The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: End-Sep-54-Albias.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
Ufologist Alain Gamard apparently noted that in the end of September 1954, about midnight, in Albias in the Tarn-and-Garonne, Jean Dumons was driving by car when his headlights suddenly died out.
He then saw in a nearby meadow a round and high apparatus of a wingspan of 2.50 to 3 meters posed on a gear, and noticed three beings in its vicinity.
He observed that during two minutes; then the object took off vertically, took a horizontal trajectory and was quickly out of sight.
[Ref. ezr1:] ERIC ZURCHER:
Ufologist Eric Zurcher compiled a small catalogue of about thirty previously unpublished French cases, among which this one:
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040. End 09.54. Albias 182) Mr X...
Around midnight, the witness who was driving a car saw his headlights dying out. In a meadow was a high and round machine, of 2 m 50 by 3 m of wingspan, posed on feet. 3 beings were at its side. After 2 mn of observation the object rose vertically, then took a horizontal trajectory and disappeared.
Source: Investigation by Cerquel l'honor de Cos. Communication A. Gamard.
[Ref. nft1:] MICHEL FIGUET:
This ufologist noted:
| CASE Nr | CLASSIFICATION | DATE | HOUR | PLACE | ZIP CODE | CREDIBILITY SOURCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90 | CE3 | end 09 1954 | 24.00 | Albias | 82350 C3 | O-RS, EZ, LDLN 195 |
[Ref. jsr1:] JEAN SIDER:
Jean Sider indicates that in the end of September 1954, about midnight, in Albias in the Tarn-and-Garonne, Jean Dumons was driving by car when his headlights suddenly died out. He then saw in a nearby meadow a round and high machine of a wingspan of 2.50 to 3 meters posed on a gear, and noticed three beings in its vicinity.
He observed that during two minutes, then the object took off vertically, took a horizontal trajectory and quickly disappeared.
Jean Sider indicates that the source is LDLN #195 page 26 in May 1980 and Alain Gamard's file.
[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH - "*U* COMPUTER DATABASE":
3860: 1954/09/28 23:50 2 1:27:00 E 44:05:00 N 3323 WEU FRN T&G 8:6
ALBIAS,FR:1/CAR:3M SCR on LEGS/FLD:3 FIGs OUTSIDE/2 min:^^+>> HZNTL:/LDLN#195
Ref#217 Jean SIDER: Le DOSSIER 1954 (2 vol.) Page No. 173 : ROAD+RAILS
[Ref. djn1:] DONALD JOHNSON:
Encounters With Aliens On This Day
September 28
[...]
1954 - At 11:45 p.m. in Albias, Tarn-Garonne department, France a three meter wide disc was seen resting on legs in a field by a single witness. Three beings were seen outside the craft for two minutes. When they reboarded the UFO rose vertically up into the air, then shot away horizontally at high speed. (Source: Larry Hatch, U computer database, case #3661, citing J. Sider, p. 173).
[Ref. ars1:] ALBERT ROSALES:
92.
Location. Albias, France
Date: October 1954
Time: night
The witness observes a spherical object land silently on tripod-like landing gear. Three short humanoids are briefly seen moving around the object. The UFO then rises vertically and takes a horizontal trajectory quickly disappearing from sight.
HC addendum
Source: Michel Figuet
Type: C
[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN:
Luc Chastan indicates that in the Tarn et Garonne in Albias in September 1954 at 00:00 hours, at the end of the month, "the witness is in a car when the headlights die out. He then observes in a meadow a high and round object of 2m50 to 3 m in diameter posed on feet. Three beings are at the side. After 2mn of observation the object rises vertically, then takes a horizontal trajectory and disappears."
Luc Chastan indicates that the sources are "Lumières dans la Nuit issue 195" and "Les apparitions d'humanoïdes by Zurcher Erich ** Alain Lefeuvre pub. 1979".
[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on 28 September 1954 at 23:50 in Albias, France, "3m disc on legs in field. three beings outside for two minutes. They reboard, UFO rises, shoots moving rapidly to the horizontally."
And: "At 11:45 p.m. in Albias, Tarn-Garonne department, France a three meter wide disc was seen resting on legs in a field by a single witness. Three beings were seen outside the craft for two minutes. When they reboarded the UFO rose vertically up into the air, then shot away horizontally at high speed."
And: "Close encounter with an unidentified craft and its occupants. One disc, about 10 feet across, was observed by one witness on a road for two minutes. Three beings were seen."
The source is indicated as Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002.
[Ref. uda2:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that in October 1954 at 21:00 in Albias, France, "The witness observes a spherical object land silently on tripod-like landing gear. Three short humanoids are briefly seen moving around the object. The UFO then rises vertically and takes a horizontal trajectory quickly disappearing from sight."
The source [Albert Rosales] appears as a broken link.
[Ref. prn1:] PETER ROGERSON:
September 3 1954 (approximate date), 2355hrs.
