The article below was published in the daily newspaper L'Est Républicain; France, page 7, on February 13, 1954.
[Photo in the newspaper; not available.]
Joeuf. -- Mr. Jean Hofmockel is married in Homécourt, where he lives with his in-laws. This boy, soon father, has just, according to some, had an extraordinary opportunity, while for others, he is the author of a good joke. He claims, in fact, to have photographed a flying saucer. The whole affair took place last week, Mr. Hofmockel, sick, took advantage, at 01:15 p.m. from the pale winter sun to walk on the edge of the heap of Sainte-Marie-Aux-Chenes, behind the coke ovens of Homécourt. "Suddenly I saw coming down to me, hovering with a falling dead leaf motion a craft of some twenty-five meters in diameter, very close to the ground. I had my camera and was able to take three shots. But when I was about to take a fourth, the "saucer" suddenly went up vertically and disappeared quickly."
Our witness confessed that he was very scared, but not enough for him to be prevented from photographing his vision, but enough to succeed only poorly his shots. Most of the few people to whom he told the case remained skeptical, Mrs Hofmockel the first, yet he seems convinced in his turn. Some even claim that the saucers photographer had used a simple lid thrown into the air to take his shots.
