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October 8, 1954, Saint-Etienne-sous-Barbuise, Aube:

Reference for this case: 8-oct-54-Saint-Etienne-sous-Barbuise.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.

Summary:

The regional newspaper L'Est-Eclair, of Troyes, published on October 8, 1954, on page 4, a somehow humorous-toned article, saying that one week ago, Marcel and Jacques Guyot, father and son, of Saint-Etienne, returning from their work, had seen three mysterious craft on the railway near the level crossing at the exit of St-Etienne-sous-Barbuise, on the road that leads to Arcis-sur-Aube.

The newspaper said that for fear of being ridiculed, they had said little, but the affair had begun to be heard at the Gerbaud sawmill where they work, then at Arcis-sur-Aube, and finally throughout the region.

The journalist went to see the witnesses at their workplace on October 7, 1954, and the father said:

"Well, sir, that's it, it was a night like every night, I was coming home from work on a bicycle and I was hurrying to get over the crossing before the Micheline came in. It was 7:25 p.m. All of a sudden, what do I see: three "things" that shone, but that shone, white as snow, I tell you, it seemed funny to me, it did not move. Big "like that" (Mr. Guyot raises his hand up to his face). A normal size in the background... 'They' were 150 meters from the crossing."

"What do you want me to tell you, that's what I saw and nothing else, I did not say anything at the time because I thought people would laugh, and then, by dint of reading on the newspapers that they were everywhere, I told friends, and then you know it's going fast!"

"Be sure, sir, that if it happens again, I'll tell you that, next time I'll go to the little wood behind Mrs. Chepy's house, the gatekeeper. From there, I could watch and see well."

The son said:

"I passed there ten minutes after my father, at the crossing, and not far away, at 50 meters ('they' must have moved) I saw three 'things' that shone, it was rather yellowish white. There was one 'round' and two 'elongated', I had never seen that before, I thought, it must be a saucer, I saw them smaller than my father, it changes quickly."

"That's all we can tell you."

The case is then published in other newspapers, such as France-Soir for October 9, 1954, which tells that on October 8, 1954, three mysterious machines, one a saucer and two flying cigars, "landed" on the railway, in the Aube, according to Mr. Marcel Guyot, 45, and his son Jacques, 21.

Marcel Guyot is quoted:

"It was around 7:30 p.m. and I was riding back to my home when, as I was crossing the railway crossing that cuts the road to Arcis-sur-Aube, I suddenly saw, on the railway, three machines that gave off a violent white light, surprised at the moment, I went on my way, and it was a little later that I understood that they were flying saucers, but I did not dared to go back."

It is said that his son had passed at the same place a few minutes later, confirming the words of his father, stating:

"One of the craft was round like a saucer, while the other two were elongated like cigars."

This was then very briefly summarized in the ufological literature, by Aimé Michel and Jacques Vallée, who misdate the case at October 7, 1954. Michel included the case at that date in his theory of orthoteny; which puts forth that the places of observations of a day formed a network of straight lines inexplicable by chance alone.

But in April 1975, a very different version appeared in the ufology newsletter Info-OVNI, in an article examining the theory of orthoteny. The author indeed learned that this "aligned" case had been verified by ufologist Jean Tyrode (a ufologist that cannot suspected of inconsiderate "debunking").

Tyrode had learned that on the night of this alleged sighting, three painters from Arcis-sur-Aube were returning from Saint-Etienne-sous-Barbuise by bicycle. Having no headlights, they decided to ride along the railway to avoid any ecnounter with the gendarmes. The Guyots "witnesses" met them at the crossing, and once they arrived at the village cafe, they told around that in their place, people might have mistaken these three painters dressed in their white worksuits, for Martians.

The correspondent of the local newspaper heard this, and immediately told to his editor by phone the totally altered version of this anecdote, then very widely broadcast in the French press.

This explanation was cited - without indication its source - in the 1979 catalog by Michel Figuet and Jean-Louis Ruchon, but it remained unknown to some authors. Jean Sider, in 1977, doubted it, basing his rebutal on the story in L'Est-Eclair for October 8, 1954, assuring that it is impossible for the three "luminous" painters to remain on the spot for 10 minutes, the time that the father then the son see them.

Sider nevertheless discovers that two weeks after the first article, L'Est-Eclair suggested that there was "confusion from the remarks of a painter who uses the conditional, and it would be more a joke made by someone aware of the Guyots' testimonies."

