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The 1954 French flap:

The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this site is here.

OCTOBER 7, 1954, MONTEUX, VAUCLUSE:

Reference number for this case: 7-oct-54-Monteux. Thank you for including this reference number in any correspondence with me regarding this case.

REPORTS:

[Ref. lp1:] "LE PROVENCAL" NEWSPAPER:

BETWEEN MONTEUX AND ALTHEN-LES-PALUDS

A farmer affirms to have seen an unknown and phosphorescent craft in a field

Avignon (C.P.).

Thursday around 02:30 p.m. Mr. Rene Margaillon, 40 years old, living in the community of Monteux (Vaucluse), district of Pourpiasse, went to his agricultural occupations with his cart. Suddenly, at approximately a hundred meters in a field, he saw a mysterious craft. Keeping all his coolness, he stopped his cart, blocked the brake and advanced in direction of the machine. This craft, in his opinion, measured 2 m 50 in height and it was phosphorescent. All of a sudden, he did not see anything anymore and remained breathless during a few seconds.

Telling his adventure to whom wanted to hear it, Mr. Margaillon was the subject of jokes in particular from friends that came to see him. But the farmer is formal in his statement. He really saw a mysterious machine which did not leave any trace.

What is it? We do not know.

In any event, this adventure made a great fuss in the vicinity.

An incandescent oval mass on the area of Uzès

Observed by several people

Uzès (C.P.).

USSEZ (C.P.). -- Last saturday, around 8 p.m., Mr. Court, farmer at Le Mas Blanc, close to Uzès, saw when he was closing the gate of his house a mass, oval, orange, incandescent, which shone of a very sharp glare. It was roughly between Montaren and Cerviers, at 1 km approximately of Le Mas Blanc and seemed slightly elevated above ground-level.

This lengthened mass was subject to an oscillatory movement.

[illegible] called his wife in all haste. The latter, after having seen the phenomenon, called in her turn Doctor Fabre, city council man, and his family, who was having dinner at this time.

The doctor, Mrs. Fabre, and her girls, Catherine and Claude, realized of the reality of the phenomenon. At the time when Doctor Fabre was on the verge of phoning to the gendarmerie, the orange shape reduced in size and disappeared in the distance.

A cigar in the sky of Saint-Menet

Saint Menet.

"It was exactly 02:16 p.m., I was with my wife in the caretaker's lodge of the Nestlé factory, in Saint-Menet, when the craft appeared to me." Thus expresses Pascal Panzani, caretaker the said factory. And Mr. Panzani who swears on his honor of former gendarme of saying all the truth adds: "Of cylindrical form, the object which seemed made out of aluminium was very brilliant. After its appearance above Saint-Menet and Millière at approximately 500 meters altitude, it disappeared in a few seconds in the direction of the hills of Cassis."

[Ref. jg1:] JIMMY GUIEU:

Jimmy Guieu, SF writer and one of france's first ufologist wrote before Jacques Vallée about this case:

"He saw an odd craft, stopped his horse carriage, blocked the brake and advanced in direction of the phosphorescent apparatus. It was of metallic appearance and was approximately 2,50 m high, had a roughly spherical shape. The witness, intrigued, considered this spacecraft lengthily, then, suddenly, he did not see anything any more. The machine had spontaneously disappeared."

[Ref. am1:] AIME MICHEL:

Aimé Michel indicates that on October 7, 1954, at 02:30 P.M., at the village of Monteux, Mr. Margaillan witnessed the take-off of a machine posed in a field. At the time when the object flew away, Mr. Margaillan which had run towards the apparatus instead of fleeing, felt a suffocating paralysis which lasted several seconds.

Aimé Michel indicates that his description of the machine is rigorously the same as that by Rene Ott, the witness of the event in Schwoben that same day.

