looked like a shaggy bunch of hair out of which shone dazzling eyes. Two lights, like very bright headlights, one above the other, were on its front. It moved along the road for a minute and disappeared in the woods.

Source: Aime Michel; Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia 221

Possible Kid in costume with lights.

[...]

We wonder today, how, if the occupants of the flying saucer were supposed to be Martians, we could accept as Martians beings entirely hairy, when we expected to see landed beings in spacesuits. This is to forget that in 1954, "Martian" was a generic term to designate all the extraordinary beings that one could meet, just as "flying saucer" was another generic term to designate any mysterious celestial object.

On the other hand, journalists, who favored sensational information, more easily passed on these stories of incredible Martians, of whom they did not believe a word. A spaceship pilot would have been less successful.

On the other hand, the first "saucerists" (one did not speak of ufologists at the time), did not disdain to also collect these testimonies of hairy Martians. After all, they were part of the wave, and, even in spacesuits, "Martians" were no less fantastic.

Let's hear how Aimé Michel justifies this approach.

Around 7 p.m., therefore, that evening, Mr. Roger Barrault, of Lavoux, was riding a bicycle near the village, when, in the falling twilight, he suddenly found himself face to face with a sort of indefinable being housed in a "spacesuit". He was about five feet tall, says Barrault, his "legs" had no heels, he had a "head" resembling a large tuft of hair with bright "eyes"; two kinds of headlights superimposed vertically, extremely bright, were noticed half-body on its front face. The being moves on the road for about a minute in front of Mr. Barrault, "paralyzed", then disappeared between the trees of the nearby forest.

This description made by a man of very simple spirit (Mr. Barrault is a manual worker), obtained in the newspapers the day after tomorrow a great success of hilarity. The "mustached Martian" took place in journalistic folklore and in conversation of sensible people as the last reincarnation of eternal human stupidity. Now again, it constitutes an argument without reply in any discussion where some weak-minded man dares to pronounce the words of Flying Saucer. What would have been said if it had been known that at the other end of France, half an hour before Mr. Barrault, children said they had approached an exactly identical being

(Aimé Michel, Mystérieux Objets célestes, Arthaud 1958, page 262)

So there was nothing to laugh about. The mustached-hairy-furry Martians were part of the problem of flying saucers. Their observations were therefore examined, along with those of the other saucer pilots, later baptized "ufonautes"

Let's see the observations retained by Michel Carrouges:

[...]

Barrault, in Lavoux (Vienne), Oct. 9, 1954,

[...]

This is the funniest part of our problem. If the Martian is hairless and presented in cellophane, that's ok, but bearded, no, that's too much.

The fact is that the notion of a bearded "Martian", if it is not entirely incompatible with the wearing of a diving suit, seems to be out of harmony with him. Even under transparency, hairiness is not in the foreground and should not remain major in the impression of the witness.

[...]

according to Mr. Barrault, "very bright" eyes (A.F.P., Oct. 10), [...]

[...]

In the middle of dozens of apparitions of humanoids roughly equally distributed between two types, eight descriptions went around which did not integrate at all with the rest of the phenomenon, but which nevertheless constituted one perfectly coherent set. A set so coherent that it seemed difficult to refute despite its clearly grand-guignolesque appearance. It was the "Hairy Martian" type which appeared in the following circumstances.

[...]

9/10/54 Lavoux (Vienne) ...

[...]

(OVNI INFO nr 0, April 1975, seventh page)

So let's take a closer look at this group. We will summarize the French cases presented by Carrouges, by Giraud and by Zurcher (whether they are supposed to be true or false)

Date	Hour	Place	Witness
10/09/1954	about 7 p.m.	Lavoux (86)	Roger Barrault

[...]

We will see that on analysis, there is not one case to save the other. As usual, the ufologists copied each other, and the first sources used were not local newspapers.

[...]

No Martian in Lavoux.

We have seen how Aimé Michel related the case of Lavoux, and how he defended the brave witness against the wicked skeptics.

