A Son of the Rock

View towards Memorial Wall:-

The northern wall of Tyne Cot Cemetery is a sweeping curve. On it are engraved the names of those soldiers of the British Empire who died in the Ypres Salient after 15/8/1917 as it was found that on completion the Menin Gate was not large enough to contain all the names from the Ypres battles.

The Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing contains 33,783 names of soldiers of the UK forces, plus a further 1,176 New Zealanders (stitch of two photos):-

West End of Memorial Wall:-

Cross of Sacrifice and Graves, with Memorial Wall to right:-

A central apse in the main Memorial Wall is dedicated solely to soldiers from New Zealand:-

New Zealanders Memorial Dedication:-

On the path from the car park to the cemetery lie three regimental memorials.

Bedfordshire Regiment:-

King’s Own Light Yorkshire Infantry Memorial:-

Sherwood Foresters Memorial:-

These now peaceful fields lie across the road from the cemetery entrance. The gentle slope down towards Ypres and which gave the Germans an uninterrupted view of activity in and behind the British lines can just be discerned:-

Cross of Sacrifice and graves:-

The cemetery is in numbers of burials now the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the world. It is located 9 km north-east of Ypres (Ieper) town centre, on the Tynecotstraat, a road leading from the Zonnebeekseweg. Its name derives from the nickname (Tyne Cottage) given to a German blockhouse by the Northumberland Fusiliers.

11,962 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War are buried or commemorated in Tyne Cot Cemetery. 8,374 are unidentified. In addition there are four German dead only one of whose identities is known.

Entrance:-

It was said to be the idea of King George V, who visited the cemetery in 1922, to erect the cross above the remains of a German pill box at the centre of the cemetery, a remnant of which was left uncovered by the white stone (centre here):-

Remnant of pillbox. The inscription reads, “This was the Tyne Cot Blockhouse captured by the Australian Division 4^th October 1917:-

A further blockhouse incorporated into the cemetery is surrounded by graves:-

Central area:-

Cemetery from North-west corner:-

Graves containing the remains of several men:-

A Jewish grave. It is unusual for a Commonwealth War Grave stone to indicate a religion:-

Poelcapelle is today spelled Poelkapelle. The village is a few miles north-east of Ypres (Ieper.) The British War Cemetery (Commonwealth War Graves Commission) is by the N313 road from Bruges (Brugge) to Ypres.

I’ve been to Tyne Cot but nevertheless still gasped when I entered Poelcapelle Cemetery. There are nearly 7,500 burials here, the vast majority, 6,230, of which are “Known unto God”.

View of interior from entrance:-

Graves:-

Some of the unidentified soldiers of the Great War:-

Lines of graves:-

Cross of Sacrifice and Stone of Remembrance:-

Memorial to some of those whose earlier graves were destroyed in later battles:-

As usual the graves are beautifully kept. A Soldier of the Great War, Known unto God and Private F J Patten, Hampshire Regiment, 4/10/17, aged 21:-

Two Soldiers of the Great War:-

There is one World War 2 grave at Poelcapelle. Private R E Mills, Royal Berkshire Regiment, 30/5/1940, aged 19:

Cross of Sacrifice and Stone of Remembrance:-

This is where division in and, in the UK’s case, from Europe leads:-

Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeeke, Belgium

Langemark War Cemetery, Langemark-Poelkapelle, Belgium