The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 8-Nov-54-Voussac.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
Ufologist Jacques Vallée indicated in the 1960s that on November 8, 1954, in Voussac, near Doulouvre, "it is said that trustworthy people" saw a luminous sphere land on the edge of a forest, and become dark. The next morning, "research proves" that an area of 4 to 5 meters in diameter had no more leaves while the soil was otherwise covered with leaves.
Jacques Vallée said that the earth appeared to have been dug and that "no noise had been heard".
Vallée indicated no source and so far no primary source has been found.
In May 1972, Jean Giraud and others investigators tried to find one of the "numerous witnesses", and found none. There was just the Voussac town hall secretary lady, who remembered that "about that period", an old woman who had since died and was coming back to get milk at night had observed the departure of the sphere in question (or some sphere) that would have made a pause just above the trees.
[Ref. jve1:] JACQUES VALLEE:
|
332) Nov. 08, 1954, 06:00 p.m., Voussac (France):
In the Vacheresse Forest, reliable persons reported seeing a luminous sphere land at the edge of the forest and become dark. The next morning, investigation disclosed that an area 4 or 5 m in diameter had no leaves, while the ground elsewhere was covered with them. The earth seemed to have been dug up. (Personal)
[Ref. ldl1:] UFOLOGY MAGAZINE "LUMIERES DANS LA NUIT":
|
We report that on 11-8-54 there was at this same spot [county of Moulins, commune of Chantelle, Voussac] an observation mentioned under the numer 178 in The humanoids, special issue of the Flying Saucer Review. Like in Hérissart, the M.O.C. [Mysterious Sky Object] passes at the same places, and this is a fact to note.
[Ref. jve2:] JACQUES VALLEE:
Jacques Vallée indicates that on November 8, 1954, in Voussac, close to Doulouvre, "it is claimed that people worthy of faith" saw a luminous sphere landing at the edge of a forest, and becoming dark. The next morning, "research proved" that a surface from 4 to 5 meters in diameter did not have any more leaves on the ground while the rest of the ground was covered with leaves. Jacques Vallée specifies that the ground seemed to have been dug and that no noise had been heard. No source is indicated.
[Ref. ldl2:] UFOLOGY MAGAZINE "LUMIERES DANS LA NUIT":
The case "332 11/8/54 Voussac" is noted as to be investigated or re-investigated.
[Ref. ous1] UFOLOGY MAGAZINE "OURANOS" :
|
11/08/1954 Voussac (6 p.m.)
Many people witnessed the landing of a luminous sphere at the edge of the Vacheresse forest.
Once on the ground the craft went out. The next day on the spot, the witnesses found that the earth had been turned over, while everywhere else the ground was littered with dead leaves, at this place, the earth was bare on a circle of 4 to 5 m of diameter. (Personal investigation).
[Ref. ldl3:] UFOLOGY MAGAZINE "LUMIERES DANS LA NUIT":
|
November 8 (case 332 of the J. Vallée catalog and Giraud investigation) Voussac 6:00 p.m.
Many people witnessed the landing of a luminous sphere on the edge of the forest of Vacheresse, which died out on the ground. The next day, on the spot, the witnesses found that the earth had been turned over, while everywhere else the ground was strewn with dead leaves. The earth was bare in a circle 4 to 5 m in diameter.
[Ref. tps1:] TED PHILLIPS:
|
Nov 08, 1954
093
FRANCE; Voussac. Reliable persons reported seeing a luminous sphere land at the edge of a forest and become dark. The next morning investigation disclosed that an area 18 ft. in diameter had no leaves, while an area was covered with them elsewhere. The earth seemed to have been dug up. (Vallee III)
[Ref. gal1:] CHARLES GARREAU AND RAYMOND LAVIER:
The authors indicate that on November 8, 1954, at 06:00 p.m. in Voussac in the Allier, close to the hamlet of Doulouvre, the inhabitants of Voussac walk in the forest of Vacheresse. Whereas they approach the edge of the wood, they see a luminous sphere go down from the clouds and land at the edge of the meadows. Then it loses its luminosity and becomes dark. The walkers do not dare to approach and make a detour. They announce the fact to the gendarmerie. The morning of the following day, the survey carried out on the spot resulted in the discovery that inside a zone of 4 to 5 m in diameter, there were no dead leaves, whereas the ground was strewn with it everywhere else. The ground seemed to be turned over.