But still he had to know the true story told by the said witness, and we will see that the story he reports was only the invention of a journalist.

In addition, Aimé Michel did not even respect the text of the initial article and seems not to realize that it has nothing to do with the case of Pournoy-la-chétive:

[...]

After having noted that none of these observations allows to conclude on the objective existence of hairy ufonauts, we can conclude that type 6 of Pereira, which is group 3 of Zurcher, is illusory, and in practice, empty.

[...]

No Martian in Lavoux

Various catalogs and books mention the hairy Martian of Lavoux, without having consulted the newspapers of the time. In fact, if no hairy Martian appeared in Lavoux, no newspaper published a corrigendum either.

We do not know the content of the original article, apparently published in Poitiers on October 11, we only have second-hand articles.

We read, for example, in Le Nouveau Nord Maritime:

A character with a strong mustache

Poitiers. 11. - Mr. Roger Barrault, laborer at Lavoux (Vienne) declared that, riding a bicycle, around 7 p.m. on Saturday, he had been suddenly stopped by a double beam of light emanating from a sort of scuba diver hardly 1 m. 50 tall with boots without heels, very bright eyes and a strong mustache.

The diver strolled about a minute on the road, says Barrault, then suddenly disappeared into the nearby forest.

(Le Nouveau Nord Maritime, October 12, 1954, page 8)

Jimmy Guieu dwells into the case after describing that of Pournoy-la-chétive:

Another event, which occurred thirty minutes later, near Lavoux (Vienne) partially confirms the testimony of the three children regarding the description of the Uranian.

[By Dominique Caudron:] Note: In fact, the observation of the children in Pournoy-la-chétive took place at 11 p.m. 30 mn before.

At 7 p.m., Roger Barrault, a laborer in Lavoux, was riding a bicycle. He was suddenly stopped by a double beam of light projected by "a kind of diver, 1m high. 50 maximum, with boots, very bright eyes and... a strong mustache! The Uranian walked for about a minute on the road, then fled to the nearby forest.

The three children above claimed that the Uranian had a hairy face. Mr. Barrault describes him "with a strong mustache". We will conclude that he is undoubtedly a being of the same species with a very extensive facial hair system. Its size is about the same. For the children, his eyes are "very large"; for Mr. Barrault, "very brilliant". We are more inclined to look for an exact description given by the children because a detail strikes us; if for the latter and for Mr. Barrault the Uranian had a "hairy" face, it is most probably because he was not wearing a helmet.

The Uranian, thus presenting himself with his face uncovered, could therefore breathe our atmosphere. The first sported a long tunic; the second a "flight suit" without helmet. However, both had a "lamp" (as the children called it). But only Mr. Barrault saw the double beam of light.

(Jimmy Guieu, Black Out sur les Soucoupes volantes, Fleuve Noir 1956, page 179)

Aimé Michel insists on the identity of the beings of Pournoy-la-chétive and Lavoux.

Around 7 p.m., therefore, that evening, Mr. Roger Barrault, of Lavoux, was riding a bicycle near the village, when, in the falling twilight, he suddenly found himself face to face with a sort of indefinable being clad in a "spacesuit". He was about five feet tall, says Barrault, his "legs" had no heels, he had a "head" resembling a large tuft of hair with bright "eyes"; two kinds of headlights superimposed vertically, extremely bright, were noticed half-body on its front face. The being moved on the road for about a minute in front of Mr. Barrault "paralyzed" then disappeared between the trees of the nearby forest.

This description, made by a man of very simple mind (Mr. Barrault is a manual worker), obtained in the newspapers the day after the next day a great success of hilarity (l). The "mustached Martian" took his place in journalistic folklore and in the conversation of sensible people as the last reincarnation of eternal human stupidity. Now again, it is an argument without answer in any discussion where some weak-minded man dares to pronounce the words of Flying Saucer. What would have been said then if it had been known that at the other end of France, half an hour before Mr. Barrault, children said they had approached an exactly identical being

(1)Figaro for 10/11.