Sider adds that in July 1989, the researcher Roger Chéreau had met the Guyots. The senile father could no longer speak, and the son, "no doubt a victim of psychological blockage," did not want to cooperate, but did not confirm any journalistic invention or any misinterpretation. R. Chéreau noted that the railway line where the phenomenon had been observed makes a turn at this place, and that if it had been painters, they would not have been visible ten minutes later. Jean Sider adds that, ridiculed by their entourage at the time, the two ulcerated men had preferred to be silent.

Finally, the case continues to be widely published as in Jacques Vallée's short version, without any indication of an explanation.

Reports:

[Ref. ler1:] NEWSPAPER "L'EST-ECLAIR":

Scan.

Everything gets known in the end

"Last week we saw
three flying saucers on the railway
near Saint-Etienne-sous-Barbuise !!"

told us two workers of Arcis-sur-Aube

To tell the truth one started to worry. The Aube, which had made a few times ago its own crisis of anti-windshield-breakup as all respectable departments, had not known yet the landing of a flying saucer or an unspecified mysterious machine coming from beyond.

It was not natural, when on all sides flying saucers, cigars, barrels and hairy Martians are reported. That was enough to start an inferiority complex.

Finally the news came in...

"One saw shiny machines on the side of Arcis".

And then information became more precise: It is on the railway near the railway crossing located at the exit of Saint-Etienne-under-Barbuise, on the road which leads to Arcis that two men, of St-Etienne, the father and the son, leaving their work, saw three mysterious machines one week ago already.

But of fear of being laughed at, they did not say anything... or almost didn't, and it is slowly that the news of the event perspired. Initially within the Gerbaud sawmill where they work, then in Arcis, finally in the region.

And we went to see them yesterday on their workplace. We found Misters Marcel and Jacques Guyot, in the middle of a heap of boards and they agreed, for our readers, to entrust to us what they had seen.

They did it in all simplicity.

Let us listen to Marcel Guyot, the father:

"Well, Sir, here it is! It was one evening, like every evening, I returned from work riding my bicycle and I hurried to cross the railway crossing before the arrival of the Micheline. It was about 07:25. Suddenly, what did I see: three "things" which shone, but shone, white like snow, I tell you. This seemed odd to me, it did not move. It was large "as this" (Mr. Guyot raises the hand at the height of his face). A normal size in a way... "They" were within 150 meters of the railway crossing.

"What can I tell you. That is what I saw and nothing different. I did not say anything on the blow because I thought that people were going to laugh, and then, when reading in the newspapers that this happens everywhere, I told it to my buddies. And then, now you know it. This spread quickly!"

Then it is the son, Jacques Guyot, who tells his adventure to us:

"I arrived there ten minutes after my father, at the railway crossing, and not very far, within 50 meters ("they" must have had advanced) I saw three of "things" which shone. It was white a bit yellowish. There was one that was and two elongated. I had never seen such a thing. I said to myself: that must be a saucer. I saw them smaller than my father. It changes quickly.

"That's all we can tell you".

We remained very perplexed and in front of our hesitations and whereas we rubbed our chin with caution, Mr. Marcel Guyot told us:

"Be sure, Sir, that if that happens again I'll tell you. Moreover, the next time, I will stay put in the small wood there behind Mrs. Chepy's house, she's the gate-keeper. From there, I could watch and see well.

Let's wait.

[Picture]

"They" were like this

Misters Guyot, father and son, do not agree completely on the height of the mysterious seen machines. They show us how they saw "them".

Let our readers not be mistaken. The barrel which is seen on the left is not a flying barrel.

[Ref. fso1:] NEWSPAPER "FRANCE-SOIR":

Scan.

SAUCERS (CONTINUED)

Three mysterious craft landed on the railroad tracks in the Aube

TROYES, October 8 ("France-soir" news brief).

Would the Martians consider that the railways of our country constitute for their mysterious craft an ideal landing strip? One might think so. For it is again on the railway tracks, in Saint-Etienne-sous-Barbuise (Aube) that Marcel Guyot, 45, and his son Jacques, 21, said they saw yesterday a saucer and two flying cigars.

"It was about 7:30 p.m. and I was riding my bicycle home, said Mr. Marcel Guyot, when, when passing the railway crossing that cuts the road to Arcis-sur-Aube, I suddenly saw, lying on the railway, three machines that emitted a violent white light. Surprised, at the time, I continued my way, and it was a little later that I understood that it was flying saucers, but I did not dare to go back.

