Cette page en français
The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this site is here.
Reference number for this case: 11-oct-54-Doncourt. Thank you for including this reference number in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
[Ref. ll1:] "LE REPUBLICAIN LORRAIN" NEWSPAPER:
Noise and a whistling sound:
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[Ref. lf1:] "LE FIGARO" NEWSPAPER:
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"In the night of Sunday to Monday, the inhabitants of a farm, located at a few hundreds of meters of the village of Moncourt (the Meurthe-and-Moselle), went into a commotion due to an abnormal outside whistling sound. Through the windows shutters, they distinguished a dazzling gleam which seemed fixed at a hillside and which disappeared shortly afterwards while rising vertically. This afternoon, the search undertaken in the direction of the location indicated by the witnesses allowed to discover, on a dirt track, traces of intense calcination. Samples of stones and ground were taken to be submitted to experts. |
[Ref. qh1:] "LE QUOTIDIEN DE LA HAUTE-LOIRE" NEWSPAPER:
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[...] Traces of intense burnIn the night of Sunday to Monday, the residents of a farm located at a few hundreds of meters of the village of Montcourt (Meurthe-et-Moselle) were put in agitation by an anomalous whistling sound outside. Through the shutters, they distinguished a dazzling gleam which appeared fixed at a hillside and which disappeared little after, rising vertically. The research undertaken in direction of the locations indicated by the witnesses allowed the discovery, on a dirt track, of traces of intense burn. Samples of stones and ground were taken to be submitted to experts. [...] |
[Ref. jv1:] JACQUES VALLEE:
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230 Oct. 11, 1954, 01:30, Doncourt-Village (France). Farmers awakened by a whistling sound saw a flat object land near the woods. It soon rose very fast, vertically, and flew away. The ground was found calcined. Samples were taken by police officials for analysis. (56) (Le Figaro, 13 oct 1954). |
[Ref. jv2:] JACQUES VALLEE:
The author indicates that on October 11, 1954, farmers close to Doncourt-Village in the Meurthe-et-Moselle were awaken by a strange whistle. They saw that a flat object had landed close to the forest. It soon rose very quickly, vertically, and flew away. The ground was found burnt. Samples were taken by officials for analysis.
[Ref. gl1:] CHARLES GARREAU AND RAYMOND LAVIER:
The two ufologists mention an observation in Moncourt in the Moselle in the night between the 10th and the 11th of October 1954, with a newsbrief by the Agence France Presse and their personal file as source:
In the night, the inhabitants of an isolated farm located a a few hundreds meters of the village were awaken by an abnormal whistling sound. Through their shutters, they distinguish a dazzling gleam, which seem to be motionless on a side of a hill. A few minutes later, they see a luminous ball rising vertically and disappearing quickly.
On the next day's afternoon, police officers came to inquire on location and discovered at the alleged place of the landing of the intense traces of burn on the dirt track.
The two authors indicate that sampling of stones and ground occured, but that the result of the analysis was never made public.
[Ref. rs1:] RAY STANFORD:
In his book about the famous UFO landing in Socorro, Ray Stanford indicates a number of other sightings of egg-shaped craft that may be significant in this regard.
Among those cases, he indicates that on October 11, 1954, near Dancourt Village in the Meurthe-et-Moselle, France, farmers were aroused from sleep by a strange whistling noise, and they then they noticed that a flat object had landed close to the woods nearby.
The object took off vertically at high speed. Officials found that the ground underneath was calcined.
[Ref. bb1:] GERARD BARTHEL AND JACQUES BRUCKER:
The two authors say that the newspapers, sometimes, do not distort UFO stories, but then they are distorted by the ufologists. They give this case as example, reproducing the summary by Jacques Vallée who comprises errors that we are to notice by comparing with the account in the newspaper "Le Figaro" for October 13, 1954, that they reproduce as underneath, with capital letters to indicate the alleged errors:
"In the night of Sunday to Monday, the inhabitants of a farm, located at a few hundreds of meters of the village of MONCOURT (the Meurthe-and-Moselle), went into a commotion due to an abnormal outside whistling sound. Through the windows shutters, they distinguished a dazzling gleam which SEEMED fixed at a hillside and which disappeared shortly afterwards while rising vertically. This afternoon, the search undertaken in the direction of the location indicated by the witnesses allowed to discover, on a dirt track, traces of intense calcination. Samples of stones and ground were taken to be submitted to experts."