[By Dominique Caudron:] Note: Paralysis is not mentioned in the first press articles, nor by Jimmy Guieu, but appears in Samedi-Soir on October 14. As for the exact identity of the descriptions, it only exists in the mind of Aimé Michel

(Aimé Michel, Mystérieux Objets Célestes, Arthaud 1958, page 262)

Jacques Vallée retains the paralysis and adds a hairy chest.

October 9, 1954, 19:00. Lavoux, Vienne (France)

Mr. Barrault was riding a bicycle when he suddenly saw a being dressed like a diver who directed two rays of light on him. He wore boots without heels and his eyes were very bright. He walked on the road for a minute and then entered the forest. The witness was "paralyzed" for the duration of the incident. The being had a hairy chest and there were two lights one above the other, in front of him (P. 45, P. 48, M. 153).

[By Dominique Caudron:] How could the witness have seen a hairy chest if the being wore a diving suit?

(Jacques Vallée, A century of UFO landing, in Chronique des apparitions extraterrestres, Denoel 1972, page 296)

We have to wait for the publication of "Mystérieuses Soucoupes Volantes" to learn that all this was but hot air:

October 9, 1954, in Lavoux (Vienne).

...

Mr. Baillon, investigator, writes:

I was able to find the witness who no longer lived in Lavoux but a small isolated farm south of Chauvigny. When asked about his sighting in 1954, he told me:

"I was passing in the vicinity of Lavoux when I saw a 17-year-old young man whom I recognized perfectly; he disguised himself in a paratrooper outfit, a German helmet "sawed on the side", and a kind of shiny box.

I chased him into the woods but lost sight of him.

I told this story at the bar and the widely distorted story came to the ear of a journalist, hence the article in Le Figaro.

Passing through Paris a few days later, Mr. Barrault reportedly went to protest with the said newspaper, and from what he told us he had to be content with vague excuses, but no corrigendum appeared".

[By Dominique Caudron:] Note: So no Martian, no bright eyes, no mustache, no double light beam, no paralysis, nothing but a prank, but no corrective either.

(Fernand Lagarde, Mystérieuses soucoupes volantes, Albatros 1974, page 143)

And the following year, Jean Giraud passed on the demystification:

9/10/54 Lavoux (Vienne)

Around 7:00 p.m., Mr. BARRAULT, who was returning home on a bicycle, suddenly found himself face to face with a 1.50m being clad in a diving suit. The being's legs had no heel and his head looked like a tuft of hair with large, bright eyes. He moved on the road in front of the paralyzed witness, then disappeared in the woods (Centre Matin for 10/12/54).

...

BUT THIS IS:

...

A counter-investigation carried out by L.D.L.N. showed that Mr. BARRAULT of Lavoux had simply been dealing with a farce organized by an 18 year old boy who had dressed up and whom he had perfectly recognized. Everything else (paralysis and the like) is just an invention of a journalist looking for sensation.

[By Dominique Caudron:] Note: spelling and typography respected.

(OVNI INFO nr 0, April 1975, seventh and eighth page)

In 1978, Alain Gamard was not outdone.

10.: October 9, 1954, 7:00 p.m., Lavoux (Vienne).

The anecdote: Mr. Roger Barrault returns home on a bicycle when he is face to face with a being of 1.50m clad in a diving suit. His legs have no heel and his head looks like a large tuft of hair with bright eyes. It carries two kinds of headlights superimposed mid-body on its front face. He moves on the road in front of paralyzed Mr. Barrault, then disappears in the forest.

Ref.: - Le Figaro of 10/11/54.
- Centre Matin of 10/12/54.
- Guieu 11, p. 204.
- Michel 191.
- Carrouges 108.

Facts: Mr. Baillon, LDLN investigator, found the witness. The latter had to declare to him that he had seen that day a 17-year-old young man (whom he had perfectly recognized) disguised using a paratrooper's outfit, a German helmet "sawed on the side and a sort of shining box. Mr. Barrault pursued the joker but lost sight of him. He told his story at the bar, and it was a largely distorted version that was published in the newspapers.