[Ref. jv1:] JACQUES VALLEE:

The author indicates that on October 7, 1954, Mr. Margaillon saw an object which had landed in a field in Monteux in France. The object had the form of a half-sphere and a diameter of approximately 2.50 meters. The witness sought for air and felt paralysed while he examined the object. The author notes that the sudden lack of air often appears in the statements of witnesses of UFO landings.

[Ref. jv1:] JACQUES VALLEE:

208

Oct. 07, 1954, 02:30 P.M. Monteux (France).

R. Margaillan saw an object that had landed in a field. It was hemispherical, about 2.5 in diameter. The witness gasped for air and felt "paralyzed." (M 145; Magonia)

[Ref. jv2:] JACQUES VALLEE:

The author indicates that on October 7, 1954, in the afternoon, Mr. Margaillon saw an object which had landed in a field in Monteux; it had the shape of a hemisphere of approximately 2 meters 50 in diameter. The witness started to be out of breath and felt "paralyzed."

[Ref. gl1:] CHARLES GARREAU AND RAYMOND LAVIER:

The two authors indicate that in Monteux in the Vaucluse, on October 7, 1954, at 02:30, according to newspaper clips and their personal file, a farmer of this village, Rene Margaillou, aged 40, worked in his fields, between this village and Althen-les-Paluds. He said:

"Suddenly, without I seeing it arriving, I saw an odd craft, at a hundred meters. I stopped my carriage. I blocked the brake of my cart. I advanced in direction of this phosphorescent machine. It seemed metallic, and about round, with a diameter of approximately 2,50 meters. I looked it while advancing. Then a true "oddity" occurred: all of a sudden, it disappeared. As evaporated! Without leaving any trace! And yet, all that, it was quite material! I did not dream!"

The authors note that all the attitude of Rene Margaillou proves that he was not victim of an hallucination, and they wonder whether a starting at a speed close to that of the light which does not leave any retinal persistence took place.

[Ref. pd1:] PIERRE DELVAL:

In his chapter on the cases of paralysis or drousiness of UFO witnesses during their experience, Pierre Delval indicates 12 cases from the French flap of 1954, among those, that in Monteux in the department of Vaucluse on October 7, 1954 at 02:30 p.m.

Rene Margaillan, farmer, went to his fields on his cart. At a hundred meters, posed in a meadow, he saw a phosphorescent craft of metallic appearance, vaguely spherical, of 2.50 meters in diameter.

Suddenly, he "lacked air" and felt "paralysed", then the machine vanished on the spot, and all became normal again.

[Ref. fr1:] MICHEL FIGUET ET JEAN-LOUIS RUCHON:

The two authors indicate that on October 7, 1954 to 14:30, René Margaillon, farmer, goes to work. In the district of La Pourpiasse, between Monteux and Althen-des-Paluds, within approximately 100 meters of him, he sees a approximately spherical machine, phosphorescent, and of metallic aspect, of approximately 2 m 50 height or diameter posed in a field. He told:

"I stopped the carriage and put on its brake. And I advanced, by foot, towards this astonishing object that I managed to observe during a good moment. By approaching, I felt a suffocation; then I was like paralysed. This lasted several minutes. Then the phenomenon disappeared in only one blow, as if it had evaporated on the spot."

The authors note there are several interpretations of a possible effect on the witness depending to the authors:

The witness felt a suffocating paralysis which lasted several seconds according to Aimé Michel in A Propos des S.V., p. 181.

The witness became short-breathers and felt "paralysed" according to Jacques Vallée, case 208, and the G.A.B.R.I.E.L. group's "special paralysis" Ouranos magazine.

He comments on: "Jimmy Guieu, in Black out sur les S.V.. p. 198 quotes: the witness was suffocated by this frightening disappearance. In this case, we do not know if it a physical effects or fear?"

C. Garreau and R. Lavier in Face aux E.T., page 165, do not mention paralysis neither suffocation.

[Ref. bb1:] GERARD BARTHEL AND JACQUES BRUCKER:

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

"Monteux - 84 - 02:30p.m.: Hoax after investigation."

