The Pattern Behind the UFO Landings Report on the Analysis of 200 Documented observations made in 1954. JACQUES VALLEE Author of the best-selling Anatomy of A Phenomenon and Challenge to Science (Neville Spearman, London). French-born and educated, Dr Vallée is at present living in the United States. He is an astronomer and an expert on computer techniques, and is a consultant to NASA on the Mars Map project. Interest in landing reports is rapidly rising among the public and among UFO students. Several factors contribute to the development of this interest. First of all, the recent wave, with its maximum in July—August 1965, has confronted us with a remarkable number of incidents of this category, thus forcing many to accept the reality of accounts they previously denounced as hoaxes. In the second place, it has become obvious that such reports represented the UFO mystery in its most crucial form, because they confront us with a clear choice between the reality of an unprecedented phenomenon (and the strong suggestion of its intelligent origin) and the hypothesis that all witnesses are absolute liars of the most extreme psychological type. In contradistinction to the reports of the landings, accounts of objects seen in flight are always open to discussion in terms of natural effects and are thus less responsive to analysis. In the third place, it is fast becoming obvious that no theory of the origin and nature of UFOs can afford to ignore the accounts of landings, of which several hundreds have been published, and which contain descriptions of the objects and their alleged ‘operators’ seen at close ranges Sources of information Descriptions of landings can be found hi many specialized journals and in many books, including the earliest ones, Charles Fort mentions a few such incidents. An American researcher, Mr. Orvil Hartle (of 118 Oberreich Street, La Pote, Indiana 46350) has published several accounts of early twentieth-century landings of a remarkable character in his book, A Carbon Experiment. Similar cases have been noted during the 1946 Scandinavian wave and the great ‘American’ period of 1947-52. Ruppelt, who was in charge of the U.S. Air Force’s investigations in 1952, considered himself to be plagued by reports of landings, as he writes in his book The Report on UFOs, and his team conscientiously eliminated them; It is only when reliable civilian researchers like Leonard Springfield (author of the excellent Inside Saucer Post) and Coral Lorenzen of APRO (3914 E, Kleindale Road, Tucson, Arizona) started to investigate the American landing cases that proper light was cast on the subject, In the meantime, however, something of the greatest significance had happened in Europe. The 1954 wave reached its peak In Western Europe, producing thousands of reports, and among them a large number of accounts of landings. All reports circulated freely. Witnesses told their stories with considerable naïvety, having never heard of ‘flyingsaucers before. Valuable details, first-hand documents and personal interviews were promptly centralised by able researchers, such as Charles Garreau, a professional newspaperman with La Bourgogne Republican, a local daily sold in the east of France, who made numerous field trips with his photographer, meeting hundreds of witnesses and publishing the whole story in concise, accurate articles. Not only France, but Italy, Spain and Northern Africa also produced a wealth of data. Elsewhere in this book, other researchers are reporting on the development of the problem of the landings in recent years. But the 1954 reports appear naturally as the nucleus of any general study. We have chosen to limit our analysis to two hundred of the most significant cases. They were selected from an extensive material: first, collections of newspapers and the files of letters from readers of several large dailies, made available by the news media. Next, the personal files of early sightings compiled by Messrs Raymond Veillith, a well-known astronomer and the publisher of the lively periodical Lumièes dans La Nuit (his address is: ‘Les Pins’, Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, Haute-Loire, France), Charles Garreau, mentioned earlier, and Roger Vervisch; the early compilation of similar data by the team of Ouranos, under the direction of Marc Thirouin; the special catalogue on landings of M. Guy Quincy, a most systematic and clear presentation of the observations; the files of Aimé Michel, so extensive that it took four years to analyse them in sufficient detail; and, of course; the fine presentations published in book form by Michel himself (Flying Saucers and the Straight Line Mystery) and later by M. Michel Carrouges (Les Apparitions de Martiens). With such sources, the present chapter can hardly have any ambition at originality. The only new aspect in our study is the very large amount of data compiled into one compact presentation, and the fact that the precision of dates, locations, times and other data has been greatly refined. Exhaustive documentation will also be listed here for the first time. Four unanswered questions In this chapter, we will address ourselves to the following four questions: 1. Who makes a report of ‘landing’? What are the numbers, ages and professions of the witnesses? 