The 1954 French flap:

The British Air Ministry
does not believe in flying saucers...

London, 15. - The British Air Ministry does not believe in the existence of flying saucers, cigars or other flying craft, in fact, while refusing to comment on the craft reported in France and in other European countries. [?] Ministry states that 99 times out of 100 there are natural explanations for similar occurrences reported in Britain. These are most often weather balloons, when no explanation can be given, the Air Ministry adds, it is generally because the testimonies of people who claim to have witnessed such appearances are insufficient.

However, no such craft has been reported in Great Britain in recent [?]

And yet...

Mulhouse, 15. - A salesman driving on Thursday evening, in the company of a friend, saw a luminous craft in the shape of an ovoid fireball.

This, according to the salesman, described a large "S" in the sky, moving at a dizzying pace and at an altitude of about 300 m. The craft which was preceded by a long luminous trail, changed color from orange to white, then disappeared.

Martigues, 15. - An eight-year-old child, who was with her mother and her aunt on the road to the hamlet of Saint- Pierre, near Martigues, saw in the sky a luminous craft of elongated shape, from which, she specified, came a kind of fireworks display. The parents have certified their child's statements.

Marseille, 15. - Two luminous craft flying at high altitude were seen in the sky of the Rove at the beginning of the afternoon of Thursday. Observers noted that these craft stopped for a few moments and then resumed their flight.

Draguignan, 15. - Several residents of Draguignan observed Thursday towards the end of the afternoon a luminous object crossing the sky at the speed of a meteor.

Casablanca, 15. Workers of Subsistances Militaires de Casablanca said they saw Thursday afternoon, above the city, a sort of phosphorescent cigar which, after having descended gently like a dead leaf, resumed its horizontal course at breakneck speed to finally disappear.

Angers, 15. - A resident of the town of Méral (Mayenne) stated he saw a shiny orange ball in the sky which landed on the ground. The flattened, dome-shaped disc, five to six meters in diameter, gave off a blinding glow, lighting up the countryside within a 200-meter radius.

The craft was transparent and a black shape was inside. The disc remained like this for ten minutes, reddened, and quickly disappeared towards the north. The observer then went to the place where the object had landed. There was, he assures, a sort of bright cloud that was slowly falling to the ground. When he got home, he noticed that his clothes were covered with a white layer of something a little sticky, like paraffin.

La Roche-sur-Yon, 15. - A farmer from Angle (Vendée) said he saw a shining craft in the sky which, as it advanced, changed shape and color. The craft was at a low height and a short distance from the cultivator. When the latter wanted to approach it, the craft emitted luminous rays which soon formed a screen behind which it silently disappeared. The same phenomenon was observed by several other people from Angles.

Nîmes, 14. - Two people saw last night, on their way back to their home, a few kilometers north of Nîmes, a greenish gleam in a field. They approached and noticed the presence of a craft totally identical to a rugby ball and appearing to rest on crutches. The strange craft suddenly rose into the air, emitting a weak noise and gradually taking an orange hue.

Graulhet, 14. - A barrel maker of Graulhet declared to have seen Wednesday at the end of the afternoon, at high altitude, a silvery craft heading northwest, which he at first took for a jet plane, but not discerning any contrail, the barrel maker went to look for a pair of binoculars and distinctly saw a large flexible disc, which undulated on itself, while moving at high speed.

It was then that the craft seemed to explode in mid-flight. A silver ball, about one meter in diameter, escaped from the mass and continuing on its way, soon disappearing from view, while the rest of the craft fell in several pieces similar to sheets of various dimensions which hovered in the sky and some of which cling to the electric wire. About fifteen people testified about this singular case and fragments of material were collected. They appear as agglomerated silvery filaments which crumble when touched.

Melun, 15. - Near Montargis, on the National Road Nr 7, a resident of this town, declared to have seen in the sky a yellow mass of rounded and very bright shape.

The "saucer" is faster than the jet plane

Avignon, 15. - Early Thursday afternoon at 1:30 p.m., the population of Fontaine de Vaucluse, was in a turmoil.

Indeed, a "white disc" hovered slowly above the small city and could be clearly distinguished with good binoculars.

