Turnhout (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Turnhout restored the century-old grave of firefighters Walter Schellekens and Joannes Melis, who died in a 1904 training accident. Major Gert Bax and volunteer Guy Spaepen led the tribute.
As VRT News reported, at the historic cemetery on Kwakkelstraat in Turnhout, the story of 2 deceased firefighters has been rediscovered. The cemetery, almost 210 years old, holds the graves of many residents, including war victims and well-known local figures. Among them are firefighters Walter Schellekens and Joannes Melis.
“In 1904, the then fire brigade organised a conference to celebrate its 25th anniversary,”
says Gert Bax, major at the Taxandria Emergency Response Zone.
What led Turnhout to restore the 1904 firefighters’ grave of Schellekens and Melis?
The 2 firefighters died during a practice session organised ahead of community celebrations. The fire brigade was preparing a rescue demonstration using ropes to show evacuation techniques. During the exercise, both men fell from a height of about 10 meters, suffering fatal injuries.
“Something went wrong then, and two colleagues fell from the third floor. They both died.”
“The photos have literally and figuratively given the firefighters a face.”
Guy Spaepen, one of the volunteers at the historic cemetery.
The grave of the 2 firefighters in Turnhout had fallen into neglect over the years.
“We’ve been urging the city for several years to restore the grave to its former glory, because it was very unstable,”
says Guy Spaepen, one of the volunteers at the historic cemetery.
“Finally, a budget was allocated for it, and we were able to renovate it. We also added photos, giving the firefighters a face, both literally and figuratively.”
The names had faded, and the site was no longer clearly visible. Many visitors passed by without realising it was the resting place of 2 firefighters who lost their lives during a training exercise. The Turnhout fire department decided to restore the grave to honour their.
Major Bax of the Turnhout Fire Department said the restored grave gives new life to their story.
“Many people passed by without knowing it was a firefighter’s grave. Now that there are photos, the story comes more to life,”
Major Bax said.
“It also goes beyond the two victims. It’s a way to honour all emergency workers who have lost their lives or been seriously injured doing their jobs.”
The grave now includes images and a clear inscription, allowing visitors to learn about the men and their service. Other graves in the old cemetery are also being restored as part of a wider effort to protect the historic site and remember those who played a role in the city’s past.
The historic cemetery on Kwakkelstraat in Turnhout was founded in 1815. In recent years, Turnhout and several other Flemish cities have also performed similar restoration and repair projects, again, to protect old graves and recognise local heroes.
In 2023, the City of Turnhout coordinated the restoration of several tombstones of World War I soldiers and notable residents at the historic cemetery of Kwakkelstraat. This restoration was part of a heritage plan started in 2020, aimed at maintaining heritage monuments and remembering the stories of those involved, which had all but faded away. In addition to Turnhout, Mechelen, Leuven, Bruges, and many other cities, have repaired the graves of firefighters, police officers, and war victims.
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