2. What are the conditions of the observations? How far from the witnesses were the alleged objects when they landed? At what time of the day and in what type of site do most landings take place? How long do the objects remain on the ground? How do they disappear? 3. Do witnesses describe the occupants of the alleged craft? If so, in what terms? Are their descriptions consistent? 4. What are the main’ characteristics of the alleged craft as deduced from the reports? Observational data We are now going to list the essential features hi our two hundred accounts. CASE NO. 1. JANUARY 4. Fireman at Marignane airport saw a round, luminous object slowly coming down, called the control tower to report it. When he came out again, the object had taken off. (The same airport had been the scene of an earlier landing on October 27, 1952.) 2. APRIL 22. American military personnel see a cigar-shaped object of grey colour corning to the ground on San Nicholas Island (California). Smoke was seen to rise where the object had landed. Search gave no result, 3. MAY 19. Nigel Frapple saw a disc which took off rapidly towards the north-west of Bruton, Somerset, England. 4. JULY 20. Near Oslo, Norway, two men were ‘chased by an object’ and stopped their car to observe it. After the incident, the watch of one of the witnesses was no longer working. The man who repaired the watch stated it had been exposed to intense magnetic effect, Paint on the car had allegedly changed colour effect attributed to proximity of the object. 5. AUGUST 23. In Lugrin, near Thonon (France), a man approached an object which looked like an aluminium trailer with two small beings in silvery dress, grunting like pigs, standing close by. The craft took on a fiery colour and flew away. 6. SEPTEMBER 3. Many workers in the fields near Souk-el-Khemis (Tunisia) saw an object apparently made of transparent plastics which flew over the habitations, stopped in a vertical position like a disc on edge and swung like a pendulum. a few metres above the ground. It made several erratic jumps, then resumed its horizontal position and flew away. 7. SEPTEMBER 7. Between Hasponville and Contay (France) two bricklayers saw an object floating in mid-air over a field: ‘it looked like an unfinished haystack, with a plate turned upside down on top of it’. When they came close it took off. 8. SEPTEMBER10. A farmer who was coming back to Mourleras (France) at nightfall was ‘suddenly confronted with a helmeted being of average height who made friendly gestures, then went back, into the brush and entered a cigar-shaped object about 4 metres long, and took off. Marius Dewilde (Quarouble) case 9. SEPTEMBER 10. Quarouble (Nord): A metal-worker comes out of his house as dog barks and sees a dark object on the railway tracks, thinks it is a carriage. Then notices two small beings walking towards it, tries to stop them but finds himself paralysed when strong light is projected upon him. Object took off. 10. SEPTEMBER 15. Near Feyzin (Isére) a white light suddenly swept the road in front of the witness, who observed it was emitted by a large dark object hanging about so metres above the ground. It flew away with the noise of a wet firework, throwing sparks compared to those of magnesium. 11. SEPTEMBER 17. Near Cenon a farmer meets a being in a diving suit who makes friendly gestures. This individual was very small and had a voice ‘inhuman and incomprehensible’. The witness was unable to move throughout the encounter. The being entered an object which was sitting on the road and took off ‘like lightning’, throwing a greenish light. 12. SEPTEMBER 18. A small grey disc flies over a car in Casablanca, (Morocco) at extremely high speed. It is followed by currents of cold air. 13. SEPTEMBER 19. A bright ‘light is seen east of Oberdorff (France) and approaches the ground, becomes dimmer: it is then seen as an object the size of ‘a small bus’. Remains on the ground about one minute. A figure is seen. 14. SEPTEMBER 20. A guard on Santa Maria Airport (Azores Islands) witnesses the landing of a craft from which emerged an individual who talked to him, but was notunderstood. The object took off very fast. 15. SEPTEMBER 23. Near a place called Le Jou, north of Bourges, the Patient family saw a bright object giving off a light similar to magnesium. When on the ground, it emitted a red glow and a narrow beam of light. A moment later it took off again, became bright once more, came towards the witnesses and followed their car until they reached the village of Fontland, Independent observations were made by the police in Plombières and by several other persons. Object flew erratically over the area for one hour. 16. September 24, Two women made independent reports of a dark grey disc seen in a clearing in the woods near Becar, Aman of normal height was standing close to the object, which took off without noise. 