[Ref. mf1:] MICHEL FIGUET:

10/11/1954

Monteux

Hoax, after counter-investigation. B.B.

("B.B." refers to the book by Barthel and Brucker, see references.)

[Ref. jf1:] MICHEL FIGUET AND HENRI JULIEN:

In their co-authored book, the two ufologists report that on October 7, 1954, at 02:30 P.M., Mr. Rene M., who lives in the district "la Pourpiasse" of Monteux, goes to his occupations with his horse and his carriage.

He is between Althen-les-Paluds and Monteux when he sees an unusual machine of spherical shape resting in a field withint approximately 100 meters in front of him.

The machine may have had 2 meters 20, it is of metallic aspect appears phosphorescent.

René M. stated:

"I stopped the carriage and put on its brake. And I advanced, by foot, towards this astonishing object that I managed to observe during a good moment. By approaching, I felt a suffocation; then I was like paralysed. This lasted several minutes. Then the phenomenon disappeared in only one blow, as if it had evaporated on the spot."

The authors note the insufficiency of the accounts of a possible effect on the witness among various ufologists who mention the case: according to Aime Michel, he felt a suffocating paralysis which lasted several seconds. According to Jacques Vallée and the GABRIEL group, he had short breath and felt "paralyzed." According to Jimmy Guieu, he "was suffocated by this frightening disappearance." By Garreau and Lavier, there is no mention of paralysis neither suffocation.

[Ref. go1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:

The ufologist indicates that in 1954, on October 7, in France, in Monteux (Vaucluse), Rene Margaillan, or Margaillou, saw at 14. 30 an object having landed in a field. It was hemispherical and it had approximately 25 Mr. the witness missed air and felt paralysed.

She indicates that the source for this is Jacques Vallée: "Chronique des apparitions ET" - DENOEL 1972 - COLL. J'AI LU - p. 271.

Van Overmeire notes that all the other sources say the diameter was 2.50 meters, not 25 meters.

She indicates that in Jimmy GUIEU's "Black-out sur les S.V.", Fleuve Noir, page 198, the story is: "He saw an odd machine, stopped its attachment, stopped his cart, put on the brake and advanced in direction of the phosphorescent apparatus. It was of metal appearance and was approximately 2,50 m high, and of rather spherical form. Intrigued, the witness looled at this spacecraft lengthily, then, suddenly, he did not see anything any more. The machine had spontaneously disappeared."

[Ref. jb1:] "RR0" WEBSITE, JEROME BEAU:

October 7, 1954, Mr. Margaillon observes an object which had landed in a field of Monteux (France). It has the shape of a hemisphere of approximately 2,50 m in diameter. The witness lacks air and feels paralysed during the observation.

[Ref. kb1:] KEITH BASTERFIELD:

The Australian ufologist indicates that on October 7, 1954, at 14:30 in Monteux, France, male witness Margaillan saw a landed object in the act of taking off from a field. He ran towards it and at take off point he suffered paralysis which lasted several minutes.

The source is indicated as the Vallée catalogue.

[Ref. dj1:] DONALD JOHNSON:

Donald Johnson indicates that on October 7, 1954, in Monteux, France, at 2:30 p.m., Rene Margaillon, a farmer, was traveling between Monteux and Althen-des-Paluds when saw a metallic object that had landed in a field. It was hemispherical, about 2.5 meters in diameter. The witness gasped for air and felt "paralyzed."

The sources are indicated as Aime Michel, Flying Saucers and the Straight Line Mystery, p. 145; Jacques Vallee, Passport to Magonia, p. 220; Michel Figuet and Jean-Louis Ruchon, OVNI: Le premier dossier complet des rencontres rapprochees en France, p. 131.

