Today in UFO History

October 10, 1954 - Quarouble, Northern France:

The Second Quarouble Encounter

On October 10, 1954, exactly one month after his first extraordinary UFO encounter, French steelworker Marius Dewilde claimed to have experienced another mysterious visitation near his home in Quarouble, northern France. This time, however, he was not alone. His young son reportedly witnessed the strange craft and its occupants alongside him.

Between 11:30 a.m. and noon, Dewilde's three-and-a-half-year-old son alerted him to what he described as a car sitting on the nearby railway tracks. Investigating, Dewilde reportedly discovered a metallic, disc-shaped craft approximately six meters (20 feet) across, similar to the object he had encountered on September 10at (approximately 10:30 p.m). The craft featured a raised dome, a rectangular opening and a row of small windows.

According to Dewilde's later testimony, several humanoid figures wearing dark gray suits were moving around the object. One appeared to be their leader and approached Dewilde as he held his son. Unlike the smaller beings described during his first encounter, these visitors reportedly stood approximately 1.6 meters (5 feet 3 inches) tall and closely resembled humans.

The approaching figure allegedly reached out and gently stroked the child's hair in what Dewilde interpreted as a friendly gesture. It then attempted to communicate with him in an unfamiliar language. Unable to understand the visitor, Dewilde watched as the figure returned to the others. All seven beings reportedly boarded the craft, which departed without noticeable noise or smoke.

Investigators later reported symmetrical impressions near the railway tracks, supposedly larger than those associated with the September encounter. However, unlike his first experience, which attracted considerable publicity and official attention, Dewilde initially kept this second incident largely private. A November 19 police account reportedly confirmed that he had made another statement but said the family wished to avoid further publicity.

The Second Quarouble Encounter remains an intriguing but difficult-to-verify episode of France's extraordinary 1954 UFO wave. Although the earlier incident received extensive contemporary coverage, much of the detailed account of the October encounter emerged through later testimony and UFO researchers. No independently verified evidence has established that an extraterrestrial craft or its occupants were present.

Historical significance: The case is especially unusual because it describes an alleged return visit to the same witness, involving apparent communication and a peaceful interaction with a child rather than the frightening paralysis reported during the first encounter.