207 Squadron RAF Association
Remembering those of the Solly crew who died

Heverlee CWGC cemetery, Belgium, 11 November 2003

Inside Heverlee CWGC cemetery, Belgium

Leon Reumers and his wife Godelieve who with their son Kris laid flowers at the graves
of Jacky Jewell and John Shaw at Heverlee, and at Mike Solly's grave at Leopoldsburg.
Leon & Godelieve's daughter Myriam is married to Danny Vanstraelen, the grandson of
the Helper of the Wireless Operator in the Solly crew, Frank Haslam.

Jacky Jewell's grave at Heverlee, Remembrance Sunday 2003 and 2007

John Shaw's grave at Heverlee, Remembrance Sunday 2003 and 2007

Leopoldsburg CWGC cemetery

Mike Solly's grave at Leopoldsburg Remembrance Sunday 2003 and 2007

back: +John Shaw (Nav), Eddie Chapman (B/A), Peter Loakes (RG), +Jacky Jewell (MU)
front: Frank Haslam (W/Op), +'Mike' Solly (Pilot), Arthur Barton (FE)
Note the elephant mascot on Mike Solly's shoulder

The crew is commemorated by a tree planted at the Aviation Heritage Centre, East Kirkby in 1998.

A group from 207 Sqn Association visited Belgium in May 2005 to take part in the dedication at Meeuwen of a memorial to the Corless crew shot down on the same raid. The party included the Solly crew's Bomb Aimer, Eddie Chapman and his wife and daughter and Wireless Operator Frank Haslam snr and his wife and son Frank jr (the editor). The crew graves and EM-M LL973's crash site were visited. Friend members Danny Vanstraelen and Leon Reumers (see below) took us to the crash site - click on 2005 visit

grave & Heverlee images: The Reumers family - Leon & Godelieve's daughter Myriam is married to Danny Vanstraelen, the grandson of the Helper of the Wireless Operator in the Solly crew, Frank Haslam
crew: Haslam

last updated 27 Nov 2007