The 1954 French flap:

CREDIBILITY OF THE WITNESSES

Although the first point mentioned in this study highlights the fact that the vast majority of witnesses have described well what they saw, since the phenomenon of alignments excludes any chance when there are in particular quite a few cases reported to the same day, I want to narrate this, which confirms that in general it is possible to trust the witnesses who observed "MOC":

On October 15, 1954, I observed at about 6 p.m. and for many minutes, a fixed luminous object, about the brightness of the planet Venus when it is at its maximum; it was situated, seen from my village of Chambon-sur-Lignon (Haute-Loire) at about 30° above the western spot of the horizon; then it disappeared on the spot. The next day the press of the whole region reported a host of observations of this object; it was then symptomatic to note that all descriptions were consistent; no one reported any bizarre maneuver of the object (for example a very fast arrival, changes of direction, a landing), nor an unusual form (saucer), nor a color that it did not have. Over the next few days, after hearing of an investigation by the Air Force Commission (created in 1954), I learned that the object in question was a gigantic balloon, launched from the University of Padua in Italy, and that it was located at very high altitude, which explained its visibility over a distance of several hundred kilometers; it had been observed by thousands of witnesses in many departments of the Massif Central and Toulouse!

The fact that, in the circumstance, the numerous witnesses did describe the phenomenon observed well, took on a great importance to me; indeed, why then not trust, as a rule, the witnesses of the other cases reported every day in all the dailies ("M.O.C." maneuvering in flight, and landings) especially when there were sometimes numerous overlaps? From that moment, I considered almost all the testimonies were not hoaxes (and also thanks to my personal investigations) and that it was necessary to sort out and eliminate those relating to this or that known phenomenon.

Quotidien "L'EVEIL DE LA HAUTE-LOIRE" (LE PUY,43) du lun 18 mar 19-10-54 p.1:

SAUCERS AND MARTIANS CONTINUE TO MAKE HEADLINES

TWO FARM WOMEN FRIGHTENED BY A BEING WITHOUT EARS

Two farm women from Livry-sur-Seine stated that, while walking in the woods of Usselle, near the commune, they saw a strange being lying on the path, deep in the forest.

It was the size of a man, but its body was covered with abundant brown hair. It had a round, hairy head, but no ears and extremely piercing eyes.

"It made a sign to us twice with its arm," they added, "but as we were not reassured, we did not dare pass in front of it and we made a detour of nearly 2 kilometers to avoid it."

Two children who were with the farm women also provided testimony and a very precise description.

Alerted by their cries, the farmers armed themselves with their hunting rifles and carried out a search, but in vain.

IT WAS DOUBTLESS THE MILAN WEATHER BALLOON

In many places throughout Haute-Loire and in the Massif Central, the luminous craft seen at Le Puy between 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Friday evening was observed. Thus it was seen, around 5:40 p.m., at St-Maurice-de-Lignon, on the side of La Montagne and La Madeleine.

Our correspondent described it as follows: "a bright, motionless and very luminous point, above all resembling a star."

The craft was also seen, in the same appearance, at Aurillac and in the Cantal, the Puy-de-Dôme, Corrèze, the Lot, Aveyron, the Creuse. It seems to be confirmed that it was the weather balloon launched from Milan, which our newspaper had announced as possibly heading towards the Haute-Loire.