Cette page en français
The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this site is here.
Reference number for this case: 9-Nov-54-Le Cateau. Thank you for including this reference number in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
[Ref. js1:] JEAN SIDER:
French ufologist and author Jean Sider found this case in the newspaper "La Croix du Nord" for November 11, 1954 and reproduced the contents of the article.
Antoine Lefèbvre, greengrocer, aged 29 and living on 58, rue de la République in Le Cateau, was in company of his father, Maurice Lefèbvre, grocer and greengrocer aged 65, living on 14, rue Paul Delplanche in Le Cateau. They were going together to the market of Cambrai.
When they arrived at location known as Le Pont des Quatres Veaux, at the crossraods of the Brunehat Roadway and the National Road RN29, they saw a sphere of fire of which they evaluated the diameter as being of 25 or 30 meters. The phenomenon was distant of 300 or 400 meters, it was of sunk red color, and it illuminated all the landscape around. The phenomenon was very low but was not posed on the ground.
At the beginning of the observation, a cyclist who was riding in front of the witnesses' van was seen throwing himself in a ditch.
The phenomenon moved from Inchy Le Château in a horizontal course very near to the round level. The driver stopped his vehicle under the effect of a strong fright. At this time there, the phenomenon went in the opposite direction of Inchy. The driver started his vehicle and resumed his trip and the two men saw the sphere disappearing behind a house in the locality of Le Pendu. The phenomenon disappeared without leaving traces.
The article indicates that other people saw at that same time a sharp gleam in the sky.
[Ref. jd1:] JEAN-PIERRE D'HONDT:
This ufologist indicates that on November 9, 1954, between Le Cateau and Cambrai, in the Nord, according to the newspaper "la croix du nord" for 11-11-54 page 5, towards 6 o'clock, Mr. Antoine Lefèbvre, 29 years old, greengrocer, 58 street of the Republic, Le Cateau, in company of his father Mr. Maurice Lefèbvre, grocer and greengrocer, 65 years old, 14 street Paul Delplanche, Le Cateau, went to the Cambrai market.
At the locality Le Pont des Quatre Veaux, at the crossing of the Roadway Brunehaut and the RN29, the two men saw a sphere of fire of an evaluated diameter of 25 or 30 meters. The phenomenon, distant of approximately 300 or 400 meters, was of a dark red, and highly lighted all the landscape around, very low but not posed on the ground. It moved from Inchy towards Le Cateau in a horizontal course and at near ground level. The driver stopped his vehicle under the spell of a strong fright.
At this time, the phenomenon retreated in opposite direction towards Inchy. The driver started his vehicle again and the two men could see the sphere disappearing behind a house at the locality Le Pendu. Oddly, the phenomenon disappeared without leaving traces.
At the beginning of the appearance, a cyclist travelling in front of the van of the witnesses had thrown himself in the ditch. Other people saw at the same hour a sharp gleam in the sky.
[Ref. lc1:] LUC CHASTAN:
Luc Chastan indicates that in the Nord in Le Cateau in Cambrésis on November 9, 1954 at an unknown hour, "In the early morning, two witnesses drive by car to go to the Cambrai market. At the place "Le Pont de Quatre Veaux" at the crossing of the roadway of Brunehaut and the main road towards Cambrai, they then see a sphere with a diameter estimated as of 25 to 30 meters which flies at near ground level coming from Inchy in an horizontal trajectory. Its color is red. The object is at 200 or 300 meters of the witnesses. On the road a cyclist who sees this phenomenon jumps in the ditch. The driver stops his vehicle, the object sets out again then in an opposite direction. The two men start again, the object dissapears behind a house at the place "Le Pendu". Other witnesses reprtedly saw a strong luminosity."
The source is indicated to be my website at "http://ufologie.net"."
[Ref. ud1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
The website indicates that on 9 November 1954 at 06:00 in Inchy, France, "25m diameter disc tilts, 50m over field. Rises vertically and vanishes as witnesses approach. A hovering object was observed. It departed by rapidly flying straight up until lost to sight. One disc, about 80 feet across, around 100 feet away, was observed by two witnesses in a pasture for two minutes."
The source is indicated as "Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002".
Not looked for yet.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Le Cateau, Nord, Le Cateau, Nord, Antoine Lefèbvre, Maurice Lefèbvre, grocer, mercheant, bicycle, van, globe, orb, fire, low. red, illumination, light, luminous, manoeuvre
[---] indicates sources which I have not yet checked.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | February 24, 2005 | First published. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | May 25, 2009 | Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Additions [jd1], [lc1], [ud1]. |
