Mers-el-Kebir

Mers-el-Kébir is the town in Algeria where I was born during the French occupation of that country.  It is a coastal town with a magnificent harbour, located on the Gulf of Oran on the west coast of Algeria. Originally a Roman port, it has a long history of maritime importance. At the end the 15th century. It was a centre of activity for pirates and was twice occupied by the Portuguese. The Spanish held the town from 1505 to 1792.  In 1830, the French arrived and renamed it Saint André de Mers-el-Kébir.

Mers-el-Kébir in the late Fifties/early Sixties

  

The Naval Base in 1953



The Harbour today and Mers-el-Kébir in the background  
 

During World War II, following the German defeat of France in 1940, part of the French fleet sailed from Toulon and took refuge in Mers-el-Kébir.   On the 3^rd of July 1940, in order to prevent the French fleet from falling into German hands, the British Royal Navy led by Vice Admiral Sir James Somerville attacked the French Navy fleet.   The raid resulted in the deaths of 1,297 French servicemen; about 350 wounded, the sinking of a battleship and the damaging of five other ships.  This attack, part of Operation Catapult is also known as the Battle of Mers-el-Kébir. 





Le Cuirasse Bretagne



During the Bombardment

A great deal of debate has taken place over the motivations of the British.  London's point of view was that:

“The times were desperate; invasion seemed imminent; and the British Government simply could not afford to risk the Germans seizing control of the French fleet.  The predominant British motive was dire necessity and self-preservation.”

The French on the other hand, thought they were acting honorably in terms of their armistice with Germany and were fully convinced they would never turn over their fleet to Germany. French grievances over what they considered a betrayal by their ally have festered for generations.





The Bombardment
 

My father who was 15 at the time recalled this event on many occasions throughout his life.  The military section of the Mers-el-Kébir cemetery is an eerie reminder of a tragic episode in World War II history.



The Military Cemetery of Mers-el-Kébir
 

After the war, the great French naval base at Mers-el-Kébir came to include a sophisticated subterranean installation in view of a possible nuclear attack.  In 1962 the Evian Agreement, by which Algerian independence was acknowledged, allowed France to remain there for an additional 15 years.  The French however, evacuated the base in 1967.



 

The Construction of the Anti-Nuclear Subterranean Installation



 

The Subterranean Installation
 



This photo was taken during one of my first visit to Algeria.  It was a very emotional moment for me, posing there after an absence of almost half a century.



The Entrance of the Town
 

This is one of the buildings my grandfather owned in Mers-el-Kébir.  This building housed 14 apartments which my father managed.  I spent my whole childhood there until we left the country to go and live in France. 

My grandfather's apartment building

I spent most of my Primary School years in this building.  Once I reached High School, I continued my education in Oran as Mers-el-Kébir didn't provide secondary level education. 

My Primary School