Mr. Jacques Guyot, who went to the same place a few minutes after his father, confirmed the statements of the latter, even bringing clarifications:

"One of the machines," he said, "was round like a saucer, while the other two were elongated like cigars.

The news made a sensation in the Aube, for it is the first time that such machines have trodden the ground of the department. And, gosh! People were beginning to worry.

[Ref. aml1:] AIME MICHEL:

Aimé Michel indicates that on October 7, 1954, at 07:30 P.M., in Saint-Etienne-sous-Barbuise three machines landed on a railway track.

Michel indicates that his source is the newspaper Sud-Ouest for October 14, 1954.

In addition, in an article published in the scientific magazine of popular science, "Science et Vie", Aimé Michel indicates that on October 7, 1954 in St Etienne-sous-Barbuise in the Aube, there was an observation of three objects releasing a violent white light.

One was in the shape of disc, the two others were elongated like cigars.

[Ref. aml2:] AIME MICHEL:

Aimé Michel explained that since December 1957, he was convinced that the "alignments" of cases on straight lines, such as those of October 7, 1954, are inexplicable, or more exactly, that they can only be explained "by the reality of the flying saucers", and that his opinion "is also that of a large number of scientists, among whom several are world-renowned."

He published a map of these alignments for this date, indicating that all the observations of October 7, 1954, are reported there:

Scan.

For the case of this file, he noted:

8. SAINT-ETIENNE: ..three craft producing a violent white light; one of the craft was round like a saucer, the two others elongated like cigars. (France-Soir for 9-10-54).

[Ref. gqy1:] GUY QUINCY:

Scan.

October 7 [, 1954]

[... other cases...]

07:30 p.m.: Saint-Etienne-sous-Barbuise (5 km SSW.Arcis-sur-Aube--Aube): 2 lenticular craft and 1 spherical craft on railway tracks

[... other cases...]

[Ref. gqy2:] GUY QUINCY:

Scan.

October 7, 1954: Saint-Etienne-sous-Barbuise (5 km ISL in the SSW Arcis-sur-Aube--Aube): (2 lenticular craft + 1 hemispherical craft on railway tracks)

[Ref. jve5:] JACQUES VALLEE:

265 -004.11381 48.49200 07 10 1954 19 30 1 ARCIS/AUBE.5KM.SSW F 003 I

[Ref. pis1:] "PHENOMENES INCONNUS" UFOLOGY BULLETIN:

This ufology bulletin published a map supposed to show alignements of cases of October 7, 1954, and it included a cas in Saint Etienne:

Scan.

[Ref. jve2:] JACQUES VALLEE:

The author indicates that on October 7, 1954, in the evening, Marcel Guyot was returning from work close to Saint-Etienne-Sous-Barbuise in the department of Aube and his son Jacques son took the same road, ten minutes afterwards. Both saw, at a railway crossing, three objects which emitted a shining white light. Jacques Guyot confirmed the observation of his father, adding that the three objects were always on the road when he had seen them. One was circular, the others in the shape of cigar.

[Ref. ioi1:] "INFO-OVNI" UFOLOGY BULLETIN:

Being unable to prove that the alignments did not exist, SINCE THEY DO EXIST, and for lack of being able to prove that they were or not the fact of chance, since Toulot, Saunders, Vallée and many others did not succeed in that, all we had to do was try to show that they did not mean anything.

In short, demonstrate the famous "rectilinear propagation of pranks" expressed ironically by Bergier, the legendary man, anxious to "inform" and so anxious to systematically contradict that he manages to contradict himself.

The first element of our research came from our colleague and friend Jean Tyrode. In a mail exchange where we were dealing with the problem of real and false "saucers", he told us that he had sometimes found it: and he quoted this specific example about which an investigation with the witnesses had made it possible to discover the truth.

10/7//1954 - Saint-Etienne-sous-Barbuisse (Aube)

Around 7:30 p.m., Mr. Marcel Guyot saw at the crossing of Arcis-sur-Aube, three craft placed on the railway and giving off a bright white light.

His son Jacques who passed there a few minutes later at the same place also saw them and said that two of them were cigar-shaped while the third ressembled a "saucer".

Scan.

Centre-Matin for 10/9/1954

But the reality was different.

That night, three painters from Arcis-sur-Aube came back from Saint-Etienne-sous-Barbuisse [sic] by bike.

