The 1954 French flap:

SAUCERS OR NOT SAUCERS?

A strange phenomenon observed after
the passing of a jet airplane

above the valley of the Rhône

Vienne (A.F.P.).
A "Stratojet" plane which, each day, flies over the valley of the Rhone at an altitude of approximately ten thousand meters, was mistaken Tuesday, by certain people, for a flying saucer.

The president instructor of the Aero club of Vienne dissuaded the too imaginative witnesses at once, but a strange phenomenon occurred at once after the passage of the powerful jet. It formed, indeed, in the sky, sorts of parachuts animated of odd movements and having the aspect of light veils which soon reached the ground.

The witnesses of the phenomenon seized this matter, very soft at touching, and having a little the consistency of rubber. While arriving on the ground, this one volatilized, probably under the influence of the temperature.

One of the witnesses put a little of the substance in a box and had it photograph at once. A few hours afterwards, what remained in this box, however sealed, had evaporated.

This phenomenon due to condensation in the rarefied and cold atmosphere, of certain elements of the fuel of the "Stratojet", can cause white or irrized formations moving at high speed at great altitude and thus giving place to more or less whimsical interpretations.

This observation made above the aerodrome of Vienne is identical to that already reported in its time [1952] by an inhabitant of Oloron.

A FLYING SAUCER IN INDONESIA

Bondowoao (Indonesia) (A.P.). A flying saucer caused a disturbance in the town of Bondowoao, at 80 kilometers of the island of Bali. Several inhabitants state to have seen, during one half-minute, a greenish object which crossed the sky in North-western direction.

A BLACK CIGAR LANDS IN THE LOZERE

Saint Privat de Valongues (C.P.).
Mr. Albert Mallet of Fabrègue, city council man, had the surprise, last week, around 21 hours, to see a mysterious apparatus of lengthened form, black, that landed in a field very close to his house: the apparatus took off again all at once, almost vertically, at a vertiginous speed, with a gentle whistling sound like an electric motor, and emitting sharp red colors.

The flying craft

(Continued from the first page)

ernational treaties signed by France already allowed consultations relating to the use of such machines in a possible conflict".

A "cigar" near Alès

Sunday, around 15 o'clock, Mr. Soulier, shoe-maker in Vézenobres, was hunting in the commune of Bouquet, close to Alès, when he suddenly heard a noise similar to that of a chain going down at the bottom from a well. Intrigued, he looked up and saw 30 meters high only a machine of cylindrical form going down vertically. This "cigar", of a metallic blue, 5 to 6 meters in height, by 3 meters in diameter, carried four crutches at its base.

The craft remained motionless more than one minute, then climbed back vertically to a vertiginous pace. And Mr. Soulier again the same noise of chain heard.

A luminous ball in the Lozère

A resident of Saint-Privat-de-Vallorgue (the Lozere), absolutely worthy of faith, stated he saw a luminous ball from 3 to 6 meters in diameter, which suddenly rose in the sky while changing color.

Mr. Maillet adds that the sphere hovered without any noise and that it left behind a light whitish cloud.

A "melon" in Alsace

After the cigars, the brushes, the barrels, the rugby balls, "melons" are appearing, this time in the sky of Alsace. Several people, including pilots of the Flying Club of Strasbourg, claim to have seen a shining machine, melon-shaped, and leaving a trace of two meters white-orange in color, flying over the area of the Bas-Rhin.

It is said this craft was seeing almost at the same hour in Strasbourg, in Haguenau and in Wissembourg.

Soccer unthroned by the "saucers"

Sunday afternoon, in Langres, the show was not on the ground, but in the sky.

During more than one hour, the 400 attendees of the soccer game managed to follow the moves of an unknown apparatus which was at very high altitude. Some believed that it was a sounding-balloon but, others say, it does not look very likely, because, before disappearing, the craft moved in opposite direction of the wind.

mid-Octobre, 09:00 p.m., St Privat-de-Vallongue, Lozère

Mr. Albert Mallet, city councilman, saw a cigar landing in a field, very close to his house. The craft immediately took off again, almost vertically and at breakneck speed, with a slight hissing sound comparable to that of an electric motor, and emitting bright red colors.

source: Le Provençal, Marseille, 10/21/54, p.12

4147: 1954/10/15 21:00 1 3:50:00 E 44:17:00 N 3323 WEU FRN LZR 7:6

St.PRIVAT/VALLONGUE,FR:CGR LANDS:^^ VERTICAL W/WHISTLE SOUND+BLAZING RED

Ref#217 Jean SIDER: Le DOSSIER 1954 (2 vol.) Page No. 107 : RESIDENT'L

4151: 1954/10/15 21:00 2 3:27:00 E 44:18:00 N 3323 WEU FRN LZR 7:6

VALLONGUE,FR:1 OBS:CGR LANDS/FLD:SHOOTS ^ WHISTLING+FLASHING RED:/Le Provencal

Ref#194 LUMIERES dans la NUIT.(LDLN France) Issue No. 320 : PASTURE

Encounters With Aliens on This Day

October 15

[...]

1954 - At 9:00 p.m. a cigar-shaped object landed in Saint Privat, Vallongue, Lozere department, France. It took off vertically making a whistle sound and blazing red in color. (Source: Jean Sider, Dossier 1954 et l'Imposture Rationaliste, p. 107).

[...]

*Oct. 15, 1954 - At 9:00 p.m. a cigar-shaped object landed in Saint Privat, Vallongue, Lozere department, France. It took off vertically making a whistle sound and blazing red in color. (Source: Jean Sider, Dossier 1954 et l'Imposture Rationaliste, p. 107).