21 février 1945
31 décembre 1963
Bureau des programmes, des statistiques et de liquidation des opérations de déminage
France. Direction du déminage (1945-1963)
Pour réaliser sa tâche, la direction du Déminage dispose d’une administration centrale (qui a son siège au 6 rue de la Trémoille - Paris 8e - ) et de services extérieurs.
L’administration centrale a à sa tête un directeur auquel est attaché un chef des services techniques. En 1946-1947, la direction est organisée autour de cinq entités :
un bureau des travaux qui contrôle l’exécution et dirige les recherches et études sur les procédés et appareils de détection de mines. Ce bureau s’occupe également des statistiques portant sur le désobusage, déminage, débombage et les accidents ;
un service marchés lorsque les travaux ne sont pas réalisés en régie directe ;
un service de la main d’œuvre (recrutement du personnel démineur) ;
un service des prisonniers de guerre (PG) et gardes des PG ;
les services administratifs : personnels, budget, contentieux.
Outre les dommages causés aux infrastructures ainsi qu’au patrimoine bâti, les bombardements alliés et le système défensif mis en place par les Allemands, entre 1940 et 1945, laissent dans le sol français des centaines de milliers de bombes, d’obus et de mines. Des villes entières sont inhabitables, de vastes étendues, notamment agricoles, deviennent inexploitables.
A la Libération, la priorité est à la reconstruction du pays. Les zones affectées par les mines et les bombes doivent être urgemment dépolluées. Cette tâche est d’abord confiée aux unités spécialisées des armées française et alliée. Celles-ci sont cependant occupées à mener les opérations militaires sur le front. Et leur urgence en matière de déminage se porte sur les voies de communication où passent les convois ou bien les zones affectées au cantonnement des troupes.
A l’automne 1944, Le Génie rural prend le relais. En effet, de nombreux ingénieurs avaient été incorporés en 1939 dans le corps militaire et s’étaient ainsi initiés au maniement des poudres et des explosifs.
Cependant, ni le ministère de l’Agriculture, ni celui de la Défense nationale ne considèrent que ces missions de dépollution sont de leur ressort. Devant l’importance de la tâche à accomplir et face à la nécessité d’organiser rationnellement les opérations, le Gouvernement décide de créer une direction du Déminage en février 1945. Celle-ci est rattachée au ministère de la Reconstruction et de l’Urbanisme.
Le résistant Raymond Aubrac, ingénieur civil des ponts et chaussées, quitte ses fonctions de commissaire de la République à Marseille pour prendre la tête de la direction, épaulé par G.Y Thépot, ingénieur général de l’artillerie navale et nommé chef des services techniques du déminage.
Le Déminage est chargé de la recherche, de l’enlèvement et de la destruction des mines et pièges de guerre. Son directeur coordonne l’activité des services existants dépendant d’autres ministères. Il arrête et suit l’exécution du programme des opérations en tenant compte de l’urgence de certains travaux ainsi que de la disponibilité en main d’œuvre.
Les tâches de repérage, de délimitation des zones, de préparation du terrain et enfin de désamorçage incombent à environ 3000 volontaires français dont 500 d’entre eux mourront lors des opérations. A cela s’ajoute plus de 48 000 prisonniers de guerre allemands dont 2000 seront tués également.
Le déminage des terrains et établissements militaires relevait quant à lui du ministère de la Guerre. Néanmoins, la direction du Déminage se voit attribuer, en octobre 1946, la responsabilité des travaux de débombage et désobusage des terrains civils jusqu’alors confiés à l’Armée. Ce transfert s’expliquait par le fait que la dépollution des terrains était liée aux opérations préliminaires à la reconstruction tels que le déblaiement, le nivellement et la remise en état des terres.
Deux ans à peine suffisent aux équipes pour réaliser la dépollution de près de 475 000 hectares et la destruction de près de 13 000 000 de mines. La direction alors est remplacée par un service chargé de reclasser le personnel hautement qualifié vers des secteurs comme les travaux publics ou les entreprises de déblaiement. Les personnels restants sont affectés à l’exécution de travaux de déminage, désobusage et de débombage qui seraient signalés après la dissolution et la liquidation des représentations départementales.
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