Having no light to their vehicles, they decided to ride along the railway to avoid any bad encounter with the gendarmes. The Guyot "witnesses" met them at the level crossing, and once they arrived at the village cafe, they told that in their place, people might have mistaken these three painters dressed in their white work suits, for Martians. The correspondent of the local newspaper, who had a lingering ear there, immediately telephoned to his editor the improbable story which was very widely diffused in the French press.

This was the last drop!

Indeed, as it is easy to verify on the map on pages 226-227 of "M.O.C.", Saint-Etienne-sous-Barbuisse [sic] is however PERFECTLY ORTHOTENIED IN THE NETWORK OF THE DAY. Better still, this spot made it possible to establish TWO alignments, one of which is quite remarkable. Not only that, it was on the alignanent "Les Aubiers-Dordives", but also and especially on the alignment "Hennezis-Jettingen" which was

  1. Perpendicular to the alignment "Jettingen-Beauvoir-Monteux"
  2. Perpendicular to the alignment "Hennezis-Lavenay-Marcillac"
  3. Parallel to the alignment "Plozevet-Montlovic-Beauvoir"
  4. At 30" of the alignment "Hennezis-Dordives-Corbigny"
  5. At 60° of the alignment "Hennezis-Montlevic-Bompas"

It should be noted at once that it is not us who just gave these "peculiarities", but that these were established by Michel himself.

However, in his book, Michel insisted that the "descriptions of case that are not aligning revealed known objects (balloons-probes, planes, shooting stars...)"; that the notorious hoaxes did not align themselves, and that it was possible to consider the orthotenic alignenents as criteria of authenticity. It is undeniable that when he wrote this, Michel was perfectly honest... simply, he did not have all the pieces of the file in his hand.

This "extraordinary" case was still unique, and despite its very specific "characteristics", we nevertheless accepted to consider it as a simple fact of highly improbable chance, but a coincidence anyway. One single case seemed insufficient to us to "kill" orthoteny.

We had to find out if there were other similar cases in the wave. So we took one by one ALL the networks highlighted by Michel. To date, our work is not yet fully completed (when will it be?). But they are already sufficiently advanced to allow us to say that:

ORTHOTENY WAS QUITE A TRAP!

[... other cases...]

[Ref. gal1:] CHARLES GARREAU AND RAYMOND LAVIER:

The two ufologists and authors give their report of an observation in Saint-Etienne-sous-Barbusse in the Aube, on October 7, 1954 at 07:30 P.M., from personal file and newspaper clippings. They note that the ufology magazine "Lumières dans la Nuit" published a very good investigation in its January 1975 issue.

They point out that this was one of the very rare cases in which three UFOS were seen together on the ground, citing another such case in France, that of Englefontaine on August 2, 1974.

The indicate that the encounter occurred to two farmers of Saint-Etienne-sous-Barbusse, Mr. Marcel Guyot and his son Jacques, whereas they returned from their work, separately, with the father preceding his son by a few minutes, both taking however the same way.

Both, when they went across a railway crossing, saw the same strange show: at a few tens of meters, three objects which were posed on the railway, emitting a white light, very shiny.

Marcel Guyot describes them as being discs, his son as being cigars, which the authors indicates being a change of aspect which recalls much of the testimony of Mrs. Leclercq in Cousolre.

They point out that neither Marcel Guyot nor his son sought to see more of that, both impressed by what they saw they, had regained their house as fast as possible.

[Ref. jve1:] JACQUES VALLEE:

209

Oct. 07, 1954, 07:30 P.M., St. Etienne-sous-Barbuise (France).

Marcel Guyot was coming from work near this village, and his son Jacques followed the same road 10 min later. Both saw, at a railroad crossing, three objects on the ground that gave a bright white light. One was circular, the others cigar-shaped. (42; M 146) (France-Soir, 9 Oct. 1954).

[Ref. jve3:] JACQUES VALLEE:

Scan.

70. Oct. 7. In the evening, M. Marcel Guyot was coming from work near Saint-Etienne-sous-Barbuise (Aube) and his son Jacques was following the same road, ten minutes behind. Both of them saw, at a railroad crossing, three objects which gave off a bright white light. Jacques Guyot confirmed his father's observation, adding that the three objects were still on the tracks when he saw them. One was circular, the others cigar-shaped.

[Ref. jve4:] JACQUES VALLEE:

Scan.

October 7, 1954, 07:30 p.m. St-Etienne-sous-Barbuise (Aube).

Marcel Guyot was returning from his work on the outskirts of the village. His son Jacques followed the same route ten minutes later. Both saw at a railway crossing, three objects on the ground that produced a bright white light. One of them is circular and the other had the shape of a cigar.

