Country: Belgium
Locality: Evere,
Vlaams-Brabant
Identified
Casualties: 685
Google Earth Link:
Cemetery
Location
The Cemetery Opening
Hours are:- Closed on Mondays. Open every other day:
0830 - 1630. Please Note: Information received from
the local authorities at Brussels states that "In
accordance with their regulations it is forbidden to
photograph headstones, in order to guarantee the
anonymity and out of respect to the dead, without
prior approval of the local alderman responsible for
funerals and burials." However, as the Commission
has no objections to photographs being taken or to the
filming of our war graves, it is suggested that
visitors wishing to do so should make this known to
the staff in the office at the entrance of the
cemetery. Wheelchair access to site is possible, but
may be an alternative entrance. For further
information regarding wheelchair access, please
contact our Enquiries Section on telephone number
01628 507200.
Brussels Town Cemetery
is located in the north east corner of Brussels in the
district of Evere. Follow the E40 Brussels-Liege road
in the direction of Brussels and leave at junction 19,
signposted Woluwe and Evere. Follow the sign Evere to
the right and continue 500 metres along the avenue des
Communautes to the first set of traffic lights. Go
straight ahead here and down the avenue Ciceron to
turn left around the roundabout at the bottom of the
road. The entrance to the Town Cemetery is then on
your right. Follow the main avenue through the
cemetery as far as you can go and the Commission plot
is on your left.
Cemetery
Information
Brussels was in German
hands from 20 August 1914 to the date of the Armistice
and the majority of the Commonwealth burials in
Brussels Town Cemetery dating from this period are
those of prisoners of war whose bodies were brought
back from Germany by the Canadian Corps in April 1919.
The British Expeditionary Force was involved in the
later stages of the defence of Belgium following the
German invasion in May 1940, and suffered many
casualties in covering the withdrawal to Dunkirk.
Commonwealth forces did not return until September
1944, but in the intervening years, many airmen were
shot down or crashed in raids on strategic objectives
in Belgium, or while returning from missions over
Germany. Most of the Second World War casualties
buried in the town cemetery died on lines of
communication duties after the liberation of Brussels
at the beginning of September 1944, but a few date
from the brief period that the BEF spent in Belgium in
May 1940. Brussels Town Cemetery contains 54
Commonwealth burials of the First World War and a
further 590 from the Second World War, 4 of which are
unidentified. There are also 35 Foreign National
burials here.
WW2
Graves
The
graves here are largely from the fighting in the area
in May 1940 and RAF crew shot down over Belgium.
Photo
Archive
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Flight
Sergeant (W. Op./Air) George Thompson VC
9th Squadron RAF
23rd January 1945, aged 24.
Son of James and Jessie
Thompson, of Glencraig, Fife. (X.27.45).
The London Gazette of 16th
February 1945 gives the following details
:
Flight Sergeant Thompson was the wireless
operator in an aircraft which attacked the
Dortmund-Ems Canal by daylight on 1st January,
1945. Just after releasing its bombs, the
aircraft was hit by a heavy shell which set it
on fire and caused extensive damage. Flight
Sergeant Thompson without hesitation went
through the fire and exploding ammunition and
rescued the gunners from the mid-upper and
rear gun-turrets, both of whom were
unconscious. With his bare hands he
extinguished their burning clothing. He then
with great difficulty made his way back
through the burning fuselage to report to the
captain of the aircraft. He might have devoted
his efforts to quelling the fire, but
preferred to go through it to save his
comrades, hazarding his life. Three weeks
later he died of his injuries. One of the
gunners he rescued survived; he owes his life
to the gallantry of Flight Sergeant Thompson,
whose courage and self-sacrifice will ever be
an inspiration to the Service. |
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Major
Robert Marie Emanuel Melot MC
1st Special Air Service Regiment, A.A.C.
1st November 1944, aged 49.
Son of Albert and Lucile
Melot; husband of Suzanne Melot, of Knocke,
Belgium. (X.18.30) |