They add that they contacted "the witnesses of this phenomenon" and that "globally, their account corresspond with that of the press of the time."
[Ref. fr1:] MICHEL FIGUET ET JEAN LOUIS RUCHON:
The authors indicate that in Montcourt, on October 11, 1954, at approximately 01:30, farmers living an isolated farm, at some hundreds meters from Montcourt, were awaked by an abnormal whistling sound.
Through the shutters, they distinguished a dazzling gleam which seemed fixed at a hillside. The object soon rose vertically and very quickly and quickly disappeared.
Research in the afternoon at the place indicated by the witnesses resulted in the discovery of traces of intense calcination on a dirt track. Samples of stones and earth were taken for analysis but no result came to the knowledge of the authors.
The authors say that Vallée had indicated Doncourt as location but it is an error and that it is indeed Montcourt in the Moselle.
The sources are indicated as case 230 of the Vallée catalogue; C. Garreau and R. Lavier in "Face aux ET" pages 215-216; and Le Figaro for 10/13/1954.
[Ref. js1:] JEAN SIDER:
Jean Sider indicates that in the night from the 10th to October 11th, 1954, in Doncourt, Mrs. Jacques, farmer in Doncourt, and Mr. Felix André, saw an object or a luminous phenomenon posed on the hill at the edge of the wood of Doncourt, emitting crackling and whistling noises while emitting a dazzling gleam.
On the spot, traces of calcination on a diameter of 1.50 meters were found. The stones had become of brick-red color and the ground wass reduced of ashes on a 3 centimeters thickness.
Jean Sider indicates that the local source is the newspaper Le Lorrain, of Metz, for Otober 12, 1954, page 7, and an investigation by LDLN.
[Ref. go1:] GENEVIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:
In her chronology, Genevieve van Overmeire indicates that on October 11, 1954 in France, in Moncourt, and not in "Doncourt", in the Moselle, in the night the inhabitants of an isolated farm at a few hundreds meters from the village were awaked by an abnormal whistling sound. Through the shutters they distinguished a dazzling gleam fixed at a hillside. A few minutes later they saw a luminous ball rising vertically and disappearing quickly. There was a report by the gendarmerie. At 01.30 farmers were awaked by a whistling sound at Doncourt-Village, and saw a flat object landing close to the wood. Soon it rose very quickly vertically and flew away. The ground was calcined. The police force took samples.
The source is noted "Jacques Vallée: "Chronique des apparitions ET" - DENOEL 1972 - COLL. J'AI LU - p. 275".
[Ref. mc1:] MARK CASHMAN'S SIGHTINGS DATABASE:
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Doncourt Village (France). 10/11/1954 1:30 Farmers awakened by a whistling sound saw a flat object land near the woods. It soon rose very fast, vertically, and flew away. The ground was found calcined. Samples were taken by police officials for analysis. |
[Ref. dj1:] DONALD JOHNSON:
Donald Johnson indicates that on October 11, 1954, farmers in Doncourt-Village, France were awakened by a whistling sound and saw a flat object land near the woods. It soon rose up vertically very fast, and flew away. The ground was found calcified. Soil samples were taken by the police for analysis.
The source is indicated as Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia: A Century of Landings, p. 224.
[Ref. ol1:] "LES OBSERVATIONS D'OVNIS EN LORRAINE":
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Place: Moncourt (Metz 64 km, Nancy 43 km) In the night from October the 10th to the 11th, 1954, inhabitants of an isolated farm, at a few hundreds of meters of Moncourt, were woken up by a strange whistling sound. Through the shutters, they distinguished a dazzling gleam which seemed located at a hillside. A few minutes later, they saw a luminous sphere rise vertically and disappear quickly. The next, in the afternoon, the gendarmes led by the farmer to the place where the strange light seemed to have landed, discovered traces of intense calcination on a dirt track. Sampling of stones and ground were carried out. As in the majority of the similar cases, the results of the analyses were never known. It should be specified that at that time the unexplained aerial phenomena were classified "TOP SECRET" because it was thought that they were secret weapons of foreign powers. Is this the same "craft" which was observed during three hours, the same night, above Metz? Sources "Lumières dans la Nuit" |
[Ref. lc1:] LUC CHASTAN:
Luc Chastan indicates that in the Meurthe et Moselle in Doncourt lès Longuyon, on October 10, 1954, a couple observed a luminous phenomenon posed on the slope at the edge of the wood of Doncourt during the night of the 10th to the 11th. It emitted noises of crackling and whistle while diffusing a dazzling light. In the morning the traces of calcination were observed on 1 m 50 of diameter at the place of the incident. Stones became brick-red and the ground is calcined on a 3 centimetres thickness. This trace was discovered by a third witness.