[Ref. ioi1:] UFOLOGY MAGAZINE "INFO-OVNI":
|
-1O-
DATE 11/08/1954
HOUR 06:00 p.m.
PLACE Forest of Vacheresse Voussac (Allier)
WITNESS Unknown
THE FACTS.
Many people witnessed the landing of a luminous sphere at the edge of the Vacheresse forest.
Once on the ground, the craft went out. The next day, on the place, the earth seemed to have been turned over. While everywhere else the soil was littered with dead leaves at this place the earth was bare on a circle of 4 to 5 m in diameter.
SOURCES.
Catalogue J. Vallée.
INVESTIGATION.
The investigation conducted in May 1972 did not find one of these numerous witnesses. However, the town hall [female] secretary, questioned, remembered that "around this time", an old woman who had since died and who had just returned from fetching milk at the nightfall had observed the departure of the sphere in question (?) which would have marked a pause just above the trees.
INVESTIGATORS.
Jean Giraud and Jean Michel Roche Group 03100
[Ref. ioi2:] UFOLOGY BULLETIN "INFO OVNI":
|
058 08/ll/54 6:00 p.m. Voussac (Vacheresse forest)
LANDING luminous sphere TRACES on the ground on a circle 4 to 5 m in diameter (+)
[Ref. prn1:] PETER ROGERSON - "INTCAT":
|
512 8 November 1954 1800 hrs
VOUSSAC (FRANCE) In the Vacheresse Forest reliable persons reported seeing a luminous sphere land at the edge of the forest and become dark. Next morning investigators found an area 4-5m dia. with no leaves, ground elsewhere was covered with them. The earth seemed to have been dug up. (M332)
[Ref. gab1:] UFOLOGY GROUP "G.A.B.R.I.E.L.":
11/08/1954 Voussac
Several witnesses witnessed the landing of a luminous sphere on the edge of Vacheresse's forest. On the spot, the earth was as if turned over and cleaned of the leaves that were strewn everywhere else. (J.Giraud)
[Ref. fru1:] MICHEL FIGUET AND JEAN-LOUIS RUCHON:
The two ufologists and authors indicate that on November 8, 1954 at 06:00 p.m., in the edge of the forest of Vacheresse close to the hamlet of Doulouvre, close to Voussac, walkers from Voussac saw a luminous sphere go down from the clouds and land on the edge of the meadows.
It then became dark, and the witnesses did not dare to approach, made a turning and continued their walk. They reported the event to the gendarmerie only once returned on their premises.
The gendarmerie investigated and discovered an area of 4 to 5 meters in diameter deprived of dead leaves whereas the ground was strewn with it in the neighborhood, and the ground seemed to have been dug.
The two authors quote as source Jacques Vallée's catalogue, the book by Garreau and Lavier, and the Allier catalogue in "Special OVNI-Info" by Group 03100.
[Ref. lgs1:] LOREN GROSS:
November 8th. Voussac, France. (6:00 p.m.)
Trace left behind?
When reliable people told authorities a luminous sphere came down to a landing in Vacheresse forest on the 8th, it was decided by the same authorities to check out the story the following day. No one saw the object depart but witnesses said the big ball "went dark" after landing. Searching the area the next afternoon, investigators found the ground carpeted with leaves, a normal condition, but there was an area of about dozen feet across that was strangely clear of any tree debris. The soil was disturbed in the cleared area. No mention was made of the shape of the supposed trace area.
[Ref. mft1:] MICHEL FIGUET:
This ufologist noted:
| CASE Nr | CLASSIFICATION | DATE | HOUR | PLACE | ZIP CODE | CREDIBILITY SOURCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 275 | CE2 | 11 08 1954 | 18.00 | Voussac "Doulouvre" | 03 140 C4 | NI, (OVNI: p. 211) |
[Ref. jsr1:] JEAN SIDER:
115 - November 8, 6 p.m., Voussac, Allier.
