The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: Summer-54-Saint-Just-Malmont.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
In December 1968, one learned in the ufology magazine Lumières Dans La Nuit #97, that a reader of Saint-Etienne of the newspapers Le Progrès and L'Espoir submitted a letter to the editors of these newspapers. Le Progrès journalist Mr. Raymond Rousset forwarded the letter to the magazine that published it, speaking of a "landing". The letter said:
"Sir,"
"Following your articles, I can confirm that I saw with my husband, one evening in the summer of 1954, around 10 p.m. a huge luminous ball motionless in the middle of a field towards Saint-Just-Malmont (Hte Loire)."
"My husband stopped the car, we went down to better observe, but suddenly this huge and blinding ball advanced in our direction."
"I was scared, I ran into the car begging my husband to start as quickly as possible, but before we could leave this ball had taken height and disappeared at breathtaking speed."
"I will remember for a long time the fear I felt that night. We did not talk about this story, at that time and even now, to very few people, for fear of being ridiculised [sic]."
"We still wish to remain anonymous, and I deeply apologize to you, however I ask you to believe our sincerity."
[Ref. ldl1:] UFOLOGY MAGAZINE "LUMIERES DANS LA NUIT":
|
(The letter below was given to the editors of the daily newspapers "Le Progrès" and "L'Espoir" and it was the journalist of "Le Progress" Raymond ROUSSET who forwarded it to us. We heartfully thank him.)
Sir,
Following your articles, I can confirm that I saw with my husband, one evening in the summer of 1954, around 10 p.m. a huge luminous ball motionless in the middle of a field towards Saint-Just-Malmont (Hte Loire).
My husband stopped the car, we went down to better observe, but suddenly this huge and blinding ball advanced in our direction.
I was scared, I ran into the car begging my husband to start as quickly as possible, but before we could leave this ball had taken height and disappeared at breathtaking speed.
I will remember for a long time the fear I felt that night. We did not talk about this story, at that time and even now, to very few people, for fear of being ridiculised [sic].
We still wish to remain anonymous, and I deeply apologize to you, however I ask you to believe our sincerity.
"A reader of St-Etienne"
[Ref. ioi1:] UFOLOGY BULLETIN "INFO OVNI":
|
-38-
DATE ../SUM/1954
TIME 10:00 p.m. approximately
LOCATION Saint Just Malmont (Haute-Loire)
WITNESS Mrs. X. (Anonymity expressed)
THE FACTS.
Madame X. and her husband were traveling in a car one summer evening in 1954. Suddenly, towards Saint-Just Malmont, their attention was drawn by the presence of an enormous motionless luminous ball in the middle of a field. The driver stopped the car and the two witnesses got out to better observe the phenomenon. But suddenly, the huge, blinding ball began to advance in their direction. Frightened the witnesses returned to their car, but before they could leave, the ball had picked up speed and had disappeared at a dizzying pace.
SOURCES.
Mr. Raymond Rousset, journalist at the "Progrès".
Personal communication.
INVESTIGATION.
No investigation was made.
[Ref. gal1:] CHARLES GARREAU AND RAYMOND LAVIER:
These ufologists and authors indicate that during the summer of 1954, in Saint-Just-Malmont in the Haute-Loire, at about 10:00 P.M., a couple of motorists who arrived close to Saint-Just saw an enormous luminous ball, motionless in the middle of a field. They provide the following account:
"My husband stopped our car. We got out for better observing it. But suddenly, this enormous and dazzling ball advanced in our direction. I was afraid and I hid myself in the car begging my husband to also come back and to start as quickly as possible. But before we can leave, this ball had taken height and disappeared at a vertiginous speed. I will always remember the fear that I experience that day there!"
The authors indicate as source the magazine Lumières Dans La Nuit for December 1968.
[Ref. fru1:] MICHEL FIGUET ET JEAN-LOUIS RUCHON:
The two ufologists indicate that in the summer of 1954 to 22:00, a man and his wife arrived by car near Saint-Just-of-Malmont when they saw in the middle of a field an enormous dazzling luminous ball. The authors quote:
"My husband stopped the car. We went out in order to better observe it, but suddenly, this enormous and dazzling ball advanced in our direction. I was afraid, I fled in the car begging my husband to start as soon as possible, but before we could leave, this ball had taken altitude and had disappeared at a vertiginous speed."
They indicate that the case comes from a woman resident of Saint-Etienne who wrote to the ufology magazine Lumières Dans La Nuit (LDLN), France, in #97 page 12, and from the book by Garreau and Lavier.
[Ref. mft1:] MICHEL FIGUET:
This ufologist noted:
| CASE Nr | CLASSIFICATION | DATE | HOUR | PLACE | ZIP CODE | CREDIBILITY SOURCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | CEl | Summer 1954 | 22.00 | Saint-Just de Malmont | 43240 A6 | RS [= sparse information], OVNI: p. 71 |
[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH - "*U* COMPUTER DATABASE":
3689: 1954/08/01 22:00 1 4:18:40 E 45:20:40 N 3213 WEU FRN HLR 7:7
St JUST de MALMONT,FR:BALL/LITE ^/FLD:APPROACHES 2/CAR:THEY GO:UFO ^^:/r30p71
Ref#194 LUMIERES dans la NUIT.(LDLN France) Issue No. 97 : FARMLANDS
[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN:
Luc Chastan indicates that in the Haute Loire in St Just de Malmont in 1954 at 22:00 hours "During the summer, a couple in a car sees an enormous luminous and dazzling ball in fields. The driver stops the car, and the two witnesses get out of the vehicle. Suddenly the ball moves in their direction. Then the woman is frightened, goes up in the car, begs her husband to go away. Even before they can start again, the ball takes height and disapears at vertiginous speed."
The source is indicated as "Ovni, Premier dossier complet... by Figuet M./ Ruchon J.L. ** Alain Lefeuvre pub. 1979".
[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on 1 August 1954 at 22:00 in St Just De Malmont, France, "Ball of light descends in field. Approaches two in car. They leave, UFO shoots up vertically." And: "An object was observed. It departed by rapidly flying straight up until lost to sight. One ball was observed in a field or over one minute."
The sources are given as "Lumieres dans la Nuit, Lumieres dans la Nuit; Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002".
[Ref. rbt1:] RENAUD BENOIST:
The author indicates that during the summer of 1954 in the town of Saint-Just-Malmont in the Haute-Loire, a couple of motorists faced a "bluish luminous ball" which remained for long minutes in front of them and then disappeared in the woods.
|
The date "1 August" given in [uda1] is invented; the primary source only says it was in the Summer. The place name is "Saint-Just-Malmont", not "Saint Just de Malmont".
Of course the luminous ball might have been a meteor.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Saint-Just-Malmont, Haute-Loire, anonymous, night, luminous, ball, field, road, car, couple, huge, dazzling, fast, motionless, ascending
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | December 16, 2005 | First published. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | February 24, 2010 | Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Additions [lcn1], [uda1]. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | January 26, 2017 | Addition [rbt1]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | July 3, 2019 | Additions [ldl1], [mft1], [lhh1], Summary. Explanation changed, "Not looked for yet." replaced by "Of course the luminous ball might have been a meteor." |
| 1.3 | Patrick Gross | May 17, 2022 | Addition [ioi1]. |