[Ref. gab1:] UFOLOGY GROUP "G.A.B.R.I.E.L.":

10/07/1954 Saint Etienne sous Barbuisse (Aube)

That evening, around 9:30 p.m., Mr. Marcel Guyot, who was returning from work, saw at the level crossing on the Arcis sur Aube railwy track three craft emitting a bright light posed across the rails. His son Jacques, who passed by the same place 10 minutes later, could even say that it was two "cigars" and a "saucer". ("Centre MAtin" for 10/09/1954)

At first glance, there is no reason to doubt the information. And yet... The magazine "Lumières dans la nuit" proposed to its network of investigators to carry out a systematic counter-investigation of all the facts reported in the press of the time. Our colleague Jean Tyrode took charge of this affair and went back to the source, that is to say to Mr. Guyot from whom he obtained the following details. That evening, three painters from Arcis sur Aube were returning by bicycle to Saint Etienne sous Barbuisse but, having no lights on their vehicles and fearing a bad encounter with the gendarmes, they decided to take the path along the railway. The witness passed them at the level crossing... Later when Mr. Guyot stopped in a cafe, he narrated this encounter and said that with all the stories of "Flying Saucers" that people saw, if someone else had been in his place, he could very well have mistaken these three painters in white coveralls for "Martians"... The rumor set into motion and the newspaper correspondent heard him with a vaguely attentive ear the magic words: "Flying Saucers" "Martians" and the Arcis level crossing... He transmitted this sensational information to his editor. And the article quoted above was printed! (We nevertheless saw the importance of this "false business" during the study on orthoteny...)

[Ref. bbr1:] GERARD BARTHEL AND JACQUES BRUCKER:

The two authors note this case of October 7, 1954:

"Saint-Etienne-sous-Barbuise - 10 - 07:30 p.m.: no investigation. Hoax."

[Ref. fru1:] MICHEL FIGUET AND JEAN-LOUIS RUCHON:

According to these ufologists, who title "an unbelievable story by a journalist in search of fame," the observation is on October 7, 1954 at 07:30 p.m. in Saint-Etienne-sous-Barbuise and went like this:

Three objects were seen posed on a railway by Marcel Guyot and his son.

Marcel Guyot sees at the railway crossing of Arcis-sur-Aube three apparatuses on the ground.

His son passed at the same place a few minutes later and also saw it, stating that one looked like a saucer and the other two were cigar-shaped.

The authors say that in reality, they had seen three painters from Arcis-sur-Aube returning to St-Etienne-sous-Barbuise pushing their bikes on the track, to avoid getting fined by the police as they had no light.

When they arrived at the village bar, they told that in their place people could have taken these three painters for Martians.

The local newspaper correspondent who was also at the bar with ears wide open phoned to his editor the unbelievable story that was widely reported in the Press.

[Ref. gep1:] UFOLOGY GROUP "GEPO":

10/7/54 07:30 p.m. St-Etienne/Barbuise (Aube) 1013X X

[Ref. jge11:] JEAN-FRANCOIS GILLE:

ICOD DESIGNATION (57) DATE JV4 JV1 COMMENTS
050 1051 ST-ETIENNE-SS-B. RF10 541007 209 266 CS

[Ref. mft3:] MICHEL FIGUET:

Nr in the J. C. Fumoux list Nr in the Francat list Localization Date Class Crédibility Sources Number of W
050 nc St-Etienne-sous-Barbuisse [sic] E 2-665 2 T

[Ref. lgs1:] LOREN GROSS:

October 7th. St.-Etienne-Sous-Barbuise, France. [7:30 p.m.)

If we can believe the story, three UFOs set down on the gTound near a rail crossing at St.-Etienne-Sous-Barbuise. Glowing brightly, one round object and two cigar-shaped objects, had parked themselves at the spot for some un known reason.

M. Marcel Guyet passed that way after work and saw the objects, as did his son who travelled the same road a short time later. 77.

[Ref. jsr1:] JEAN SIDER:

Jean Sider indicates that on October 1 or 2, 1954, in the Aube, at the crossing of the railway line at the exit of St. Etienne-sous-Barbuise on the Arcis-sur-Aube road, two workers saw an unusual sight: first, Marcel Guyot saw on the railway at 07:25 p.m. three "things" shining white as snow and not moving, about 1.60 m tall and at a distance of about 150m.

