The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: End-Nov-54-Busséjoux.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
The newspaper L'Auvergnat de Paris for November 27, 1954, reported on page 6, that the baker of Saint-Etienne-aux-Clos, Mr. Ratelade, returning from his tour at night, had seen in the light of his headlights, towards Busséjoux, two characters waving to him to stop.
But since there was so much talk of flying saucers, Mr. Ratelade thought they were two "Martians" and accelerated instead of stopping. Arrived in the village, he loaded men of good will and returned to the place with them.
He found the two "Martians", calmly framing Mr. Pierre Tinle and making the journey and talking with him.
They were in fact "two superb fellows, American aviators lost in our mists, forced to land in Thalamy and lost in our paths, in search of the telephone!"
Happy to find help, the airmen had a good laugh, got into the van, which brought them to the post office. The newspaper concluded that "Mr. Ratelade no longer believes in Martians..."
[Ref. aup1:] NEWSPAPER "L'AUVERGNAT DE PARIS":
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[... other topics...]
Our baker, returning from his tour at nightfall, encountered two individuals in his headlights towards Busséjoux, making him signs to stop. There is so much talk of flying saucers that Mr. Ratelade thought he saw two Martians and hit the accelerator. Arrived at the village, he loaded men of good will and went back... Guess how surprized he was, when he found the two beings calmly framing Mr. Pierre Tinle and making route and conversation with the latter! Conversation that was animated and not easy, because it was quite simply two superb fellows, American aviators lost in our mists, forced to land in Thalamy and lost in our paths, in search of a phone booth! Very happy to find help, the airmen laughed heartily at the adventure, got into the van which brought them to the post office. And all ended well! But Mr. Ratelade no longer believes in Martians...
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This is what is called a "negative case" in ufology: a case in which the witnesses themselves realized that they had made a mistake.
Such cases, overlooked by some ufologists, are important in my opinio; this is why I am documenting them.
They make it possible to note that misinterpretations do happen, to note the circumstances (lighting, various conditions), the way in which they are resolved (by witnesses themselves like here, or after investigation, for example).
In the context of France in 1954 and its much publicized wave of "saucers" since mid-September, there was no reason to believe that the pilots of the "flying saucers", the "Martians", could not have an appearance similar to that of humans. Here they were pilots, who were probably wearing helmets and flight outfits. With the incongruity of their presence here in the middle of the night, these were circumstances that made believe they were "Martians."
One can look at another similar case, and realize that even in broad daylight, and close sight, a case of encounter with pilots can result in a false case of "flying saucer pilots" encounter, and be published in the ufology literature as such for decades.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Busséjoux, Corrèze, Ratelade, Pierre Tinle, negative case, Martians, pilots, occupants, helicopter, American, OTAN
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
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| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | January 11, 2021 | First published. |