17. SEPTEMBER 24. Mme Vignolles saw a luminous object coming down quickly without noise and landing in a field in Lencouacq. It took off again, very fast, after a few seconds. 18. September 24. At the farm Lachassagne, near Ussel, a farmer who was coming back with his tractor saw a luminous object which flew very low over him. 19. SEPTEMBER 26. In Chabeuil, Mme. Leixeuf was suddenly confronted with an individual who looked like ‘a child in a plastic bag, with eyes larger than human eyes’. This individual entered a flat circular machine which took off towards the north~ east with a soft whistling sound. 20. SEPTEMBER 27. At Foussignargues, people In a bus first saw a reddish object coming down from the sky. Later M. and Mme Roche noticed an object on the ground, softly glowing, a small distance from their home, but were afraid to approach it. The object remained there several hours. It was described as ‘a Sort of glowing tomato, with antennae on top’. 21. SEPTEMBER 27. In Figeac, children saw ‘a box’ with ‘an unknown man’ standing close by. The object took off, 22. SEPTEMBER 27. In Lassus Road, in Perpignan, a college student saw a circular object on the ground. Two beings came out, then re-entered the craft, which took off, Witness in a state of shock, Prémanon ‘Ghost’ 23. SEPTEMBER 27. Four children in Prémanon (Jura) come out of their home as dog barks furiously. They find a large object on the ground and a small ‘being (called a ‘ghost’) who makes friendly gestures. The children throw stones at the intruder. 24. SEPTEMBER 28. In Froncles, three witnesses observed a large bright object which oscillated, then landed and changed colour. 25. SEPTEMBER 28. In Bouzais (‘Le Grand Tertre’) a ‘mass of light’ suddenly fell from the sky in front of the witness, who found himself unable to move. Three figures moved around the light. 26. SEPTEMBER 28. Two railroad engineers were bringing a locomotive from Nantes back to Auray when, near Saint-Nicolas-de-Rendon (‘La Butte Rouge’) they saw a dark object which took off, glowing with a purple light, and followed the locomotive. 27. SEPTEMBER 30. Near Marcilly-sur-Vienne (Indre-et-Loire) eight construction workers saw a disc on the ground, with a small humanoid wearing a helmet, standing closeby. 28. SEPTEMBER 30. The crew of a ship at sea between Roven and Brest observed an object which descended to touch the surface of the sea, then took off vertically, gave off a red flame and vanished. 29. SEPTEMBER 30. The operator of a ferry was crossing the river Seine when he saw a large white sphere with a smaller green sphere below, hanging motionless above the river for twenty minutes. It flew away towards the south-west; no noise was heard. 30. SEPTEMBER 30. As he was returning home near La-Flotte-en-Re (Isle of Re, France), a man suddenly saw a bright light and, fearing a fire, rushed to the scene, to see a luminous sphere of about 12 metres diameter floating less than 1 metre above the ground. The sphere became red, then blue, and took off vertically at extreme high speed. ‘It made no more noise than a flock of birds.’ 31. OCTOBER 1. A woman in Dhubri (India) reports she has seen a ‘luminous plate’ land in a field, then take off. 32. OCTOBER 1. A cigar-shaped object takes off vertically as two bricklayers approach it, on the road between Blanzy and Montceau (France). It made a noise compared to a soft whistling. 33. OCTOBER 1. A man and his dog are ‘paralysed’ as a luminous object dives from the sky towards them. It takes off with an equal speed. Sighting took place at Bry (Nord), only 10 kilo-metres from Quarouble (case no. 9). 34. OCTOBER 1. A farmer observes a white object in a field near Ressons-sur-Matz (Oise), 35. OCTOBER 1. Two young men see a luminous white disc moving about the sky near Jussey. It dives to the ground and two men described as very tall and dressed in white emerge from the craft and make gestures. The witnesses run away in fear. 36. OCTOBER 1. Two businessmen who were coming back from Royan saw a small individual crossing the road in front of their car in the vicinity of ‘La Roulerie’, Having stopped at once they saw the figure disappear into the woods, 37. OCTOBER 1, Coming home in the evening near Branges (France) a man saw on the side of the road a lighted object which had a flat section with a sort of ‘mushroom’ on top.As he approached it, the object became dark and took off vertically with a soft whistling sound. Paralysis case 38. OCTOBER 5. Returning home at night, a Bergerac fireman saw an oval light in the sky, then lost sight of it, But later he was alarmed when his yard seemed to be ablaze: rushing out, he saw a disc rise from the ground with a whistling sound. It flew up to a moderate height, then became luminous and took off ‘at a dizzying speed’. Early the next morning he asked his neighbour, a retired roan, about any unusual observation he might have made. The neighbour reluctantly admitted that, as he was closing his garden gate, he suddenly found himself paralysed and observed a disc about 3 metres in diameter resting on three legs in the yard. Almost immediately it took off with a rush of air and was lost to sight. 