Historic Trunk from 1940s Morocco Discovered in French Police Station

The fir-colored trunk was found in an old villa converted into a police station, reports Nice Matin. After some research, it appears to have belonged to Lieutenant Jean Ribaud who would have stayed in Morocco, the trunk bearing a label from the Casablanca transatlantic company.

To find the owner and return his property to him, the commander sought the help of the general secretariat for the administration of the Ministry of the Interior, the land registry, the departmental archives, the military archives and the civil registry service.

Finally, he learns that the former soldier is already deceased and was buried in Villefranche-sur-Mer (Alpes-Maritimes). His only daughter, Nicole, lives in the region. "It’s moving to find this trunk that my father used. [...] I am very grateful to Mr. Huche. He never gave up. What tenacity!" she declared, very moved.

The trunk was handed over to her in person on Tuesday, November 16 in Toulouse, by a commander in the presence of the co-president of the national association of former combatants and friends of the Resistance.