A research project to find, record and identify shipwrecks lost in French waters during the 1940 Dunkirk Allied troops evacuation has been launched by DRASSM, France’s Department of Underwater Archaeological Research and Historic England (HE), in the first collaboration between the two government agencies.
The iconic WW2 Operation Dynamo saw 338,226 Allied soldiers who had been surrounded by the German army rescued from French beaches and brought across the Channel to the UK.
Over nine days and nights between 26 May and 4 June, 1940, more than 1,000 military, transport, fishing, service and pleasure vessels carried out the operation under British, French, Belgian, Dutch, Polish, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish flags – but more than 305 of the vessels were lost in the effort.
Thirty-seven wrecks have already been located in French waters, in particular by divers from Dunkirk and the surrounding area, but another 31 vessels believed lost in the area have yet to be located.
The new campaign will use multi-beam echo-sounder, side-scan sonar and magnetometer technology to search for these wrecks and to document the condition of those already located.
Next year, scuba-diving surveys will follow up on the information gathered from the surface to provide an overall view of the heritage, and assist in formulating conservation and public-engagement strategies.
The operation is being led by DRASSM operation managers and maritime archaeologists Cécile Sauvage and Claire Destanque of Aix-Marseille University. It was Destanque’s research over the past three years that revealed new information about the location and condition of Dunkirk wrecks on which the operation will be based.
Both DRASSM and HE geophysicists will be onboard DRASSM’s research vessel André Malraux during the expedition. Initial results will be shared with the public at a free conference and open days on the research vessel between 13-15 October, in partnership with the Urban Community of Dunkirk.
Involved in the conference will be French wreck diver Bruno Pruvost. In 2019 he located and dived the Lady Rosebery, a Thames sailing barge sunk during Operation Dynamo and taking with it John Atkins, at 15 the youngest British fatality in the action. The story was reported on Divernet.
The completed study is hoped to enrich the content of Dunkirk War Museum and inform discussions about a memorial for Allied soldiers and seafarers who died at sea during Operation Dynamo.
Also on Divernet: Diver finds Dunkirk wreck with poignant history
