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LDieppe association “The forgotten of Meknes” tries to find the remains of sailors who disappeared during the Second World War. For this, it is armed with GPS beacons supposed to reconstruct the potential path of the bodies transported with the current. #TheyHaveTheSolution
On July 24, 1940, off Dieppe, the French liner Meknes was torpedoed by the German army. On board, 1,300 people repatriated from England after the signing of the Armistice. Result: 420 soldiers, including Dieppois, perish in the attack. Even if the majority of the bodies are identified on the Normandy beaches, 180 remains remain untraceable.
The Dieppe association The Forgotten of Meknes made it his project: to find the bodies of people who disappeared during this tragic event. Several drop points for the latter are then envisaged: “Either in England or on French beaches or else remains could be stuck in the wreckage, which is a fairly probable thing“, explains David Raillot, involved in the association.
Using GPS beacons, volunteers scan the seas to trace the movements of the currents. “The study of currents from beacons will allow us to follow the potential routes of these bodies”, adds David Raillot. Since mid-August, four beacons have been recovered by walkers, two in Le Havre and two others on the Isle of Wight. “We manage to follow the routes on the map, which allows us to do research on this area of the Isle of Wight which had not been studied at the time”explains David Raillot.
Three other beacons launched are still at sea. The association hopes to be contacted quickly by the people who find them. Each beacon is accompanied by a message explaining the project and a number to facilitate identification. This could make it possible to support the search and perhaps find the places where the remains of the Meknes could have failed.