One story among many others from the 1954 French flying saucers flap were widely reported in newspaper in France and abroad occurred at the railway station of Montluçon, in the Allier, on October 12, 1954.
It said that in the night, railwayman Laugère saw a torpedo-shaped apparatus, some 12 foot long, outside a diesel store of the station. Near the apparatus, he saw someone covered of hair or in a hairy overcoat. When Laugère asked what he wanted, this character told him something unintelligible, but Laugère thought it could have been "gas oil".
Laugère walked away, or run away, calling colleagues and apparently to go report the visitor and the craft to the stationmaster.
When as he had walked some 100 meters away from the character, he looked back, and saw a light taking off vertically and vanish.
After having delighted the newspaper, the story was picked up in ufology books, until a local ufology group investigated the story in the seventies, and found out that it was actually just a prank played by fellow-railwaymen on the gullible Mr. Laugère.
One of them had used an old goat-skin and agitated a blow-torch at Laugere, and when the latter went away, another chap had shot a fireworks rocket at the sky, to simulate the departure of the spaceman's apparatus.
Although the explanation was ready to be found in Michel Figuet's well-known reference book on French UFO sightings, it is still currently ignored or silenced in most publications, "pro" or "con", and especially on the Internet.
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[Ref. dt1:] "THE DERBY TELEGRAPH" NEWSPAPER:
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[Ref. bt1:] "THE BELFAST TELEGRAPH" NEWSPAPER:
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Flying saucer pilot asked for oil, says railwaymanA FLYING SAUCER pilot was reported last night to have tried to refuel his 12-foot long torpedo-shaped machine at the expense of the French railways. M. Laugere, a railwayman who works at Montlucon station, said he saw the pilot and his machine outside a diesel store. He asked the man, who was either covered with hair or wearing a long hairy overcoat, what he wanted. The man said something M. Laugere could not make out but he thought he heard the word "gasoil." M. Laugere started off to report to the stationmaster, but before he had gone a 100 yards the machine took off and vanished. That is the latest report in a spate of French accounts of mysterious flying objects, saucers, bells, mushrooms and other shapes. |
[Ref. hw1:] HAROLD T. WILKINS:
The author indicates that at Montluçon, in France, in 1954, it was alleged that a railroad porter actually caught an entity landed from a twelve-foot torpedo saucer, as the entity was trying to get gasoline from a tank of the railroad company. The entity was described as exceptionally hairy, it uttered some gibberish, "then whizzed up into the skies."
[Ref. am1:] AIME MICHEL:
Aimé Michel mentions the case in relation to others but does not provide specifics.
[Ref. jv1] JACQUES VALLEE:
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243 Oct. 12, 1954, evening, Montlucon (France). A railroad employee, Mr. Laugere, saw a torpedo-shaped, metallic craft on the ground near a gas-oil tank. An individual covered with hair was standing nearby, emitting sounds that were not understood. The witness went to get his friends, but the thing disappeared in the meantime. (Paris-Presse, Libération, 15 oct 1954) (63; M 167). |
[Ref. jv2:] JACQUES VALLEE:
The author indicates that on October 12, 1954, a railroad worker of Montlucon saw a metal apparatus in the shape of a torpedo, on the ground close to a gas-oil tank. An individual, covered of hairs, stood close to the object; he emitted sounds which the witness did not understand. The witness went to seek his friends, but when they returned, the thing had disappeared.
[Ref. gl1] CHARLES GARREAU AND RAYMOND LAVIER:
The two authors report that on October 12, 1954 in the evening, according to Jacques Vallée's catalogue and the ufology magazine Lumière Dans La Nuit N. 102, M. Laugères, employee at the S.N.C.F., the national railway company, sees a metallic object with the shape of a torpedo on the ground near an oil tank.
A small being covered with hair stood besides it, uttering unintelligible sounds.
Mr. Laugères goes to bring some friends but when they come back there is nothing to see.
[Ref. mf1] FRANCAT, MICHEL FIGUET:
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10/12/1954 Montluçon Mr. Laugère was the victim of a prank perpetrated by S.N.C.F. employees, "OVNI", p. 668, "INFO OVNI" by the 03100 Group N°1. |
Note S.N.C.F. stands for Société Nationale des Chemins de Fers Français, the state's railway company.
[Ref. fr1:] MICHEL FIGUET AND JEAN-LOUIS RUCHON:
The authors indicate in their section devoted to the hoaxes that in Montluçon, in the evening, Mr Laugère, railroad worker, deceased, carried out an inspection round in the station, when he observed an apparatus in the shape of a torpedo, 4 to 5 meters long, posed above a rail-car gas-oil tank.
A small being covered of hairs or dressed in a hairy coat stood near. It talked to Mr. Laugère in an incomprehensible language. Mr. Laugère was panicked and fled while calling his colleagues.
At a 100 meters approximately, he looked back and was able to see the machine, described by the authors as a light, disappear in the sky vertically.
The authors indicate that it was actually some railwaymen who had decided to play a good prank to their too credulous colleague.
One of them had used an old "goat-skin", grunted and agitated a lamp in front of Mr. Laugère. While he fled, another railwayman had shot an alarm rocket to the sky in order to simulate the departure of a UFO.