[Ref. lc1:] LUC CHASTAN:

Luc Chastan indicates that in the Vaucluse in Monteux on October 7, 1954 at 02:30 p.m., a witness goes to work. Between Monteux and Althen-des-Paludss, at approximately 100 meters of him, he saw, posed in a field, a phosphorescent apparatus of a rather spherical shape, of metallic appearance, approximately 2 m 50 high or 2 m 50 in diameter.

He said: "I stopped my cart. I put on the brake of my cart. I then advanced in direction of this phosphorescent object of metallic appearance. I looked at it lengthily and, all of a sudden, it spontaneously disappeared, like evaporated."

Luc Chastan notes there are several interpretations of a possible effect on the witness depending to the authors:

The witness felt a suffocating paralysis which lasted several seconds according to Aimé Michel in A Propos des S.V., p. 181.

The witness became short-breathers and felt "paralysed" according to Jacques Vallée, case 208, and the G.A.B.R.I.E.L. group's "special paralysis" Ouranos magazine.

He comments on: "Jimmy Guieu, in Black out sur les S.V.. p. 198 quotes: the witness was suffocated by this frightening disappearance. In this case, we do not know if it a physical effects or fear?"

C. Garreau and R. Lavier in Face aux E.T., page 165, do not mention paralysis neither suffocation.

The sources are indicated as "Ovni, Premier dossier complet... by Figuet M./ Ruchon J.L. ** Alain Lefeuvre pub. 1979".

[Ref. jb2:] JEROME BEAU:

Jérôme Beau indicates that on October 7, 1957 at 02:30 p.m. in Monteux (France), R. Margaillon observes an object which had landed in a field and had the shape of a half-sphere of approximately 2,50 (25?) m of diameter. The witness lacks air and feels paralysed during the observation.

[Ref. ud1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:

The website indicates that on October 7, 1954 at 14:30, in Monteux, France, R. Margaillan saw an object that had landed in a field. It was hemispherical, about 2.5 meters in diameter. The witness gasped for air and felt "paralyzed."

The website comments: "An object was observed. Physiological effects were noted. One ball, about 5 feet across, was observed by one male witness on a farm for over 15 minutes."

The sources are indicated 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; Sparks, Brad, Computer Catalog of Type 9 Cases (N=150); 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; Vallee, Jacques, Passport to Magonia, Henry Regnery, Chicago, 1969; Schoenherr, Luis, Computerized Catalog (N = 3173); Hall, Richard H., The UFO Evidence, NICAP, Washington, 1964; Vallee, Jacques, Dimensions: A Casebook of Alien Contact, Contemporary Books, Chicago, 1988, ISBN:0-8092-4586-8; Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002.

EXPLANATIONS:

Not looked for yet. "11" October 1954, 2:30 p.m., Monteux, was a hoax according to Barthel and Brucker: same case or not? confusion of dates?

KEYWORDS:

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

Monteux, Vaucluse, Margaillan, Margaillou, object, landing, large, hemispherical, hemisphere, effects, paralyzed, disappeared, disappearance, round, field, hoax, cart

REFERENCES:

[---] indicates sources which I have not yet checked.

