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October 6, 1954, Nouvion-en-Ponthieu, Somme:

Reference for this case: 6-Oct-54-Nouvion-en-Ponthieu.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.

Summary:

The regional newspaper Le Courrier Picard for October 9, 1954, reported that "Wednesday evening", so on October 6, 1954, around 6 p.m., Mrs. Barotte, resident of Nouvion-en-Ponthieu was hanging clothes in her yard when she saw in the sky a cigar-shaped object reflecting various hues: red, orange, silver, etc.

Mrs. Barotte had immediately called her neighbor, Mrs. Crouy, grocery store manager, and both clearly saw the craft moving at slow speed from east to west, ie towards the sea.

They could follow it with their eyes until a cloud hid it to them.

Reports:

[Ref. lcp1:] NEWSPAPER "LE COURRIER PICARD":

Scan.

In Nouvion-en-Ponthieu

However in this same area of Abbeville, another apparition which goes back to Wednesday evening around 6 p.m., was noted by a resident of Nouvion-in-Ponthieu, Mrs. Barotte, who was suspending linen in her court. She saw, she says, in the sky, an object in the shape of a cigar reflecting various colours (red, orange, silver, etc.).

Mrs. Barotte called at once her neighbor, Mrs. Crouy, a grocery owner, and both distinctly saw the machine moving at low speed from the East towards the West, i.e. towards the sea. They managed to follow it visually until a cloud dissimulated it.

[Ref. ale1:] NEWSPAPER "ABBEVILLE LIBRE":

Scan.

NOUVION. -- A flying saucer

- On Wednesday, around 6 p.m., Mrs Barotte, who was hanging out some linen in her yard, saw in the sky an object in the shape of a cigar, reflecting various colors (red, orange, silver, etc.). Mrs. Barotte immediately called the neighbor Mrs. Crouy, manager of La Ruche, and both saw the machine moving at low speed it seemed to them, which coming from the East was heading towards the sea. They were thus able to follow it with their eyes until a cloud concealed the object.

[Ref. jdr1:] NEWSPAPER "JOURNAL DE RUE":

Scan.

NOUVION-EN-PONTHIEU

Flying cigar

Wednesday evening, around 6 p.m., an apparition was noticed by a resident of Nouvion-en-Ponthieu, Mrs. Barotte, who was hanging out laundry in her yard. She saw, she said, in the sky, a cigar-shaped object reflecting various hues (red, orange, silver, etc...).

Mrs. Barotte immediately called her neighbor, Mrs. Grouy, manager of a grocery store, and both distinctly saw the craft moving at low speed from East to West, that is to say towards the sea.

They were able to follow him with their eyes until a cloud hid it.

[Ref. lgs1:] LOREN GROSS:

6 October. Nouvion-en-Ponthieu, France. (about 8:00p.m.)

"Cigar-shaped object."

A press report said:

"In the same Abbeville region, another appearance was seen last Wednesday evening, about 8 p.m., by Mme Barotte, living at Nouvion-en-Ponthieu. She was hanging out wash in her courtyard when she saw in the sky a cigar-shaped object gleaming in various colours (red, orange, silver, etc.). She immediately called a neighbour, Mme. Crouy, owner of a grocery store, and both distinctly saw the craft moving at low speed from east to west, i.e., toward the sea. They could follow it by eye until a cloud hid it from sight." (xx.)

(xx.) Amiens, France. Le Courrier Picard. 9 October 54.

Explanations:

Map.

Purple contrail.

This could have been a jet contrail in the setting sun (Photo above), or a noctilucent cloud.

Noctilucent clouds consist of ice particles in the upper atmosphere that become visible at dawn or dusk because the sun's rays illuminate them, making them appear as masses of orange, pink or red tones, sometimes strangely bright.

Noctilucent cloud.

Above: simplified sketch with exagerated proportions of the case of noctilucent clouds.

Keywords:

(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)

Nouvion-en-Ponthieu, Somme, Barotte, Crouy, multiple, evening, cigar, slow, red, orange, silver

Sources:

[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.

Document history:

Version: Created/Changed by: Date: Change Description:
0.1 Patrick Gross June 15, 2005 First published.
1.0 Patrick Gross January 20, 2009 Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version.
1.1 Patrick Gross October 6, 2014 Addition [lgs1].
1.2 Patrick Gross October 6, 2019 Addition of the Summary. Explanations changed, were "Not looked for yet."
1.3 Patrick Gross March 8, 2020 Addition [ale1].
1.4 Patrick Gross March 21, 2020 Addition [jdr1].

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