Commemoration programme for the submarine Eurydice, Ramatuelle, 9 March 1980

In this document

This is a printed programme, with the letterhead of the Amicale des Anciens Marins et Marins Anciens Combattants du Golfe de Saint-Tropez (Association of Former Sailors and Veteran Sailors of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez), Ramatuelle section, affiliated with the F.A.M.M.A.C. p. 7.

The document announces the programme for Sunday, 9 March 1980, dedicated to the "Commemoration of the loss of the Submarine Eurydice on 2 March 1970", in the presence of the crew of the submarine Amazone p. 7.

The ceremony is to be held "At the Camarat Stele", a detail added by hand to the printed text p. 7. The known schedule stops at the reception of civil and military authorities at 9:45 am, by Mr Albert Raphael, general councillor and mayor of Ramatuelle — the text is cut off at this point p. 7.

The document features a logo of a stylised marine anchor surrounded by a rope, as well as some barely legible stamp marks or perforations p. 7.

Context

The submarine Eurydice disappeared in the Mediterranean Sea on 4 March 1970, off the coast of Saint-Tropez, with its crew — one of the significant tragedies of the French Navy of that era. The document, for its part, mentions the date of "2 March 1970", as written on the programme.

These annual commemorations, organised by associations of former sailors, are frequent on the Var coast, a region marked by the presence of the French Navy and by this tragedy.

Paul Magès retired to Ramatuelle after his retirement from Citroën in September 1974 (photographs of Paul Magès' retirement); he became a municipal councillor there in 1977, then 2nd deputy mayor in 1983 (list of members of the Ramatuelle municipal council). The Cap Camarat stele, the site of the ceremony, is located precisely in the commune of Ramatuelle, which explains the presence of this programme in his archives: the commemoration is part of his local roots and municipal duties, rather than a personal link with the French Navy.

Archivist's perspective

This programme stands out from the rest of the Magès collection, which is essentially composed of technical notes and professional correspondence related to the automobile and Citroën — see for example the handwritten calculation notes on safety distances or the tribute to Gabriel Voisin.

It testifies to Paul Magès' integration into the local life of Ramatuelle, where he retired and exercised municipal responsibilities from 1977 onwards. The handwritten annotation "At the Camarat Stele" p. 7 indicates that the document was personalised or completed after printing, which suggests that it was indeed used for effective participation in the event rather than for simple courtesy preservation — participation likely linked to his status as a local elected official rather than a maritime past.

Its presence in the archives of an automotive engineer illustrates the diversity of the pieces preserved, which extend far beyond the strict professional framework to also reflect his second life in Ramatuelle.