The source is Lumières dans la Nuit #374.
[Ref. jb1:] JEROME BEAU:
Jérôme Beau indicates that on Monday, October 11, 1954, at 01:30 at Doncourt-Village in France, "farmers were awakd by a wistle, saw a flat object to land nea the woods: soon it rose very quickly, vertically, and flew away. The ground was calcined. Samples were taken by the police force for analysis."
The source is indicated as "Le Figaro, October 13, 1954".
[Ref. mp1:] MICHEL PADRINES:
The author indicates that on October 10, 1954, in Montcourt between Metz and Nancy, inhabitants of a farm isolated at some hundred meters from Montcourt were awaked by a strange whistling sound. Through the shutters, they distinguished a dazzling gleam which seemed located at a hillside, and a few minutes later they saw a luminous sphere rising vertically and disappearing quickly. The next day afternoon the gendarmes were led by the farmer on the landing site and discovered traces of intense calcination on a dirt track. Samples were taken, the results of the analyses were never known.
[Ref. mp2:] MICHEL PADRINES:
The author indicates that on October 11, 1954, at Doncourt-village in France, farmers were awaked by a whistling sound and saw a flat object land close to the wood and soon rise vertically very quickly. The ground was burnt the police took samples for analysis.
[Ref. ud1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on 11 October 1954 at 01:30, in Doncourt-Village, France, farmers were awakened by a whistling sound and saw a flat object land near the woods. It was a hoax. It soon rose very fast, vertically, and flew away. The ground was found calcined. Samples were taken by police officials for analysis. An object was observed. Traces were found. "One ball was observed by two witnesses in a forest for a few seconds (Chaumeau)."
The source is noted as "Vallee Magonia Database".
Note: witness "Chaumeau" has nothing to do with this case.
The witnesses are the inhabitants of an isolated farm at a few hundreds meters from the village. They observed the phenomenon through the shutters in the form of a blinding light, fixed at hillside. A few minutes later they see a luminous ball rising vertically and quickly disappearing. The investigation and a report were carried out by the Gendarmerie, as usual, and not by the police.
Lorraine is certainly the correct region since the first newspaper article on this sighting is published in "Le Republicain Lorrain".
In Lorraine, a region currently composed of the departments of the Moselle, of the Meuse, of the Meurthe-et-Moselle and the Vosges, there exist:
So, contrarily to Barthel and Brucker, there is no "Moncourt in Meurthe-et-Moselle", whereas there are several "Doncourt" there.
In Le Républican Lorrain, the place is indeed indicated as "Doncourt-Village". It is in Le Figaro, a national newspaper from Paris, that the place becomes "Moncourt (the Meurthe-and-Moselle)". As ufologist Jean Sider rightfully often pointed out, the local press has much more chance to spell correctly the names of local places and people than the national press in Paris.
Moreover, the Lorraine Republican indicates that they receive the story from Longwy, in Meurthe-et-Moselle. That suggests that the correct place is close to Longwy, and the closest place which corresponds best is Doncourt Lès Longuyon, in the Meurthe-et-Moselle, at a few kilometers South of Longwy. On the contrary the only "Moncourt" in Lorraine is far away in another department, near other cities bigger than Longwy.
It is thus totally reasonable to think that the "lesson" that Barthel and Brucker intend to give Jacques Vallée and ufologists in general is based on an badly chosen example.
As with other cases where Barthel and Brucker claimed to have "spoken to the witnesses", some doubts are raised there. They claim to have spoken to the witnesses of the case of "Moncourt" and there is little chance that Moncourt is the correct location, which really seems to be "Doncourt". With whom did they speak in Moncourt then?
Not looked for yet.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Doncourt-Village, Moncourt-Village, Moncourt, Doncourt, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Moselle, object, landing, flat, whistling, fast, traces, Gendarmes, Gendarmerie, farm, stones, police, analysis, laboratory, burn, heat, dirt road, ground
[---] indicates sources which I have not yet checked.
| Version: | Created/Changed By: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | November 17, 2004 | First published. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | December 20, 2008 | Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Additions [fr1], [go1], [js1], [dj1], [lc1], [jb1], [mp1], [mp2], [ud1]. |
