MELLE

When approaching from Ghent via
Brusselsesteenweg (N9), continue on past the bridge
under the E17motorway, and at the second light take
N447, Heusedenbaan, in the direction of "Heusden"
and "Destelbergen". Take the third street to the right,
Wevershof (the name "John C. Youngestraat" also appears underneath).
The monuments stands on the left corner at the end
of the Wevershof, where John C. Youngestraat begins.

On 6 September 1944, John C. Younge took off in his Spitfire IX
from Northern France for a reconnaissance
flight over Dunkirk, Bruges and Ghent. After
strafing a German ship on the Schelde, he was hit by
anti-aircraft fire and went down near the
Heusdenbaan. The monument is a block of Balagem
stone, on which two small bronze plaques have been
placed.
On the first there is a map of the world and the
picture of the pilot "J.22819 J.C. Younge, Flight Lieu-tenant
RCAF, Camrose, Alberta, Canada", with an
English text: "This memorial is dedicated to the
memory of John Campbell Younge who gave his live
during the liberation of Melle 6 September 1944. His
legacy is a free Belgium and the friendship that was
formed between the people of Melle, Belgium,
Camrose, Alberta, Canada and Saint Paul, Minne-sota,
USA" "Dedicated 4 September 1994" followed
by the "Act of Remembrance" by Laurence Binyon.

The second plaque bears a Dutch translation of the
English text. The connection with St. Paul, Minnesota,
lies in the fact that the niece and nephew of J.C.
Younge, who live in St. Paul, undertook the research
in 1992 to discover where their their uncle died. This
resulted in the monument's being erected and inaugurated on 4 September 1994. (photo 5)

(reported by Mrs. A. De Smet).