Ten minutes later, his son Jacques saw the same scene, but closer, at about 50 m. The "things" shone yellowish-white. The son found them smaller than the father. The witnesses did not say anything right away for fear of ridicule, but an indiscretion on their part gave rise to a rumor that spread and finally reached two journalists who published an article after meeting the Guyots, accompanied by a photo of the witnesses.

Fifteen days later, another text appeared in the same newspaper reporting a rumor circulating in the country, saying that the Guyot had been abused by three painters who were walking along the railway track while pushing their bikes because they had no lighting and were afraid of being fined by the police if they had taken the usual road.

Jean Sider says his sources are Est Eclair, of Troyes, October 8, p. 4 and October 25, 1954, p. 3.

He added that as the case might be a CE3, he will mention it again further in his book.

He noted with stupor that Figuet classed this incident as a confusion coupled with a journalistic abuse: a newspaper man heard painters in a bar say they might have been taken for Martians, and wrote an article arranged this way, but it does not stand up to analysis:

First the three painters without lighting that shine and do not move, and seen in the same place at a ten-minute interval, "it's not serious."

Then, it is the same newspaper which suggested 15 days later that there was a confusion from the reflection of a painter who uses the conditional, and it would be a joke made by someone familiar with the testimony of the Guyots.

The first note would eliminate the confusion, the second would demonstrates that it was not a journalistic abuse but nothing more than an error from the correspondent of Est Eclair, who had taken the joke of the painter for serious information.

He adds that in July 1989, researcher Roger Chéreau met the Guyots. The father was senile and longer able to speak, and the son "probably suffered a mental block" as he did not want to cooperate; yet he did not confirm the confusion and journalistic abuse. R. Chéreau found that the railroad where the phenomenon had been observed is curved there, and that if they were painters, they could not have been seen ten minutes long.

Jean Sider adds that ridiculed by those around them at the time, the two ulcerated men preferred to remain silent.

Jean Sider says further in his book that on October 1 or 2, 1954, at 07:25 p.m. in Saint-Etienne-sous-Barbuise in the Aube, MM. Guyot father and son, about ten minutes apart, saw three separate brilliant phenomena without details discerned, lying on a railway track, near a crossing.

One was round, the other two "elongated" and we are not told whether vertical or horizontal, so, if they were vertical, one may think they were UFO occupants, according to Jean Sider.

He indicates that it comes from a local source, Est Eclair, of Troyes, for October 8, 1954, and gives a xerox of the article.

He adds that Michel Figuet, on pages 665-666, has found it sensible to offer two different versions to reduce the case, first a confusion with painters who were walking home, pushing their bikes along the railway, then a farfetched story invented by a journalist in search of glory.

Jean Sider recalls that in Chapter 3, case 6, he explained why the two versions in no way corresponded to the facts when they are scrutinized, but he offers this potential CE3 with "reservations", "because it is not obvious."

He adds further on:

About St-Etienne-sous-Barbuise, Aube (n°33), which Figuet classifies as a "journalistic hoax", this case remains valid since the witnesses have been questioned and photographed by the reporter of a local newspaper, with detailed article. Admittedly, this case is very poor in detail, but it should not be dismissed, especially when the reason given for doing so is unjustified. This is the case for Figuet, who offers gratuitous assertions unrelated to the facts.

[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH:

! 1954/10/07 St. ETIENNE-sous-BARBOUSE, FR: 3 painters seen as Martians.

[Ref. goe1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:

The Belgian ufologist indicates that on October 7, 1954, in St Etienne sous Barbuise, "Marcel Guyot came back at 19:30 from his work in the periphery of this village. His son (Jacques) followed the same road ten minutes later. Both saw, at a level crossing, three objects on the ground, which produced a brilliant white light. One of them was circular, the other had the shape of a cigar (note by vog: what about the third?"

She indicates that the sources are "France-Soir, 9 oct 1954" and "Jacques Vallée: 'Chronique des apparitions ET' - DENOEL 1972 - J'AI LU COLL. - p. 271".

She adds that in reality: "the local correspondent of 'Samedi Soir' seeking for the sensational and who was at the coffee shop where a story was told, phoned the incredible story to his editor, it was widely published in the press."

She indicates that the source of the above is "M. FIGUET/ J.L. RUCHON: 'Ovni, Premier dossier complet...' Alain Lefeuvre pub. 1979, p. 665, 666".

[Ref. djn1:] DONALD JOHNSON:

On this Day

October 7

[...]

