Leigh-on-Sea in Southend-on-Sea, England, United Kingdom — Northwestern Europe (the British Isles)
Sub. Lt. Martin Solomon
Photographed by Jerry Klinger
1. Sub. Lt. Martin Solomon Marker
In memory of WW2 Jewish Naval Officer
Sub. Lt. Martin Solomon DSC and Bar, MBE, MiD, RNVR
Who gallantly commanded the Leigh boats at Dunkirk, and helped bring home the BEF in 1940; later decorated at Tobruk; and with the SAS in the Aegean. Remembering too the four brave Leigh fishermen who gave their lives.
Be strong and of good courage (Joshua 1:9)
הלוא צויתיך חזק ואמץ
Erected 2024 by (Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, UK branch; AJEX UK : Endeavour Trust; Leigh Heritage Centre; Leigh council).
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Heroes • War, World II • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation. series list.
Location. 51° 32.404′ N, 0° 39.036′ E. Marker is in Southend-on-Sea, England. It is in Leigh-on-Sea. It is on High Street, on the right when traveling east. Marker is located on the brick wall of the Museum's annex,facing
this page online
Regionally, it is on the Atlantic Ocean, in the North Atlantic Region, in Europe, in Atlantic Europe, on one of the British Isles, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Roman Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Welcome to the Southend Cliff Gardens (approx. 3.4 kilometers away); St John the Baptist Church Gardens (approx. 4.6 kilometers away); Area of Correction (approx. 6.1 kilometers away); Rayleigh Mount (approx. 6.2 kilometers away); Tower Mill (approx. 6.2 kilometers away); a different marker also named Rayleigh Mount (approx. 6.2 kilometers away); a different marker also named Rayleigh Mount (approx. 6.3 kilometers away); The History of Rayleigh (approx. 6.5 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Southend-on-Sea.
Regarding Sub. Lt. Martin Solomon. British Jewish Hero of WW2, Commander of the
Photographed by Alan Homes, July 21, 2022
2. Sub. Lt. Martin Solomon Marker
Solomon went on to earn many distinguished military recognitions and was involved in dangerous intelligence operations as part of the Special Boat Section (the sister to the SAS).
Also see . . .
1. Sub. Lt .Martin Solomon, Commander of the Leigh Boats at Dunkirk.
In response to the new Admiralty commands requesting boats and the crews to go to Dunkirk, Commander Bowles at Southend, ordered Solomon to assemble the Leigh and other Southend boats for dispatch to Dunkirk, but Solomon was ordered not to join them. He ignored this and later just claimed in his report that he had been ordered to go.(Submitted on July 22, 2024, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida.)
2. The little ships with big hearts Leigh on sea and the Dunkrik Evacuation.
Word got to Leigh on Sea from HMS Westcliff. Rather than be requisitioned the 6 ships from Leigh went voluntary and fully crewed. They met at 8 am on the pier head and were provided by rations, fuel and some extra hands from the Royal Navy. Under the command of Sub Lieutenant M H B Solomon of the Royal Navy they set sail at 12.30. The ships would be 30 feet in length and 10feet wide they were Leigh Cockle bawleys. Bawleys were broad beamed flat bottomed boats. They were designed to be beached at high tide on the sandbanks so the fishermen could gather cockles and shrimps. Their design made them perfect for Dunkirk.(Submitted on July 22, 2024, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida.)
3. Little Ships of Dunkirk.
The Little Ships of Dunkirk were about 850 private boats that sailed from Ramsgate in England to Dunkirk in northern France between 26 May and 4 June 1940 as part of Operation Dynamo, helping to rescue more than 336,000 British, French, and other Allied soldiers who were trapped on the beaches at Dunkirk during the Second World War.(Submitted on July 22, 2024, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida.)
4. Dunkirk rescue civilian boats arrive to dunkirk beach evacuation.
Emotional clip from the movie.(Submitted on July 22, 2024, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida.)
5. 0:51 / 7:33 The Ballad of Teddington's Dunkirk Little Ships - The film.
Ballad of the Dunkirk Rescue with historical footage.(Submitted on July 22, 2024, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida.)
6. Dunkirk Hero - Sub. Lt. Martin Solomon - Commander of the Leigh Boats.
Admiral Ramsey, in command of Operation Dynamo, (the evacuation from Dunkirk), said of the Leigh boats, The conduct of the crews of these cockle boats was exemplary. They were all volunteers who were rushed over to Dunkirk in one day. Probably none of them had been under gunfire before and certainly none of them under naval discipline Yet they maintained perfect formation throughout the day and night and all orders were obeyed with great diligence even under actual shellfire and aircraft attack.(Submitted on July 25, 2024, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida.)
7. Historical plaque unveiled at Leigh Heritage Centre to commemorate Dunkirk hero.
Generally, his story is not well known so we thought a plaque in the UK at the site of the start of one his great exploits was needed to show how the Jewish community contributed to the defeat of the Nazis and for freedom. This assists in the fight against anti-Semitism and racism to show that the Jews did their bit and more as many lies are repeated about allegations of Jews shirking duty.(Submitted on July 28, 2024, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida.)
8. AJEX unveils plaque honouring Dunkirk hero.
Martin Solomon was an exceptionally brave and highly decorated Royal Navy officer whose contributions during the Second World War are a source of great pride for the UK Jewish community. Although his story is not widely known, we believe this plaque will honour his legacy and highlight the significant role the Jewish community played in the fight against Nazism and for freedom. We are deeply grateful to the Leigh community for their support in making this tribute possible for future generations in Southend.(Submitted on September 18, 2024, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 21, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 22, 2024, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 588 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 22, 2024, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
