The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: Mid-Oct-54-Boulogne-sur-Mer.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
The regional newspaper Le Journal du Pas-de-Calais et de la Somme reported on page 2 for October 20, 1954, that under cover of anonymity, for fear of being taken for "jokers", two residents of Boulogne-sur-Mer reported that, going down the rue de la Lampe towards Capécure, at 11:45 p.m., they saw in the sky, towards Le Portel, a bright red disc, of the diameter of the moon.
The radiant color of the disc had struck them because it was very different from that of the Moon.
The two friends stopped to observe the phenomenon, and after a brief wait, they saw "the disc oscillate and then climb vertically at breakneck speed and disappear into the sky!"
Moved, they said to each other: "We just saw a saucer!"
On his way home, one of them looked on the calendar and found that there was no moon in the sky then - unfortunately the newspaper did not give the date of the observation.
[Ref. jps1:] NEWSPAPER "LE JOURNAL DU PAS-DE-CALAIS ET DE LA SOMME":
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Flying saucers are obviously a hot topic of the day.
Two friends can no longer meet without asking each other the question: "Have you seen one?"
At the beginning of the apparitions, many were skeptical; however, people's opinion has changed with the influx of these devices in the skies of France.
Until now, one could think that the population of Boulogne and the region, except those of Ambleteuse, would not see a flying saucer pass.
Various testimonies that reached us yesterday seem to confirm the existence of these mysterious devices.
In order not to be called a "joker", various people from Boulogne and the surrounding area, worthy of faith and not victims of hallucinations or celestial phenomena, as it frequently occurs, did not want to, after "observing" the "saucer", tell those around them.
And it is on condition of anonymity that they kindly gave us some details about the "apparition".
First of all, two Boulogne residents who were walking down rue de la Lampe towards Capécure, at 11:45 p.m., were surprised to see in the sky, towards Le Portel, a bright red disc, the diameter of the moon.
The radiant color of the disk struck them immediately, for it was so different from that of the planet. The two friends therefore stopped to observe the "phenomenon". Their wait was not long since they saw the disc clearly oscillate then rise vertically at a dizzying speed and disappear into the sky!
Very moved, the two friends looked at each other and made the same reflection: "We just saw a flying saucer!"
"We just saw a flying saucer!"
On the way home, one of them looked at the calendar to make sure there was no moonlight. There was not.
In addition several other people from Pont-de-Briques also assured us that they had seen a red globe that was moving in the sky above Ecault.
Two railway workers saw the phenomenon during the same evening.
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From the rue de la Lampe in Boulogne-sur-Mer, the "disk" would have been according to the report above the Portel, it would therefore be towards the South-West.
Obviously, they must have thought that maybe it could have been the Moon since one of them checked on the calendar if it was present in the sky then.
The story was published on October 20, 1954; therefore the observation is from October 19 or the previous few days. The time is reported as 23:45.
From the place of observation, on October 19, 1954 at 11:45 pm, the Moon was lying down, it will not be visible until 12:46 am, after midnight. On October 18, 1954 at 11:45 PM, the Moon is rising, elevation 3 °, which is perfect for a mistake.
But its direction of 64°, is the opposite of the direction of observation. And only 49% of its surface was illuminated, so witnesses should have seen a half moon, not a "disk".
We are also told that they saw "the disc oscillate then ascend vertically at breakneck speed and disappear into the sky", which is hardly plausible for a misconception caused by the Moon.
To get a full moon or a nearly full moon about the Wouthwest about 11:45 p.m., one has to go back to October 10, 1954; but then it sets instead of rising.
This doesn't necessarily make it an alien craft; unfortunately for lack of data more solid than that of the newspaper, one cannot exclude a meteor, or a Thai lantern, for example.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais, Lune, anonymous, two, saucer, disc, red, sharp, oscillations, ascension, fast, vertical
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
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| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | November 4 | First published. |