Several anonymous witnesses.
The witnesses walk along the edge of the Vacheresse forest. Suddenly, they see a luminous sphere which arises at the edge of the neighboring meadows. On the ground, it darkens. The witnesses do not dare approach it, and on returning home they prevent the gendarmes. During the investigation, an area of four to five meters in diameter was found where there were no dead leaves, although there were leaves everywhere around. In addition, the earth seemed to have been turned over.
Source: Figuet, p. 211.
[Ref. mju1:] MICHEL JEANTHEAU:
Vousac (Allier). - Monday evening November 8, around 6 p.m., inhabitants of Voussac, living in the hamlet of Doulouvre, on national road No. 146, and whose good faith cannot be doubted, saw a luminous ball descending from the sky and touching the ground on the edge of the Vacheresse forest.
After bouncing at low height, the craft ran aground in the forest and died out.
The next day, the inhabitants of this small village went to the place and distinguished traces on the ground which had been plowed over a distance of 4 or 5 meters and not covered with dead leaves as on the rest of the land.
No noise accompanied this phenomenon and the mystery continues to surround these numerous appearances.
When will we have the solution of the enigma?
[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH - "*U* COMPUTER DATABASE":
4374: 1954/11/08 18:00 5 3:03:40 E 46:19:00 N 3333 WEU FRN ALR 7:9
VOUSSAC,FR:LUMn.SPHERE LANDS BY VACHERESSE WOODS:DARKENS:DIRT FOUND DUG UP.
Ref# 8 VALLEE,Jacques: PASSPORT TO MAGONIA. Case No. 332 : FOREST
[Ref. djn1:] DONALD JOHNSON:
Encounters With Aliens On This Day
November 8
[...]
1954 - In the Vacheresse Forest in Voussac, France a number of reliable persons reported seeing a luminous sphere land at the edge of the forest and then become dark. The next morning, an investigation disclosed that an area 4 or 5 meters in diameter had no leaves, while the ground elsewhere was covered with them. The earth seemed to have been dug up. (Source: Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia: A Century of Landings, p. 243).
[Ref. jbu1:] JEROME BEAU:
Jérôme Beau indicates that on Monday, November 8, 1954, to 18:00 in Voussac in France, forest of Vacheresse, people worthy of faith see a luminous sphere landing at the edge of the forest and becoming dark then. The next morning, an investigation discovers that inside a zone from 4 to 5 m in diameter there was no leaves whereas the ground is strewn with it everywhere else. The ground seems to be turned over.
[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN:
Luc Chastan indicates that in the Allier in Voussac on November 8, 1954 at 18:00 hours, whereas several people walked at the edge of the forest of Vacheresse, they saw descending from the clouds a luminous sphere that landed at the edge of the meadows. It then became dark. The careful witnesses did not approach and preferred to turn away. They alerted the gendarmerie when they were back. The gendarmes discovered an area from 4 to 5 meters in diameter where all the dead leaved had been puffed away whereas around, they had not moved.
The source is indicated as "Ovni, Premier dossier complet... par Figuet M./ Ruchon J.L. ** Alain Lefeuvre pub. 1979."
[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
A case file on this website indicates that on 8 November 1954 at 18:00 in Voussac, France, a luminous sphere landed at the edge of a forest and became dark. In the Vacheresse Forest, reliable persons reported seeing a luminous sphere land at the edge of the forest and become dark. The next morning, investigation disclosed that an area four or five meters in diameter had no leaves, while the ground elsewhere was covered with them. The earth seemed to have been dug up. One saucer, about 20 feet across, was observed by more than two witnesses in a forest.