39. OCTOBER 2. Two women in Levroux (Indre, Prance) made independent reports concerning a luminous disc about 3 metres in diameter, which flew very low over the houses of the village. 40. OCTOBER 2, At Jonches, near Auxerre, two humanoids were seen on the ground and two hours later a luminous red object was observed at the same spot at very low altitude, 41. OCTOBER 2. Near Louhans, in the immediate vicinity of case no. 37, a craft with a dome on top was seen on the ground between the road and the railroad tracks. Openings, through which a strong yellow light was shining, were observable. 42. OCTOBER 2. At Croix d’Epine, a young mechanic was riding his motorscooter when he saw a brilliantly illuminated object, shaped like an egg, which landed on the left side of the road about 15 metres away from him. He thought he could see short, dark shapes ‘like potato bags’ moving about the object. He sped up and, reaching the top of the hill, he looked back: then he saw the object, compared to a ‘small bus’ in size, whose colour bad changed from orange to blue and then to blue-grey, and which took off. The witness was in a state of shock when he arrived in the ‘village, and fainted when he told his story. Two women made independent reports of the object. 43. OCTOBER 2. A disc which emitted a weak green glow landed in a field near Guebling (France). Two witnesses. 44. OCTOBER 3. A man and his wife see a luminous red object which takes off as they come close to it near Benet (close to Nessier, Vendee). 45. OCTOBER 3. At dawn, a circular craft of about ~ metres in diameter was seen near Bessuire (France) by a 55-year-old man who was going to work. A small figure, wearing a diving suit, was seen close by. The object took off at tremendous speed. 46. OCTOBER 3. Three men were riding bicycles near Vron (France) when they saw an orange object shaped like a honeycomb, on the road ahead of them. A man wearing a diving suit was standing close to it. The object took off as they came within 70 metres of it. The sighting took place on road D.27 between Rue and Quend. (See case no. 48.) 47. October. 3. The crowd at the fair in Chereng saw a luminous object arrive very fast, stop in its flight, emit sparks and come down towards the ground. It took off again as witnesses rushed to the scene. 48. OCTOBER 3. About 2 1/2 hours after case no. 46, an orange object chased a car, flying extremely low over the road between Rue and Quend. For 8 kilometres it followed the car, driven by a butcher, M. Galant, then it flew away. 49. OCTOBER 3. Between Montmoreau and Villebols-Lavalette, near the village of Ronsenac, a circular craft was seen which seemed to be sliding on the ground. It showed some luminous sources but was not completely illuminated. As it took off, however, it became entirely luminous, 50. OCTOBER 4. An object is said to have landed in Limoges, in the yard of M. Montague, a railroad employee. 51. OCTOBER 4. Between Lagrasse and Vilemagne (near Lezignan, Aude) two men driving a truck saw a luminous flying object which came slowly to the ground, then suddenly took off with a burst of light. 52. OCTOBER 4. A fanner, M. Garreau, saw an object the size of a carriage which landed in his field in Chaleix (Dordogne). Two individuals of human type and normal height, wearing coveralls, emerged from the craft and spoke to the witness in a language he could not understand. 53. October 4. In the evening, several inhabitants of Tregon noticed an object which seemed to hover near the top of a hill. They drove to the site, but the object flew away. What seems to be the same object was also seen at Megrit, about 15 miles southwest of Tregon, hovering above a farm. It was described as metallic, flat and emitting light. 54. OCTOBER 4. About twenty persons saw a circular, luminous object rise from the vicinity of the railroad tracks near Montceau-les-Mines (exact location: Les Chavannes). It took off vertically and disappeared. 55. OCTOBER 4. A 10-year-old child named Bertlaux saw an object ‘shaped like a tent’ which had landed near Villers-le-Tilleul (Ardennes). An unknown individual was standing near it. Earth ‘sucked up’ 56. OCTOBER 4. At Poncey-sur-Lignon, a housewife ran away as an orange object, circular and about 3 metres in diameter, swung In mid-air and landed near her farm, When her neighbours arrived, armed with rifles, they found the earth had been ‘sucked up’ over a quadrilateral area, in such a way that the idea of a hoax had to be abandoned. Extensive researches and analyses were made by the police and the French Air Force, The object, as ‘well as the traces it left, remain unexplained. 