Ref.: - M.S.V. 143.
UFO Info # 0.

[By Dominique Caudron:] Note: this erroneous date of October 7 shows that the source is INFO OVNI nr 0.

(Alain Gamard, Méprises, canulars and Co", in, Eric Zurcher, Les apparitions humanoïdes, Alain Lefeuvre 1978, p 178)

In 1979, Michel Figuet also published the demystification at the end of his voluminous book, with The UFOs demystified, but it seems that not everyone took the trouble to read this chapter:

A farce organized by an eighteen-year-old young man

10 09 1954 7 p.m. Lavoux (Vienne).

WITNESS. Mr. Barrault.

OBSERVATION. A hairy being carrying two superimposed pectoral lamps, boots without heels. He was dressed like a diver and his eyes were bright.

EVENTS. Mr. Barrault, who returns home on a bicycle, suddenly finds himself face to face with a 1.50m being clad in a spacesuit. He passes on the road, in front of the witness who is paralyzed, and disappears in the woods.

IN REALITY. A counter investigation by L.D.L.N. showed that the witness had been dealing with a farce organized by an 18 year old young man who had dressed up and whom he had perfectly recognized. All the rest was just the brainchild of a journalist in need of sensation.

Sources. Vallée catalog, case nr 221. - Jimmy Guieu: Black-out sur les S.V., p. 204. - Info-OVNI, n ° 0, "Le lapin et le renard" by the group 03100. - Le Figaro of 10/11/1954. - Paris-Presse of 10/12/1954. - Aimé Michel: A propos des S.V. p. 191-192.

(Michel Figuet, OVNI le premier dossier complet des rencontres rapprochées en France, Alain Lefeuvre 1979, p 666-667)

As the demystification of the Lavoux case is already well known, the case was not investigated by Barthel and Brucker, and therefore, not rehabilitated by Jean Sider.

Similarly, Julien Gonzalez admits the demystification known for 40 years.

Lavoux, Vienne, 09 October 1954, 7:00 p.m.

The anecdote: Mr. Roger Barrault returns home on a bicycle when he is face to face with a 1.50 m being clad in a spacesuit. His legs have no heel and his head looks like a large tuft of hair with bright eyes. It carries two kinds of headlights superimposed mid-body, on its front face. He moves on the road in front of paralyzed Mr. Barrault, then disappears in the forest.

Sources: Jimmy Guieu, Black-Out sur les Soucoupes Volantes, page; Aimé Michel, Mysterious Celestial Objects, page; Michel Carrouges, The Apparitions of Martiens, page 108.

[By Dominique Caudron:] For Black-out, it's page 179, for M.O.C, it's page 262.

The reality: Mr. Baillon, investigator of the LDLN group, found the witness. The latter had to declare to him that he had seen that day a 17-year-old young man (whom he had perfectly recognized) disguised using a paratrooper's outfit, a German helmet "sawed on the side and a sort of shining box. Mr. Barrault pursued the joker but lost sight of him. He told his story at the bar, and it was a largely distorted version that was published in the newspapers.

Source: Mystérieuses Soucoupes Volantes, by the LDLN group, page l43.

(Julien Gonzalez, RR3 - Le Dossier des Rencontres du Troisième Type en France, Le Temps Present, 2014, pp 435)

Thus, in Lavoux, there has never been a mustached Martian with very bright eyes, nor paralysis, and yet many ufologists ignore the demystification of Mr. Baillon, revealed by Fernand Lagarde, and then relayed by several ufologists, since Patrick Gross identifies more than a dozen sources continuing to quote the legend, after its refutation.

In any case, even ignoring the demystifications of the Pournoy-la-chétive and Lavoux cases, it was not possible, like Aimé Michel, to conclude that the alleged identity of the beings observed was exact. On one side a being of 1.20 m, in cassock, with a lamp, on the other a being of 1.50 m in diving suit. We see that if, initially, the journalists largely distorted the facts, the ufologists are not outdone by ignoring the differences, and by adding hairy chest and paralysis.