The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
October 25-26, 1954, La Française, Pas-de-Calais:
Reference for this case: 25-26-Oct-54-La-Française.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
In his 1997 book on the 1954 wave in France, author Jean Sider indicated from an article in the newspaper Le Nord-Littoral of Calais published on October 29, 1954, that on October 25 or 26, 1954, at 06:30 a.m., at La Française, near Calais in the Pas-de-Calais, a 52-year-old man, going to feed his rabbits, saw rise from the ground of the beet toggle, an object of oval or rather round shape, of a steel-blue color and slightly luminous.
The object was said to be silent. Frightened, the man hurried home, and when he dared to come outside there was nothing to see anymore.
I was able to find Jean Sider's source, the regional newspaper Nord-Littoral of October 29, 1954, where the account is in fact a letter signed by a reader whose name the newspaper did not provide, stating exactly this:
Mr. Director,
Like most people, I doubted the existence of flying saucers and cigars. I am fifty-two years old and of sound mind. For the past fifteen days I have been living in La Française, and from there I can see all of Calais and the surrounding area.
What a fright I had when, this morning at 6:30 a.m., while going to feed my rabbits, I saw rising from the beet weighing ground an object of oval, rather round shape, steel-blue in color and slightly luminous. It made no noise and no car was passing. I rushed back into the barn, and when I stuck my head out again, there was nothing left. I was fully awake and can certify that I was not dreaming. From now on, I dread nightfall.
[Ref. nll1:] NEWSPAPER "NORD-LITTORAL":
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We are written to:
"Mr. Director,
"Like most people, I doubted the existence of flying saucers and cigars. I am fifty-two years old and of sound mind. For the past fifteen days I have been living in La Française, and from there I can see all of Calais and the surrounding area.
"What a fright I had when, this morning at 6:30 a.m., while going to feed my rabbits, I saw rising from the beet weighing ground an object of oval, rather round shape, steel-blue in color and slightly luminous. It made no noise and no car was passing. I rushed back into the barn, and when I stuck my head out again, there was nothing left. I was fully awake and can certify that I was not dreaming. From now on, I dread nightfall.
(Signature follows)
[Ref. jsr1] JEAN SIDER:
Jean Sider indicates that according to an article of the newspaper Le Nord-Littoral, of Calais, published on October 29, 1954, on the 25th or 26th of October, at 06:30 in the morning, in La Française near Calais in the department of Pas-de-Calais, a 52 year old man, while going to feed his rabbits, saw an object of oval but rather round shape, of a steel blue color and slightly luminous, taking off from the grounds of "La Bascule à Betterave".
No noise was perceived. The witness was frightened and returned precipitately at his place - or his cattle shed - and when it dared to go out there was nothing to see anymore.
[Ref. jdt1:] JEAN-PIERRE D'HONDT:
This ufologist indicates that a letter of a reader unfortunately anonymous to the newspaper "Le Nord-Littoral" of Calais, for 10/29/54 on page 3, and LDLN 324 for December 1993, page 35, reported on a sighting between the 24th and 26th of October 26, 1954, in "La Française", a suburb of Calais, Pas-de-Calais:
At approximately 06:30, a 52-year-old man who was going to bring food to his rabbits when he saw a object of oval shape, rather round, of a steel blue color and slightly luminous, rising from the ground "La Bascule à Betterave". He did not hear any noise, but was frightened and returned precipitately in a cattle shed. When it dared to come out, all had disappeared.
[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH - "*U* COMPUTER DATABASE":
4269: 1954/10/25 06:30 1 1:50:00 E 50:50:00 N 3323 WEU FRN PDC 7:6
nr CALAIS,FR:1 OBS:SCR RISES/FIELD by BEET SCALES:ABS SLNT:LITE GLOW:/LDLN#324
Ref#217 Jean SIDER: Le DOSSIER 1954 (2 vol.) Page No. 121: FARMLANDS
[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on 25 October 1954 at 06:30 in Calais, France, "Disc rises from field by beet scales. Absolutely silent. Light glow."
And: "An object was sighted that had an appearance and performance beyond the capability of known earthly aircraft. One luminous disc was observed in a field for over one minute. No sound was heard."
The source is indicated as: "Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002".
[Ref. nip1:] "THE NICAP WEBSITE":
*Oct. 25, 1954 - At 6:30 a.m. a luminous disc-shaped object with a glowing light was seen rising from a field nearby some beet scales in Calais, France. It was absolutely silent. (Source: Jean Sider, Dossier 1954 et l'Imposture Rationaliste, p. 121).
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This may have been a misinterpretation, of a meteor for example.
No duration, distance, angular size being given, and no investigation having been carried out, a better evaluation hardly seems possible.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
La Française, Pas-de-Calais, luminous, round, oval, blue, steel, landing, silent, object, frightened, anonymous
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | February 19, 2010 | First published. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | March 6, 2010 | Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | October 25, 2014 | Addition [nip1]. |
| 1.3 | Patrick Gross | December 24, 2018 | Additions [lhh1], Summary. Explanations changed, was "Not looked for yet." |
| 1.4 | Patrick Gross | April 2, 2026 | Additions [nll1]. In the Summary, addition of the information from [nll1]. |
