French horror as Joan of Arc to be 'killed' by English again
One senior officer said that the prospect of the ship being "burned, martyred and dismembered" in England would be too much to stomach after the old enemy's earlier hand in the death at the stake in 1431 of France's national heroine, after whom the ship is named.
The ageing vessel, which is used by the French as a "floating embassy" in a similar role as the decommissioned Royal Yacht Britannia, is due to embark on its 45th and final world tour, after which it will be dismantled. Able UK, the British shipbreakers based on the River Tees, is reportedly in pole position to win the tender.
The Jeanne-d'Arc has come to symbolise the soul of the French navy, and has been used as a training vessel for all French sailors since 1964.
"Joan of Arc is the heart of the French nation," said Pierre-François Forissier, the French navy's chief-of-staff. The idea that it might end its life on English soil was, according to naval officials cited by the newspaper Le Monde, "sad, painful, even unimaginable".
Many officers privately expressed a preference for the 13,000-ton boat being scuttled rather than taken apart by English hands. However, this is against international regulations, particular as it is constructed with dangerous materials, including asbestos. Those prepared to speak on the record were more diplomatic.
"The English are Europeans after all, we have the same values," said Vice-Admiral Hubert Jouot, in charge of decommissioning French vessels. "But, every now and then, a certain national pride manifests itself, like in sporting competitions."....
Vice-admiral Jouot warned fellow navy officials to stop getting sentimental over the Jeanne-d'Arc's fate. "We must stop being emotional; we will follow the public markets procedures. The best placed in the competition will win," he said.......