The authors indicate that the sources are the Vallée catalogue, case #243, and Info-OVNI, "Le Lapin et le Renard", by the Groupe 03100, and the newspapers Paris-Presse and Libération for October 15, 1954.
[Ref. bh1:] ROBERT E. BARTHOLOMEW AND GEORGE S. HOWARD:
The authors indicate that on October 12, 1954, in the evening in Montlucon, France, railroad worker Mr. M. Laugere encountered a metallic torpedo-shaped object near a gas-oil tank.
A being "covered with hair or wearing a long, hairy overcoat" stood nearby, Laugere asked what he wanted, and the being spoke a word that sounded like "gasoil."
As Laugere fled, the craft flew away.
The authors indicate that the sources are the Christian Science Monitor, for October 15, 1954, and Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia, Chicago, Henry Regnery, 1969, page 226.
[Ref. mc1:] MARK CASHMAN'S SIGHTINGS DATABASE:
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Montlucon (France). 10/12/1954 evening A railroad employee, Mr. Laugere, saw a torpedo-shaped, metallic craft on the ground near a gas/oil tank. An individual covered with hair was standing nearby, emitting sounds that were not understood. The witness went to get his friends, but the thing disappeared in the meantime. |
[Ref. go1:] GENEVIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:
The Belgian ufologist indicates in her chronology that on October 12, 1954 in the evening, in France in Montlucon in the Allier, according to Garreau and Lavier in "Face aux extra-terrestres", Delarge publisher, 1975 p. 105, Mr. Laugère saw a metallic object in the shape of a torpedo posed on the ground, close to a fuel oil tank. A small being covered of hairs stood besides, emitting incomprehensible sounds. Mr. Laugère went to get some friends, but when they returned, the machine had disappeared.
Genevieve Van Overmeire specifies that in reality, according to M. Figuet and J.L. Ruchon in "OVNI, Premiers Dossiers Complets...", Alain Lefeuvre publisher, 1979, page 668), it was some railwaymen who had decided to play a good prank at a too credulous colleague, one of them dressing in an old goat-skin, grunting and agitating a lamp in front of Mr. Laugère. While he fled, another railwayman shot in the air a fireworks rocket in order to simulate the departure of the UFO.
[Ref. ar1:] ALBERT ROSALES, HUMCAT:
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153. Location. Montlucon France Date: October 12 1954 Time: evening M Laugere, a railway employee, saw a 12-foot long metallic torpedo resting beside a diesel oil tank. Nearby was a man "either covered with hair or wearing a long, hairy overcoat." Laugere asked him what he wanted; the reply was not understood, but he thought he heard the word "gasohol." Laugere went to report to the stationmaster, but before he had gone 100 yards the machine took off. Humcat 1954-90 Source: Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia Type: C |
[Ref. dj1] DONALD JOHNSON:
Donald Johnson indicates that on October 12, 1954, a railroad employee, Mr. Laugere, saw a torpedo-shaped, metallic craft on the ground near a gas/oil tank in Montlucon, France, with a hairy humanoid standing nearby and emitting sounds that were not understood.
The witness went to get his friends, but the thing had disappeared in the meantime.
Donald Johnson indicates that his sources are Aime Michel, Flying Saucers and the Straight Line Mystery, page 167; and Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia: A Century of Landings, p. 226.
[Ref. jb1] JEROME BEAU:
Jerome Beau indicates that on Tuesday, October 12, 1954 in the evening in Montluçon in France, Mr. Laugère, SNCF employee, saw a metal machine in the shape of a torpedo on the ground close to a gas oil tank. "1 individual, covered of hairs, stands at it side, emitting incomprehensible sounds. The witness sought friends but the thing disappears during this time."
Jérôme Beau indicates that his sources are Paris-Presse, Libération, October 15, 1954.
The case, a long-explained prank, is still published without its explanation on may websites.
The explanation is given in the book by Figuet and Ruchon, a reference work which should not be ignored, then was given on the web by Godelieve van Overmeire, then again on the web in 2002 in my catalogue of the cases of the famous 1954 French saucer flap.
Was there anyway some reasons to take seriously a story about a hairy extraterrestrial coming at the Montluçon station to get some oil for his saucer?
| Id: | Topic: | Severity: | Date noted: | Raised by: | Noted by: | Description: | Proposal: | Status: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Data | Low | July 9, 2007 | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | Missing corresponding French newspapers articles. | Help needed. | Opened. |
| 1 | Data | Medium | July 9, 2007 | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | Missing the article Le Lapin et le Renard by the ufology group 03100 in their bulletin INFO OVNI. | Help needed. | Opened. |
Prank.
* = Source I checked.
? = Source I am told about but could not check yet. Help appreciated.
| Main Author: | Patrick Gross |
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| Contributors: | None |
| Reviewers: | None |
| Editor: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Created/Changed By: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | July 9, 2007 | Creation, [bt1], [dt1], [hw1], [am1], [jv1], [jv2], [gl1], [mf1], [fr1], [bh1], [mc1], [go1], [ar1], [dj1], [jb1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | July 9, 2007 | First published. |
