| Cemetery: |
VLAMERTINGHE MILITARY CEMETERY, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen,
Belgium |
Grave Reference/
Panel Number: |
IV. L. 5.
|
| Location: |
Vlamertinge Military Cemetery is located 5 Km
west of Ieper town centre, on the Hospitaalstraat, which is a road
leading from the Poperingseweg. (Connecting Ieper to Poperinge). (*
Vlamertinge is the modern spelling of Vlamertinghe). From Ieper town
centre the Poperingseweg (N308), is reached via Elverdingsestraat then
straight over two small roundabouts in the J. Capronstraat. The
Poperingseweg is a continuation of J. Capronstraat and begins after a
prominent railway level crossing. On reaching the village of Vlamertinge
the cemetery is located on the Hospitaalstraat, which is the second
right turning after the village church. The cemetery lies 50 metres
along the Hospitaalstraat on the right hand side of the road.
|
| Historical Information: |
Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery was started by
the French troops in Belgium in 1914. The Cemetery was used by fighting
troops and Field Ambulances. It was very carefully tended by them until
June 1917, when further extension was forbidden and burials practically
ceased as the adjoining land was claimed for a Military railway. It is
remarkable for the care with which men of the same unit were buried side
by side if they fell about the same time; for the very high proportion
of graves of Territorial units; and in particular for the presence of
nearly 250 Lancashire Territorial graves in plots IV, V and VI. During
the early months of 1917 the 55th Division, whenever it was possible,
brought their dead from the front for burial here. There are now over
1,000, 1914-18 and a small number of 1939-45 war casualties commemorated
in this site. The Cemetery covers an area of 6,875 square metres and is
enclosed by a terrace wall on the road frontage and on the other three
sides by a stone kerb. |