This white disc was surmounted by a spherical cap of the same color.

The lower circular border intermittently emitted two powerful fires, varying from white to purplish, passing through red.

The air base of Caritat (Vaucluse), alerted, immediately directed two jets which, soon, made their appearance, and after two turns on Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, gained altitude and dived on the "disk".

The radio installed on board the planes and which was in communication with the base, announced that the craft was in sight, that it was being chased, but that it escaped because its speed was greater than the theirs.

From Vaucluse, the disc could clearly be seen sweeping away, pursued by the two jets.

SAUCER FIREWORKS
EVERYWHERE IN THE SKY OF FRANCE

One of them has been chased
unsuccessful by jets

If they seem to sulk the Oise with persistence, the "flying saucers" have shown themselves, say various testimonies, more numerous than ever during the last 24 hours in the rest of France. Two witnesses have witnessed, they say, curious demonstrations on the part of these machines and, in the sky of Avignon, two French jet fighters have unleashed a futile hunt for "saucers."

It is a barrel-maker from Graulhet, who first declared to have witnessed the explosion of a saucer. A silvery ball, he declared, then seemed to escape from the mass of the craft and continue on its way, while the debris of it fell in several pieces, like sheets that hovered in the sky. Fragments of material were collected; they come in the form of agglomerated silvery filaments which crumble when touched.

The second witness, a resident of the village of Méral (Mayenne), declared that he witnessed the takeoff of a saucer, which quickly disappeared towards the north. At the place where the object had landed, assures the witness, there was a kind of shining cloud which fell slowly to the ground.

When he got home, he said, he noticed that his clothes were covered with a white layer of something a little sticky, like paraffin.

Useless hunt

Finally, it is near Avignon, at the fountain of Vaucluse, where the residents in turmoil report that a white disc was hovering above the small town. The neighboring Caritat air base, alerted, immediately directed two jets which, according to the Secretary of State for the Armed Forces (air), returned without noticing anything abnormal.

Numerous testimonies

Also said they saw saucers, cigars or other bizarre contraptions in the sky: two people returning to their homes, a few kilometers from Nîmes; an inhabitant of Montargis, on the national road nr 7; inhabitants of Marseille, in the sky of Rove; a farmer from Angle, in Vendée; workers from Casablanca, above the city; a representative and his friend, between Niffer and Kembs (Alsace); an eight year old child and her parents, near Martigues, and a baker boy from Calais, on the road to Saint-Omer.

The R.A.F. skeptical

Despite these numerous testimonies, the British Air Ministry in London has let it be known that it does not believe in saucers.

Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, official spokespersons for the English ministry said, natural explanations were found for similar appearances reported in Britain: they are most often sounding-balloons. When no explanation can be given, one adds at the Air Ministry, it is generally for lack of insufficiently [sic] precise testimony.

Spokesmen further indicated that no bizarre craft have been reported in Britain in recent weeks.

Thus, at the first glance, something appears. On October 15 for example, there were 8 sightings: in Southend in England, in Calais, one in Aire-sur-la-Lys, one on Main Road 68 between Niffer and Kembs (Franco-German border), one in the mouth of Pô, one in the east of Paris, one on Main Road 7 in the south of Montargis, and finally in Fouesnant, near Quimper.

October 15 [, 1954]

[... other cases...]

nightfall: Nle.7,7km S.Montargis--(Loiret):lum.yellow ovoid obj.

[... other cases...]

4145: 1954/10/15 20:30 1 2:44:20 E 48:00:00 N 3333 WEU FRN LRT 4:5

MONTARGIS,FR:LUMn.YELLOW OVOID PASSES OVER:NFD at all:

Ref# 49 MICHEL,Aime: FS & STRAIGHT LINE TH: Page No. 182 : MOUNTAINS

45/04 - 1954 October 15 - Montargis

A witness who is on the national road 7 near Montargis sees a yellow luminous object of ovoid shape pass. From the first glance something can be recognized, specifies Aimé Michel author of this information (car?)

On October 15 there were 7 sightings over France and one over England, ranging from Calais to Quimper.

(Source: In "Mysterious Celestial Objects", Aimé Michel p.243)