Marius Dewilde (10 Sept 1954)

[ChrisPerridas]

Dr Wu has often suggested I read Jacques Vallee, and so tonight I began to read through parts of Forbidden Science.

It is here:
Forbidden Science: Journals 1957-1969 - Jacques Vallee - Google Books

In it, he discusses his first interest in UFOs in 1954, and his excitement listening to the original story of Marius Dewilde.

I know very little about this episode, other than what I have just read in a few places on the internet. Has anyone else read much about it?

[ChrisPerridas]

This is pretty close to the definitive file on this report. An amazing compilation.

I did not know, until tonight, that Dewilde had two sightings weeks apart.

This index and list gives most of the French language newspapers, their English translation, numerous illustrations and photographs, and includes Jacques Valleee's excerpts.

ufo - UFOS at close sight: the 1954 French flap, September 10, Quarouble, Nord

[starman2003]

That's very old case I first read about in Edwards's book 42 years ago.

[ChrisPerridas]

I stayed up past 1 AM reading about this. There was the report, but I was trying to find someone who did follow up. I did, and it was very interesting. A lot of things came out 50 years later that wasn't well known in 1954. It seems to be another case of a bucket that can't carry water.

[Carol Nistri]

I just dont understand your thinking Chris,now allll these cases later your trying to convince us or you that ufos dont exist? Its much to late for that now ,the real question now should be What they heck are they,where do they actually come from and most importantly of all What do they want? Even John Alexander in his book says that yes UFOs are real,there here and there real.No longer is it a question of weather or not there real,there real.

[starman2003]

Originally Posted by ChrisPerridas

I stayed up past 1 AM reading about this. There was the report, but I was trying to find someone who did follow up. I did, and it was very interesting. A lot of things came out 50 years later that wasn't well known in 1954. It seems to be another case of a bucket that can't carry water.

I heard DeWilde later had contactee experiences which in the eyes of some cost him his credibility. All UFO cases have problems, no doubt because the phenomenon doesn't want to be openly known.

[ChrisPerridas]

I'm not a missionary, I am just taking them one at a time hoping that they don't fall apart as I look at them closely. Old ones and those from a few days ago. When you look close at some of these cases, they begin to unravel a lot of times.

I thought this one might be a winner because Vallee was so keen on it.

Then I read:

Dewilde was a new arrival to Quarouble in the 1950s, felt alienated there is attested to by witnesses interviewed by computer scientist Claude Gaudeau and psychologist Jean-Louis Gouzien. Like others affected by increasing migration from the counryside to the nation's vital industrial centers and the erosion of rural traditions, men like Dewilde were experiencing new forms of professional, social and cultural dislocation that often seemed beyond their control. Forced from familiar settings, many found themselves uprooted from traditionss and practices that had dei=fined their cultural frames of reference and identities. For these men, including Marius Dewilde, defining their place in this new order was as pressing as it was difficult.

When asked later by investigators, many of Quarouble's residents characterized Dewilde as an outsider. Queried about the reliability of Dewilde's testimony, several men and women who knew Dewilde were quick to discredit his story because of his marginal status. One of Dewilde's acquaintances, a local game warden familiar with the case, explained how he never bothered to look into the story because Dewilde was a "Parisian, not exactly the salt of the earth", who lived quite literally on the margins of local life in a "rail attendant's quarters because the line had been abandoned". In fact, Dewilde lived as an outsider, barely assimilated into local life and excluded from the benefits of a postwar consumer society increasingly important to conferring status and prosperity. His home whoich he inhabited illegally, had neither electricity nor running water, a factor all his neighbors were quick to point out in their dismissals of the details and reliability of the story. That Dewiklde himself felt alienated by this fact was later evidenced in his memoir in which he fabricated from whole cloth details about his prosperity and success in Quadrouble.

[starman2003]

I'm not impressed by personal issues which don't bear directly on a case. It would be one thing if he was a notorious liar, retard or hoaxer but the criticisms here don't seem relevant. If he was an outsider, I don't think making up a UFO case wold help him integrate better in socierty.

[dr wu23]

Originally Posted by ChrisPerridas

I'm not a missionary, I am just taking them one at a time hoping that they don't fall apart as I look at them closely. Old ones and those from a few days ago. When you look close at some of these cases, they begin to unravel a lot of times.

I thought this one might be a winner because Vallee was so keen on it.

Then I read:

Dewilde was a new arrival to Quarouble in the 1950s, felt alienated there is attested to by witnesses interviewed by computer scientist Claude Gaudeau and psychologist Jean-Louis Gouzien. Like others affected by increasing migration from the counryside to the nation's vital industrial centers and the erosion of rural traditions, men like Dewilde were experiencing new forms of professional, social and cultural dislocation that often seemed beyond their control. Forced from familiar settings, many found themselves uprooted from traditionss and practices that had dei=fined their cultural frames of reference and identities. For these men, including Marius Dewilde, defining their place in this new order was as pressing as it was difficult.

When asked later by investigators, many of Quarouble's residents characterized Dewilde as an outsider. Queried about the reliability of Dewilde's testimony, several men and women who knew Dewilde were quick to discredit his story because of his marginal status. One of Dewilde's acquaintances, a local game warden familiar with the case, explained how he never bothered to look into the story because Dewilde was a "Parisian, not exactly the salt of the earth", who lived quite literally on the margins of local life in a "rail attendant's quarters because the line had been abandoned". In fact, Dewilde lived as an outsider, barely assimilated into local life and excluded from the benefits of a postwar consumer society increasingly important to conferring status and prosperity. His home whoich he inhabited illegally, had neither electricity nor running water, a factor all his neighbors were quick to point out in their dismissals of the details and reliability of the story. That Dewiklde himself felt alienated by this fact was later evidenced in his memoir in which he fabricated from whole cloth details about his prosperity and success in Quadrouble.

What's interesting is that almost all contactees and close encounter cases are often experienced by 'marginal individuals'. But does that discredit the case or is there another reason for that?
Buddha , Jesus, and Mohammed could all be seen/described as marginal people.

[dr wu23]

Originally Posted by ChrisPerridas

Dr Wu has often suggested I read Jacques Vallee, and so tonight I began to read through parts of Forbidden Science.

It is here:
Forbidden Science: Journals 1957-1969 - Jacques Vallee - Google Books

In it, he discusses his first interest in UFOs in 1954, and his excitement listening to the original story of Marius Dewilde.

I know very little about this episode, other than what I have just read in a few places on the internet. Has anyone else read much about it?

I would start with one of two of his earlier works...like Messengers of Deception or Dimensions.
As to that case I personally don't rememember it.....but there are quite a few like that in the ufo literature from the 50's and 60's and even 70's. So are we to assume that all of them had mental issues or were just hoaxers..?