The article below was published in the daily newspaper Le Journal du Pas-de-Calais et de la Somme, France, page 1 and 8, on October 15, 1954.
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Avignon, 15. -- Early in the afternoon, at 1:30 p.m., the population of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse was in turmoil.
Indeed, a "white disc" hovered slowly above the small town and could be clearly seen with good binoculars.
This disc was surmounted by a spherical cap of the same color.
The lower circular border bore, intermittently, two powerful lights, varying from white to purplish, passing through red.
The Caritat air base (Vaucluse) alerted, immediately directed two jet planes which soon appeared, and after two turns on Fontaine de Vaucluse, took altitude and dived on the "disk."
The radio which was installed on board the planes and which was in communication with the base, announced that the craft was in sight, that it was being chased, but that it was escaping because its speed was higher to theirs.
From Vaucluse, you could clearly see the disc soaring away, pursued by the two jet planes.
Saucers, discs, cigars, etc., were seen in Marseille, Draguignan, Casablanca, Martigues, Mulhouse.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
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(Continued from the first page)
NORTH TO SOUTH
AND FROM EAST TO WEST
Nimes. -- Two people saw while returning to their home, a few kilometers north of Nîmes, a greenish glow in a field. They approached and noticed the presence of a craft entirely identical to a rugby ball and appearing to rest on crutches. The strange craft suddenly rose into the air, emitting a low noise and gradually taking on an orange hue.
Graulhet. -- A barrel maker from Graulhet said he saw, at high altitude, a silver craft heading northwest, which he took all first for a jet plane, but not discerning any contrails, the barrel maker went to get a pair of binoculars and distinctly saw a large flexible disc, which undulated on itself, while moving at a high speed.
It was then that the craft seemed to explode in midair. A silvery ball, about one meter in diameter, escaped from the mass and continued on its way, soon disappearing from view, while the rest of the craft fell into several pieces similar to sheets of various sizes which hovered in the air and some of which clung to the telegraph wires. About fifteen people testified to this peculiar case and fragments of this material were collected. They come in the form of clumped silver filaments that crumble when touched.
Angers. -- An inhabitant of the town of Méral (Mayenne) saw a brilliant orange ball in the sky which landed on the ground. The disc, flattened and dome-shaped, with a diameter of 5 to 6 meters, gave off a blinding glow, illuminating the countryside within a radius of 200 meters.
The craft was transparent and from inside we could see a black shape. The disc stayed like that for about ten minutes, became red and quickly disappeared towards the north. The observer then went to the place where the object had landed. There was, he assures, a sort of bright cloud that was slowly falling to the ground.
Arrived at his home he noticed that his clothes were covered with a white layer of a slightly sticky material, like paraffin.
La Roche-sur-Yon. -- A farmer from Angles (Vendée) saw in the sky a shining craft which, while advancing, changed shape and color. The craft was at low height and at a short distance from the cultivator. When the latter wanted to approach it, the apparatus emitted luminous rays which soon formed a screen behind which it disappeared noiselessly. The same phenomenon was observed by several other people from Angles.
London. -- The British Air Ministry does not believe in the existence of flying saucers, cigars and other flying craft.
Indeed, while refusing to comment on the craft reported in France and in other European countries, the official spokespersons of the ministry declare that 99 times out of a hundred, there are natural explanations for the similar appearances reported in Great Britain: most often sounding balloons.
When no explanation can be given, the Air Ministry adds, it is usually because the testimonies of people who claim to have witnessed these apparitions are insufficient.
However, no such craft has been reported in Britain in recent weeks.