ALBIAS (TARN-ET-GARONNE : FRANCE)
Jean Dumont was driving his car when his headlights went out, and he saw, in a field, a high, round object with three men. The object took off vertically to the east. The observation lasted two minutes. The witnesses sketch shows a conical object with two spots halfway up the surface.
Alain Gamard citing Gerard Barthel citing Cuquel L’Honor de Cas Investigation LDLN files.
[Ref. tai1:] "THINK ABOUT IT" WEBSITE:
Location: Albias, Tarn-et-Garonne, France
Date: October 1954
Time: night
The witness observes a spherical object land silently on tripod-like landing gear. Three short humanoids are briefly seen moving around the object. The UFO then rises vertically and takes a horizontal trajectory quickly disappearing from sight.
Source: Michel Figuet
[Ref. nip1:] "THE NICAP WEBSITE":
*Sep. 28, 1954 - At 11:45 p.m. in Albias, Tarn-Garonne department, France a three meter wide disc was seen resting on legs in a field by a single witness. Three beings were seen outside the craft for two minutes. When they reboarded the UFO rose vertically up into the air, then shot away horizontally at high speed. (Source: Larry Hatch, U computer database, case #3661, citing J. Sider, p. 173).
[Ref. jgz1:] JULIEN GONZALEZ:
The author indicates that there was a close encounter of the third type in Albias, Tarn-et-Garonne, at the end of September 1954, around midnight.
Jean Dumons drove a car when suddenly his headlights went out. He saw in a neighboring meadow a round and high craft, 2.50 m to 3 m wide, placed on "supports". Three beings were noticed nearby. After two minutes of observation, the object rose vertically and disappeared quickly after taking a horizontal trajectory.
Sources are indicated as Lumières dans la Nuit, #195, May 1980, page 26.
[Ref. prn2:] PETER ROGERSON - "INTCAT":
September 3 1954. (Approx. date) 2355hrs.
ALBIAS (TARN-ET-GARONNE : FRANCE)
Jean Dumont was driving his car when his headlights went out, and he saw, in a field, a high, round object with three men. The object took off vertically to the east. The observation lasted two minutes. The witnesses sketch shows a conical object with two spots halfway up the surface.
Alain Gamard citing Gerard Barthel citing Cirquel L'Honor de Cas Investigation.
Lumieres dans le [sic] Nuit files
Peter Rogerson recorded the same case twice:
Late September 1954. 2350hrs.
ALBIAS (TARNE ET GARONNE : FRANCE)
Jean Dumons was out driving when his car headlights failed. In a nearby field he saw a high circular machine, about 2.5-3m diameter sitting on a landing gear. Three beings were by its side. After 2 minutes the object took off vertically then moved away horizontally
Eric Zurcher in Lumieres dans le [sic] Nuit 195 p26 citing Alain Gamard citing Cerquel l'honor de Cos first hand
Sider 1997 p173 citing above)
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I see three possible explanations for this poorly detailed report:
I cannot exclude an extraterrestrial craft. But there is no really convincing proof. Note all the same the extinction of the headlights of the witness' car, an element of strangeness, admittedly relative, but not to be forgotten.
The "tripod" landing gear seems to be a mistake of the secondary sources, it is not initially reported since we were only told of a landing gear without indicating that it would have had three feet.
This is unfortunate since this could have allowed deciding between the two other explanations I propose.
The helicopter is obviously possible. We are not even told if the thing was noisy or not.
The Samedi Soir journalists' experience consisted in driving around the area with a car that was probably camouflaged as a saucer, moving around in Martian disguise, and fleeing at the approach of "witnesses".
It will be objected, of course, that the journalists' car could not have flown away; this favors the explanation by a helicopter. But I have to note that the journalists fired firecrackers to make believe of the "saucer" departure, and that on the occasion, it was well indeed like that by witnesses. Here, I'm not too convinced of this possibility, since the "craft" took off vertically and then left horizontally. Plus, the journalists-pranksters were two, not three. This is why I think the least bad explanation, although unproven, would be that of the helicopter.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Albias, Tarn-et-Garonne, car, headlights, failure, machine, craft, round, meadow, dimensions, landing, feet, gear, occupants, vertical, horizontal, anonymous, night
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | August 27, 2004 | First published. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | October 22, 2009 | Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Additions [lcn1], [uda1], [uda2]. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | August 13, 2013 | Addition [prn1]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | October 7, 2014 | Addition [tai1]. |
| 1.3 | Patrick Gross | November 15, 2014 | Addition [nip1]. |
| 1.4 | Patrick Gross | December 21, 2016 | Additions [jgz1], Summary. |
| 1.5 | Patrick Gross | February 5, 2019 | Additions [nft1], [lhh1], [prn2]. Explanations changed, were "Extraterrestrial visitors or helicopter. See here." |