The sources are indicated as "Bowen, Charles, The Humanoids: FSR Special Edition No. 1, FSR, London, 1966; Vallee, Jacques, A Century of Landings (N = 923), (in JVallee04), Chicago, 1969; Schoenherr, Luis, Computerized Catalog (N = 3173); Phillips, Ted R., Ted Phillips investigation files; Phillips, Ted R., Physical Traces Associated with UFO Sightings, CUFOS, Chicago, 1975; Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002".
[Ref. nip1:] "THE NICAP WEBSITE":
*Nov. 8, 1954 - At 6:00 p.m. a number of people in the Vacheresse Forest in Voussac, France reported seeing a luminous sphere land at the edge of the forest and then become dark. The next morning, an investigation disclosed that an area 4 or 5 meters in diameter had no leaves, while the ground elsewhere was covered with them. The earth seemed to have been dug up. (Sources: Harold Wilkins, Flying Saucers Uncensored, p. 238; Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia: A Century of Landings, p. 243, case 332).
[Ref. tai1:] "THINK ABOUT IT" WEBSITE:
Date: November 8 1954
Location: Voussac France
Time: 1800
In the Vacheresse Forest, reliable persons reported seeing a luminous sphere land at the edge of the forest and become dark. The next morning, investigation disclosed that an area 4 or 5 m in diameter had no leaves, while the ground elsewhere was covered with them. The earth seemed to have been dug up.
Source: Magonia 332
[Ref. ubk1:] "UFO-DATENBANK":
This database recorded this same case five times:
| Case Nr. | New case Nr. | Investigator | Date of observation | Zip | Place of observation | Country of observation | Hour of observation | Classification | Comments | Identification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19541108 | 08.11.1954 | Voussac | France | 18.00 | CE II | |||||
| 19541108 | 08.11.1954 | Voussac | France | 18.00 | CE II | |||||
| 19541108 | 08.11.1954 | Voussac | France | 18.00 | CE II | |||||
| 19541108 | 08.11.1954 | Voussac | France | 18.00 | CE II | |||||
| 19541108 | 08.11.1954 | Voussac | France | 18.00 | CE II |
[This database recorded the same case five times instead of one.]
[Ref. prn2:] PETER ROGERSON - "INTCAT":
November 8 1954. 1800hrs.
YOUSSAC [sic](ALLIER : FRANCE)
In the Vahcheresse [sic] Forest, "reliable persons" reported seeing a luminous sphere land at the edge of the forest and turn dark. Investigators found that an area 4 to 5m in diameter had no leaves, though the ground elsewhere was covered with them. The earth seemed to have been dug up
|
Reliability is not here... The "traces" "prove" absolutely nothing because they could be anything, unrelated to the "luminous sphere". Nothing even allows claiming this was a "landing", because often witnesses seeing a meteor pass behind the horizon, or behind landscape features, interpret this as a "landing".
"Doulouvre" is an erroneous name. The place ws actually he hamlet of Doulauvre, part of the commune of Voussac in the Allier department.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Voussac, Allier, multiple, forest, wood, meadows, Doulouvre, Doulauvre, Vacheresse, landing, luminous, dark, gendarmerie, trace, circular, ground
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | April 18, 2003 | First published. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | December 23, 2008 | Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Additions [djn1], [jbu1], [lcn1], [uda1]. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | October 19, 2014 | Addition [nip1]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | November 22, 2016 | Additions [lgs1], [tai1], [ubk1]. |
| 1.3 | Patrick Gross | November 30, 2016 | Additions [ous1], [ioi1], [prn1], [ldl2], [ldl2], [mft1], [prn2]. |
| 1.4 | Patrick Gross | December 8, 2018 | Addition of the Summary. Explanations changed, were "Not looked for yet." |
| 1.5 | Patrick Gross | December 15, 2019 | Addition [ldl1]. |
| 1.6 | Patrick Gross | May 7, 2022 | Addition [tps1]. |
| 1.7 | Patrick Gross | May 24, 2022 | Addition [ioi2]. |
| 1.8 | Patrick Gross | June 27, 2022 | Additions [jsr1], [mju1]. |
| 1.9 | Patrick Gross | July 7, 2022 | Addition [gab1]. |
