Is there an organisation in France equivalent to the CWGC ?

[heathers]

My neighbour's father was French,  and was killed in WWII (1945) when the ship he was on went down.  He thinks it was a French ship called the Leopard.
His daughter thinks she saw a plaque with the fathers name on when she visited relations in France several years ago.  My neighbour is now wanting to go and find this memorial !

I appreciate that this is possibly 'off topic' for this board but can anyone point me in the right direction - is there a French equivalent of the CWGC ?
Any clues / suggestions would be gratefully received

Thanks

Sue

[mmm45]

http://www.greatwar.co.uk/organizations/ministere-des-pensions.htm

Here you are Sue

Ady

[kmart66]

Hi

I have found a ship called "Empire Leopard" that was sunk in 1942, have you got a name of the mariner or any other details of the ship/position/date?

Kevin

[heathers]

Hi,
thanks to both of you for the information so far.  My step mum's daughter taught Franch and now lives in France.  I'll draft a letter to the organisation and get her to translate it for me.

The mariner in question was called Joseph Scheyer (or similar spelling). 

Sue 

[heathers]

Ive been digging,  and wonder if this might be the ship (found on uboat.net)   FFL Leopard   - seized by RN in Portsmouth 1940 and transferred to the Free French.  stranded and wrecked off Benghazi May 1943.

Ive just been to see my neighbour,  who was born in 1941,  and he can remember being at infants school when he saw his father,  which would possibly still put his date of death as about 1945. He says the ship went down with all hands lost.  I suppose its possible that he was transferred from the Leopard to another ship.

Sue

[kmart66]

Hi

On 27 May 1943, Léopard accidentally ran aground near Tobruk. She was destroyed by the tides a few days later and became a total loss.
I very much doubt there were any casualties from this as it seems it was a non violent grounding.

Kevin

[heathers]

Well that info now agrees with my thoughts that he moved to a different ship after Leopard was wrecked.

just done a bit more digging on uboat.net,  and have realised there was a distinction between the French Navy and the Free French Navy;  and the only FFL one that was lost was the La Combattante (just off the Humber).  not everyone was lost though  (68 out of 185)

also the only 2 French Navy boats that were lost in 1945 were scuttled in Indo China

S

[apwright]

http://www.memoiredeshommes.sga.defense.gouv.fr/spip.php?page=mpf3945_fiche&id_tnqc=251487&debut_resultats=&lang=fr

Joseph Scheyer, born 11/12/17 at Metz.
Rank: quartier maître chauffeur (?quartermaster stoker)
Vessel: torpilleur (destroyer) "La Combattante".
Died 23/2/45 when the ship sank after hitting a mine.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_destroyer_La_Combattante

Adrian

[heathers]

Many many thanks for that information - my neighbour is going to be over the moon when he gets home !   I dont think I would ever have found his father on the web site - my French is too rusty !

Sue