ufo - UFOS at close sight: the 1954 French flap, September 21, Saint-Raphael, Var

Reference for this case: 21-Sep-54-Saint-Raphael.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.

Summary:

The regional newspaper Le Provençal for September 22, 1954, reported via their local press correspondent in Saint-Raphael, that a "silent and smoking saucer" was seen in the sky of this city:

The sighting was also reported in the newspaper Nord-Matin also on September 22, 1954:

The same article was republished back in the Southern press the next day, October 23, 1954, in the newspaper Var-Matin - République.

In the 1950's, archivist Guy Quincy, interested in the topic of the "flying saucers", mentioned a meteor passage on the Côte-d'Azur, perhaps in the Var, at an hour unknown to him, on September 21, 1954.

Regarding observations in the Var in 1954, "skeptical" ufologist Patrice Seray noted in 2004 "a timid apparition seen in St Raphaël around September 20: a 22-year-old baker, Mr. Giraud, claimed to have observed around 04: 30 in the morning a round object about three meters in circumference moving rapidly leaving behind a trail of flames." Patrick Seray noted the lack of strangeness and easy identification as a meteor.

This did not prevent the case from being rated as if "unidentified" on at least one ufology website.

Reports:

A SAUCER
silent and smoking
in the sky of Saint-Raphael

Saint-Raphael (C.P.).

Workman baker at Mr. Justin Rabbia, street Marius-Allongue, Mr. Giraud was yesterday morning at 04:30 at the window of the bakehouse of his owner when he saw, crossing the sky and moving towards the mount of the Estérel a machine of approximately three meters in diameter moving very quickly and leaving itself a trail of smoke and a red gleam. It should be noted that this machine did not make any noise. Before Mr. Giraud did had the time to realize, the saucer had disappeared beyond the mounts.

ACCORDING TO SCIENTISTS FROM ROME,

the "cigar"
that flew over Rome is a
craft of unknown type

The "flying cigar" which was observed Friday afternoon in the sky of Rome, is the subject of confidential studies in the great astronomical observatory of Rome.

Thousands of people could see the craft which flew fro a long time above Rome, at an altitude of 10.000 meters first, then descended much lower. It left behind a slight trail of white smoke coming out of the narrow end of the cigar. Radar technicians at the Ciampino airport identified an antenna in the middle of the widest end of the craft. The latter has the shape of a cigar enlarged and swollen towards the middle.

Several scientists from Rome alerted in good time, were able to observe the craft, because it is indeed for them, now, a craft and not a celestial body: "Aerial craft of type unknown so far", they say.

At one time, the craft descended suddenly 400 meters, then it got into vertical position, took again height and, returning to its flight position, quickly disappeared on the horizon.

Two peculiar objects
in the sky of the Allier

A resident of Moulins went over the weekend to Rongères, a small commune in the Allier, when Sunday in the afternoon, around 4:30 p.m. he saw in the sky a cigar-shaped object and, a few seconds later, a second object in the shape of a globe. This very shiny globe circled in 15 seconds and quickly headed southeast.

This testimony was not known until yesterday evening following a report that the Moulin residents, whose identity has not been revealed, sent to the Prefect of Allier.

A flying saucer
in the sky of Saint-Raphaël

Mr. Denis Giraud, baker, 27, saw a flying saucer last night.

Working for Mr. Justin Rabbia, baker, rue Marius Allongue, Mr. Giraud was at 4:30 a.m. yesterday morning at the window of his boss's bakery, from where he had a vie to the road and the Esterel.

Suddenly, he saw, crossing the sky and heading towards the Esterel, a machine about 3 meters in diameter, moving very quickly and leaving behind it a trail of white smoke and a red glow.

This machine made no noise and before Mr. Giraud had time to "realize", the saucer had disappeared beyond the mountains...

A flying saucer in the sky of St Raphaël

St Raphaël, September 22. -- Mr. Denis Giraud, working baker, 22 years old, saw, last night, a flying saucer.

Working for Mr. Justin Rabbia, baker on street Marius Allongue, Mr. Giraud was, yesterday morning at 04:30 at the window of the bakehouse of his owner, a window giving on the Garonne and having a sight on the Esterel, when he saw, crossing the sky and moving towards the solid mass of the Esterel, an apparatus of approximately 3 m of circumference, moving very fast and leaving a trail of smoke and a red gleam.

It should be noted that this apparatus did not make any noise.

Before Mr. Giraud did not have time to realize, the saucer had disappeared across the mounts.

September 21 [, 1954]

[... Other cases...]

?; Côte-d'Azur (Var??): meteor

[... Other cases...]

In connection with sightings in the department of Var in 1954, Patrice Seray notes an unspectacular appearance seen from St Raphaël in the neighbourhoods of September 20: a 22 year old baker, Mr. Giraud, said he observed at about 04:30 a.m. an object of round form of approximately three meters of circumference moving fast while leaving behind a trail of flames. Seray notes the low of strangeness and especially a quite easy to find explanation.

Luc Chastan indicates that in the Var in St Raphaël on September 21, 1954 at 04:30 hours "The witness is at the window of the bakehouse of his owner, window giving on the Garonne and having a view on the Esterel, when he saw, crossing the sky and moving towards the Esterel, an object of about 3 m of circumference, moving very quickly and leaving a trail of smoke and a red gleam without any noise."

The website indicates that on 22 September 1954 at 04:30 in St Raphael, France, "An unidentified object was sighted, but with appearance and behavior that most likely would have a conventional explanation. One object, about 5 feet across, was observed by one witness."

Explanations:

Keywords:

Saint-Raphael, Var, baker, Denis Giraud, night, fast, trail, smoke, luminous, red, silent

Version:	Created/Changed by:	Date:	Change Description:
0.1	Patrick Gross	April 4, 2007	First published.
1.0	Patrick Gross	January 14, 2010	Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Additions [lcn1], [uda1].
1.1	Patrick Gross	October 19, 2011	Addition [psy1].
1.2	Patrick Gross	January 31, 2017	Addition [ubk1].
1.3	Patrick Gross	March 29, 2020	Addition [non1].
1.4	Patrick Gross	November 24, 2021	Additions [gqy1], Summary.

The 1954 French flap:

September 21, 1954, Saint-Raphael, Var:

Summary:

Reports:

A SAUCER
silent and smoking
in the sky of Saint-Raphael

ACCORDING TO SCIENTISTS FROM ROME,

the "cigar"
that flew over Rome is a
craft of unknown type

Two peculiar objects
in the sky of the Allier

A flying saucer
in the sky of Saint-Raphaël

A flying saucer in the sky of St Raphaël

Explanations:

Keywords:

Sources:

Document history:

The 1954 French flap:

September 21, 1954, Saint-Raphael, Var:

Summary:

Reports:

A SAUCER silent and smoking in the sky of Saint-Raphael

ACCORDING TO SCIENTISTS FROM ROME,

the "cigar" that flew over Rome is a craft of unknown type

Two peculiar objects in the sky of the Allier

A flying saucer in the sky of Saint-Raphaël

A flying saucer in the sky of St Raphaël

Explanations:

Keywords:

Sources:

Document history:

A SAUCER
silent and smoking
in the sky of Saint-Raphael

the "cigar"
that flew over Rome is a
craft of unknown type

Two peculiar objects
in the sky of the Allier

A flying saucer
in the sky of Saint-Raphaël