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Cemetery:
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LIJSSENTHOEK
MILITARY CEMETERY, Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium |
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Grave
Reference/ |
IV. B.
9. |
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Location:
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Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery is located 12 kilometres
west of Ieper town centre, on the Boescheepseweg, a road leading from the
N308 connecting Ieper to Poperinge. From Ieper town centre the Poperingseweg
(N308) is reached via Elverdingsestraat, then over two small roundabouts in
the J. Capronstraat. The Poperingseweg is a continuation of the J.
Capronstraat and begins after a prominent railway level crossing. On reaching
Poperinge, the N308 joins the left hand turning onto the R33, Poperinge ring
road. The R33 ring continues to the left hand junction with the N38 Frans-
Vlaanderenweg. 800 metres along the N38 lies the left hand turning onto
Lenestraat. The next immediate right hand turning leads onto Boescheepseweg.
The cemetery itself is located 2 kilometres along Boescheepseweg on the right
hand side of the road. |
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Historical
Information: |
During
the First World War, the village of Lijssenthoek was situated on the main
communication line between the Allied military bases in the rear and the
Ypres battlefields. Close to the Front, but out of the extreme range of most
German field artillery, it became a natural place to establish casualty
clearing stations. The cemetery was first used by the French 15th Hopital
D'Evacuation and in June 1915, it began to be used by casualty clearing
stations of the Commonwealth forces. From April to August 1918, the casualty
clearing stations fell back before the German advance and field ambulances
(including a French ambulance) took their places. The cemetery contains 9,893
Commonwealth burials of the First World War, a few of which were brought in
from the battlefields after the Armistice, and 883 war graves of other
nationalities, mostly French and German. It is the second largest
Commonwealth cemetery in Belgium. The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald
Blomfield. |