Slijpe Churchyard

Slijpe Churchyard is a small, quiet cemetery surrounding the Sint-Niklaaskerk church in the center of Slijpe, a village belonging to the municipality of Middelkerke on Belgium's West Flanders coast. The site blends centuries of local parish history with a striking episode from the Second World War, making it a worthwhile stop for anyone interested in both regional heritage and wartime history.

What is this place and where does its history begin?

The churchyard surrounds Sint-Niklaaskerk (Church of St. Nicholas), rebuilt in 1919 after damage sustained during the First World War. The history of the church itself stretches back much further: in 1137 the parish came under the patronage of the Knights Templar, and from 1313 until the French Revolution it was overseen by the Knights Hospitaller (also known as the Knights of Malta). This gives the site a direct connection to the history of the religious military orders that once operated across present-day Belgium.

What can visitors find in the churchyard?

At the rear of the church, against the wall in the center of the cemetery, lies a single war grave maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The headstone bears the inscription "An airman of the 1939-1945 war" — marking the grave of an unidentified airman of the Royal Air Force who died during the Second World War.

What is the story behind this grave?

The history of identifying this grave is unusually complex and well documented. For years, the grave was marked as the resting place of S/Ldr George St. Clair Boyd Reid of the RAF, a Spitfire pilot (aircraft MK453) with 91 Squadron, who died on 28 October 1944. That assumption changed in April 1996, when the wreck of Spitfire MK453 was discovered along with the pilot's remains — he was subsequently reburied at Adegem Canadian War Cemetery, which meant the grave in Slijpe had to belong to someone else.

It is now believed that the grave in Slijpe belongs to Sergeant Michil A.R.L.M. De Hepcee (service number 1399178), a Belgian serving with the RAF, who went missing in action on 13 November 1943 while flying a Spitfire (BM652) with 350 Squadron. The flight was a so-called "Rhubarb" — a low-level fighter sortie over occupied territory, in the Lokeren-Gent area. His aircraft is assumed to have crashed near Slijpe.

Why is this site worth a visit?

Slijpe Churchyard is a striking example of a place that, at first glance, looks like an ordinary, peaceful parish cemetery in a small Flemish village, yet holds a genuinely fascinating and still not fully resolved historical mystery. Visitors can see traces of centuries-old ecclesiastical history — the church's ties to the Templars and Hospitallers — alongside tangible evidence of Second World War tragedy: the grave of an airman whose true identity remains a subject of historical debate. It's a destination for those seeking authentic, lesser-known corners of Flanders' wartime history, away from the region's largest and most-visited war cemeteries.

Frequently asked questions

Is the airman's grave marked with a name? No — the official headstone reads "An airman of the 1939-1945 war," since the identity of the person buried there has never been definitively confirmed, even though researchers point to a specific individual.

Who was originally believed to be buried in this grave? For years it was thought to be the grave of S/Ldr George St. Clair Boyd Reid, but after his aircraft wreck and remains were found in 1996, he was reburied at Adegem Canadian War Cemetery.

Who is now believed to be the airman resting at Slijpe? Sergeant Michil A.R.L.M. De Hepcee, a Belgian serving with the RAF, who went missing on 13 November 1943 during a combat sortie in the Lokeren-Gent area.

What is the history of the church next to the cemetery? Sint-Niklaaskerk was rebuilt in 1919; its history dates back to 1137, when the parish came under the patronage of the Knights Templar, followed from 1313 by the Knights Hospitaller.