1954 - Marcel Guyot was coming home from work at 7:30 p.m. near the village of St.-Etienne-sous-Barbuise, France, and his son Jacques followed the same road 10 minutes later. Both saw three objects on the ground at a railroad crossing that gave off a bright white light. One was circular, the other two were cigar-shaped. (Sources: Aime Michel, Flying Saucers and the Straight Line Mystery, p. 146; Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia, p. 220).

[...]

[Ref. jbu1:] JEROME BEAU:

Thursday, October 7, 1954

[...]

07:30 p.m. Marcel Guyot was returning from his work on the outskirts of the village. His son Jacques followed the same route 10 minutes later. All the 2 saw at a railway crossing, three objects on the ground that producced [sic] a bright white light. One of them was circular, the other was shaped like a cigar.

[...]

Jérôme Beau indicates that his source is "France-Soir, October 9, 1954".

[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN:

Luc Chastan indicates that in the Aube in St Etienne sous Barbuise on October 7, 1954, at 19:30 hours, "Observation of three objects releasing a violent white light. One in the shape of a disc, the two others was lengthened like cigars. They were posed on a railroad track."

Luc Chastan indicates that the source is "M.O.C. par Michel Aimé ** Arthaud 1958" et "Science et vie".

[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:

The website indicates that on 7 October 1954 19:30 St. Etienne-sous-Barbuise, France, "Marcel Guyot was coming from work near this village, and his son Jacques followed the same road ten minutes later. Both saw, at a railroad crossing, three objects on the ground that gave a bright white light. One was circular object, the others cigar-shaped."

The website adds: "An object was observed. Electromagnetic effects were noted. One changing color cigar-shaped object was observed by one male witness on a highway for a few seconds (Lefebure; Tremblay)."

[Note: "Lefebure" and "Tremblay" are names that have nothing to do with this case.]

The sources are noted as "Guieu, Jimmy, Flying Saucers Come from Another World, Citadel, New York, 1956; Michel, Aime, Flying Saucers and the Straight-Line Mystery, S. G. Phillips, New York, 1958; Poher, Claude, Etudes Statistiques Portant sur 1000 Temoignag, Author, undated; Bowen, Charles, The Humanoids: FSR Special Edition No. 1, FSR, London, 1966; Vallee, Jacques, Computerized Catalog (N = 3073); Vallee, Jacques, Challenge to Science: The UFO Enigma, Henry Regnery, Chicago, 1966; Vallee, Jacques, Preliminary Catalog (N = 500), (in JVallee01); Vallee, Jacques, A Century of Landings (N = 923), (in JVallee04), Chicago, 1969; Schoenherr, Luis, Computerized Catalog (N = 3173); Carrouges, Michel, Les Apparitions de Martiens, Fayard, Paris, 1963; Hall, Richard H., The UFO Evidence, NICAP, Washington, 1964; Rodeghier, Mark, UFO Reports Involving Vehicle Interference, CUFOS, Chicago, 1981; Falla, Geoffrey, Vehicle Interference Project, BUFORA, London, 1979; Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002."

[Ref. nip1:] "THE NICAP WEBSITE":

*Oct. 7, 1954 - Marcel Guyot was coming home from work at 7:30 p.m. near the village of St.-Etienne-sous-Barbuise, France, and his son Jacques followed the same road 10 minutes later. Both saw three objects on the ground at a railroad crossing that gave off a bright white light. One was circular, the other two were cigar-shaped. (Sources: Aime Michel, Flying Saucers and the Straight Line Mystery, p. 146; Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia: A Century of Landings, p. 220, case # 209).

[Ref. ubk1:] "UFO-DATENBANK":

This database recorded this case 9 times instead of one:

Case Nr. New case Nr. Investigator Date of observation Zip Place of observation Country of observation Hour of observation Classification Comments Identification
19541007 07.10.1954 Arcis Aube France 19.30
19541007 07.10.1954 Arcis Aube France 19.30
19541007 07.10.1954 St. Etienne Barbuise France 19.30 CE I
19541007 07.10.1954 St. Etienne Barbuise France 19.30
19541007 07.10.1954 St. Etienne Barbuise France Evening
19541007 07.10.1954 St. Etienne Barbuise France 19.30 CE I
19541007 07.10.1954 St Etienne France 19.30
19541007 07.10.1954 St. Etienne Barbuise France 19.30 CE II
19541007 07.10.1954 Saint-Etienne France

Explanations:

Map.

