Local authorities announced in July that a possible “mass grave” had been found near Meymak, in the Coleze province, after the 98-year-old former resistance fighter made public allegations of murder.
An excavator in central France has begun unearthing the remains of dozens of German soldiers allegedly executed by resistance fighters during World War II.
Local authorities announced in July that they had found a possible “mass grave” near Meymak in Colleze province.
The case came to light after a 98-year-old former resistance fighter made public allegations of murder.
“A witness at the time pointed us to this place, and we came with a georadar device to detect anomalies,” explained excavator Thomas Schock. “Today we are trying to verify whether these anomalies are really dead bodies.”
“We have now launched a search in the form of an excavation,” explained Etienne Desplanck, governor of Collezé.
“In particular, according to the testimony of Edmond Reveil, we are looking for 36 bodies. He speaks of 47 bodies, 11 of which had already been exhumed at the end of the sixties. 36 bodies. Of the bodies, 35 were German soldiers, and one was a German soldier,” said a female member of the wartime collaborator.
If successful, the excavation “will exhume the bodies of German soldiers.” […] Meymac mayor Philippe Bourgere said it should be exhumed.
France’s National Office of Ex-Combatants and Victims of War is leading the excavation in collaboration with the German War Graves Authority.
Excavations are scheduled to continue until August 27.