[lp1] Article in the regional newspaper Le Provençal, France, October 9, 1954.
[jg1] "Black-Out sur les Soucoupes Volantes", book by Jimmy Guieu, Fleuve Noir publisher, page 198, 1956.
[jg1] "Flying Saucers Come from Another World", book by Jimmy Guieu, Citadel Press publishers, USA, 1956.
[am1] "Mystérieux Objets Célestes", book by Aimé Michel, Seghers publisher, pp 198, 199, 202, 1958/1977.
[am1] "Flying Saucers and the Straight-Line Mystery", book my Aimé Michel, S. G. Phillips publishers, USA, page 145, 1958.
[---] "The UFO Evidence", book by Richard H. Hall for NICAP, USA, 1964.
[jv1] "Chronique des Apparitions Extraterrestres", book by Jacques Vallée, J'ai Lu éditeur, page 128, 1969.
[jv1] "Un Siècle d'Atterrissages", article by Jacques Vallée, Lumière Dans la Nuit, magazine, numéro 43.
[jv1] "Passport to Magonia - On Ufos, Folklore, and Parallel Worlds", book by Jacques Vallée, Contemporary Books publisher, USA, page 220, 1969.
[jv1] "Chronique des Apparitions Extra-terrestres", French translation of "Passport to Magonia", book by Jacques Vallée, Denoel publisher, page 271, 1972.
[jv2] Summary by Jacques Vallée in "The Humanoids: a survey of world-wide reports of landings of unconventional aerial objects and their alleged occupants", book by Charles Bowen, Neville Spearman publisher, 1969.
[jv2] Summary by Jacques Vallée in "En Quête des Humanoïdes", book by Charles Bowen, French translation of "The Humanoids", J'ai Lu publisher, page 45, 1974.
[gl1] "Face aux Extra-Terrestres", book by Charles Garreau and Raymond Lavier, Delarge publisher, page 163, J'ai Lu, page 164, 1975.
[---] "Spécial Paralysie", article by the ufology group G.A.B.R.I.E.L., "Ouranos" ufology magazine.
[pd1] "Le Grand Livre des Objets Volants Non-Identifiés", book by Pierre Delval with the Ouranos Committee, De Vecchi publisher, pp 252-253, 1976.
[fr1] "OVNI, Premier Dossier Complet des Rencontres Rapprochées en France", book by Michel Figuet and Jean Louis Ruchon, Alain Lefeuvre publisher, pp 131-132, 1979.
[bb1] "La Grande Peur Martienne", book by Gerard Barthel and Jacques Brucker, Les Nouvelles Editions Rationalistes publishers, France, page 195, 1979.
[mf1] "Catalogue Francat des Rencontres Rapprochées en France - Listing 800", catalogue by Michel Figuet, 11082, France.
[jv1] "Dimensions - A Casebook of Alien Contact", livre par Jacques Vallée, Souvenir Press éditeur, USA, page 108, 1988.
[go1] "Chronologie OVNI", web page compiled by Godelieve Van Overmeire, Belgium, circa 1999, at users.skynet.be/sky84985/chron13.html
[jf1] "OVNI en Provence", book by Henri Julien et Michel Figuet, Editions de Haute-Provence publisher, page 182, 1993.
[---] "*U* Computer Database", compiled by Larry Hatch, USA, 2002.
[---] "Computer Catalog of Type 9 Cases", compiled by Brad Sparks, USA.
[kb1] "Paralysis and the UFO Phenomenon", article by Keith Basterfield, Australia, 2002, at auforn.com/Keith_Basterfield_4.htm
[jb1] RR0, website by Jérôme Beau, France, circa 2002, at www.chez.com/rr0/temoins.html
[dj1] "Encounters with Aliens on this Day - October 7", web page by Donald Johnson, USA, circa 2005, at www.ufoinfo.com/onthisday/October07.html
[lc1] Base OVNI France, website by Luc Chastan, France, circa 2005, at baseovnifrance.free.fr/detobs.php?numobs=784
[jb2] "Jeudi 7 octobre 1954", web page by Jérôme Beau, France, circa 2008, at www.rr0.org/data/1/9/5/4/10/07/index.html
[jb2] "Témoins d'ovnis", web page by Jérôme Beau, France, circa 2008, at rr0.org/personne/temoins.html
[ud1] "7 Oct 1954 - Monteux, France", web page by the website UFOdna, circa 2008, at www.ufodna.com/uf18/uf9/189082.htm

Document history:

Version:	Created/Changed By:	Date:	Change Description:
0.1	Patrick Gross	April 5, 2003	First published.
1.0	Patrick Gross	December 18, 2008	Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Additions [kb1], [dj1], [go1, [jb2], [lc1], [ud1].

This page was last updated on December 18, 2008