A first point is the date. With the exception of Jean Sider [jsr1], all sources have a false date. The newspaper was published on October 8 and specified that it had happened a week earlier. This does not give a specific date, but October 7 is thus an impossible date.

A second point is the idea that it would have been invented by a reporter from France-Soir: it is obviously impossible since France-Soir appeared with the story on October 9 while the affair was already in the regional newspaper on October 8; therefore it cannot be an "invention" of a "France-Soir correspondent", even if such a correspondent was really looking for a sensation article. Very likely a France-Soit correspondent simply reported to his Parisian newsroom what he read in the article published in the regional newspaper, France-Soir printing it the next day, as it was usually done.

A third point is that this time - this is not always the case but it happens a number of times - Barthel and Brucker seem to have invented the "hoax" explanation: there is no information about it; and there is this explanation of painters in white outfits, apparently more established. Unless it is the latter that was the "hoax".

In any case, I see nothing to really ensure any explanation for now. The story is extremely sketchy - the Est Eclair journalist does not do a decent job. No clear details, almost no overlap between the father and the son. The father gives no shape, he said only three "things". The son does not say if these were craft, he speaks only of a "round" and two "elongated" - which became a disc and two cigars in Vallée and his copycats.

The son who say it was three things concludes that it is a (single) saucer; one wonders if he really knew what the "saucer" expression was supposed to mean. He speaks of a yellowish white where the father said "white as snow"; it does not give the same distance - and it is a bit too easy to claim the "things" must have moved. It may as well be said that the two did not see anything very well, that it was really three painters on bike, that "ten minutes" interval is nothing scientifically established, etc.

In short, I think this is a very inconclusive case.

Updated on June 27, 2019:

It was on this date that I get the source "Le Lapin et le Renard" [ioi1], and this explains a lot of things:

It was therefore the "believer" ufologist Jean Tyrode who discovered the truth, published just 4 years before the laconic "Saint-Etienne-sous-Barbuise - 10 - 07:30 p.m.: no investigation, hoax" of Barthel and Brucker; there has been an investigation, though certainly late, and it gives us some information that Barthel and Brucker, who must have read them, are careful not to source or credit. So, it was an invention of a newspaper man who had "embroidered" around the remarks of the two men about the painters that one might have mistaken for Martians, but that nobody mistook for Martians. And there was no cigar or saucer there...

(Those who know the production of Jean Tyrode will certainly agree that there is no chance that he invented a trivial explanation for a case that would not have a trivial explanation...)

There is no wonder that the alleged "report" of Mssrs Guyot was so inconsistent.

We also understand that Jean Sider did not read the article "Le Lapin et le Renard", otherwise he would not have cited the "contradictions" in the trivial explanations given without all the details by Figuet and Ruchon.

Garreau et Lavier assurent qu'une enquête, qui ne révéle pas la nature d'uinvnetion de journaliste, serait parue dans Lumières Dans La nuit (LDLN) en janvier 1975. Il n'y a rien dans ce N° 141 de janvier 1975 de LDLN, mais ce magazine publiait un supplément, "Contact Lecteurs", et un tel supplément pour janvier 1975 pourrait être la source de cette enquête; je n'en dispose malheureusement pas pour le moment.

Keywords:

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

Saint-Etienne-sous-Barbuise, Aube, Marcel Guyot, Jacques Guyot, multiple, road, train, object, light, bright, white, luminous, circular, cigar, landing, rumor, invention, explained, confusion, painters

Sources:

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

Document history:

Version: Created/Changed by: Date: Change Description:
0.1 Patrick Gross January 16, 2006 First published.
1.0 Patrick Gross May 1, 2009 Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Additions [goe1], [djn1], [jbu1], [lcn1].
1.1 Patrick Gross September 23, 2014 Additions [jve3], [jve4], [jsr1], [nip1]. Explanations changed, were "Not yet checked; rumour" so far.
1.2 Patrick Gross December 19, 2016 Additions [lgs1], [ubk1].
1.3 Patrick Gross January 3, 2017 Addition [fso1].
1.4 Patrick Gross June 27, 2019 Additions [ioi1], [mft3]. In the Explanations, addition of the "Updated on June 27, 2019" part.
1.5 Patrick Gross February 6, 2021 Additions [aml2], [pis1], [jge1].
1.6 Patrick Gross May 1, 2022 Additions [gqy1], [gqy2], [gep1].
1.7 Patrick Gross July 11, 2022 Addition [gab1].

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