57. October 5. In Loctudy (Finistere) a baker was drawing water from the well in the middle of the night when he noticed, some distance away, an object about 3 metres indiameter from which emerged a dwarf who had an oval face covered with hair and eyes which were ‘as large as the eggs of a raven’, The unknown individua1 touched the witness on the shoulder and spoke to him in a language he could not understand, As the young nun called his boss, the dwarf went back into the craft arid flew away. 58. October 5. Near Mertrud, between Voillecomte and La Neuville (Haute-Marne) a roadmender named Narcy saw an object near the road. A hairy individual entered the craft. Traces were found where the object had landed. 59. October 5. About 10 kilometres from Beaumont, near Clermont-Ferrand, several persons saw an object coming towards them and getting brighter. When about 150 metres from them they felt ‘a strange sensation’ and found themselves unable to move. The object left a smell compared with that of nitro-benzene. 60. OCTOBER 6. At nightfall near Monchainpa (Vendee) two persons from Paris saw a circular craft described as a ‘fiery sphere’ landing. 61. October 6. Near the military barracks at La Fere (Aisne) soldiers saw a strange object which had landed 300 metres away. As one of them neared the site, he was mysteriously prevented from approaching. The object was luminous. 62. OCTOBER 16. Two women saw a whitish light in the western sky. It seemed slowly to come towards the ground, and indeed was later seen between the railroad station and the bridge, as it had landed about 100 metres away from their home in Villiers-le- Lac (Doubs). When the object moved, a very bright light was seen under Its dark mass. It gave off a flow of sparks and rose, remained motionless in mid-air for a moment, then flew away very rapidly, 63. OCTOBER 7. Hennezis, Eure: the Lansselin children witnessed the landing of a luminous, red object shaped like ‘one half of an egg’. Two ‘pilots’ were seen. They were of normal stature. 64. OCTOBER 7. Plozevet, Finistere. The crews of several fishing boats saw a luminous, orange-coloured spot in the sky over the coast. It seemed surrounded by dense smoke. According to villagers, who saw the object independently, it came about 10 metres above the ground, then flew away towards the south-east. 65. OCTOBER 7. Beruges (near Poitiers, Vienne). A farmer, M. Thebault, saw a luminous object on the ground. It was cfrcu1ar about 3 metres in diameter, and emitted a beam of light which swept the countryside. 66. October 7. Jettingen (Haut-Rhin). A railroad employee saw an object in a field, 3 metres away from the road, 1 metre above the ground. It was mushroom-shaped and about 3 metres in diameter. A luminous rectangle, like an opening or a door, was seen on the side. It took off and flew about 5 metres above the witness, following him to the next village. 67. OCTOBER 7. A truckdriver saw an intense blue light coming towards him near Saint-Jean-d’Asse (Sarthe) on the road from Le Mans to Alençon. The object was cigar-shaped, red and blue. The truck engine stalled, headlights died. Prickling sensation 68. OCTOBER 7. Ten minutes later, employees of the Renault Motor Co., who were going to work early in the morning, saw, near the road east of Le Mans, a luminous object on the ground, and felt ‘pricklings’ and ‘a sort of paralysis’. The object emitted a burst of green light and flew away very low over the fields. 69. OCTOBER 7. In the afternoon, M. Margaillon saw an object which had landed in a field in Monteux; it was shaped like a hemisphere, about 2.5 metres in diameter. The witness gasped for air and felt ‘paralysed’. 70. OCTOBER 7. In the evening, M. Marcel Guyot was coming from work near Saint-Etienne-sous-Barbuise (Aube) and his son Jacques was following the same road, ten minutes behind. Both Of them saw, at a railroad crossing, three objects which gave off abright white light. Jacques Guyot confirmed his father’s observation, adding that the three objects were still on the tracks when he saw them. One was circular, the others cigar shaped. 71. OCTOBER 7. In Bompas, M. Sebelli saw an object which landed in the village about midnight He called his neighbours and they observed the departure of the craft. 72. OCTOBER 8. On the road to Boulogne, near Calais, a bluish object, with a dome, was clearly seen; it dived towards the ground. It then went away, became white. The next morning, several people in Calais saw a bright object which did not land. 73. OCTOBER 9. In Belgium, near Huy, a mailman saw a cigar shaped object which landed, Two silhouettes, ‘approximately human’, were seen aboard the craft, 74. OCTOBER 9. Between Montaren and Uzes, 1 kilometre from the farm Le Mas Blanc, a doctor, a farmer and six other persons saw an orange, ovoid object ‘oscillating’ in midair, a small distance above the ground. It was very bright and ‘fiery’. No structure was seen, 75. OCTOBER 9. People who were hunting in the vicinity of Dreux saw a luminous sphere which took off and flew towards the south-west. 76. OCTOBER 9. Several inhabitants of Soubran (CharenteMaritime) saw a luminous spherical object, which landed in a pasture |
6. Humanoids in Latin America (64 cases) Part 3 | Contents | 8. 200 Separate Cases (Valle) Part 2 |