Keiem Begraafplaats
Location
Keiem is a village approximately six kilometres north of Diksmuide on the N 369.
On reaching the village turn right along Keimdorpstraat (N369B) and continue through the village. The military cemetery is on your right just as you leave Keiem.
The name is pronounced Ki-yem (similar to German: ‘ei’ pronounced ‘i’ and ‘ie’ pronounced ‘e’ — Ieper).
| GPS | N | E | OSM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 51.086375 | 2.885236 | Map |
Historical Information
Keiem (Keyem during the war) was part of the Belgian advanced line following the retreat from Antwerp.
Despite desperate attempts to hold the village by Belgian Troops and a French force of Fusiliers Marins under Amiral Ronarc’h the village fell to the Germans on 19th October 1914.
Following the war the authorities gathered the remains of Belgian soldiers in the immediate area and concentrated them into this cemetery.
There are now 590 burials in the cemetery, 364 of them unknown (onbekend — inconnu).
Of these burials 147 are from the 8ste and 13de Linieregiment who led a counter-attack against the Germans from Diksmuide. The Germans would later recapture Keiem.
You will note that the inscriptions are either in Dutch or French according to the native language of the casualty. This seems to apply regardless of the official language of the regiment concerned.
Lieutenant Colonel Georges Delcourt
13e Régiment de Ligne
Born in Bouillon on 8th December 1865
Died on 19th October 1914
At Keiem (shot in chest)
Son of Henri and Augustine Delcourt
Husband of Thérèse de Bois
Knight of the Order of Leopold,
Officer of the Order of the Crown,
Military Cross 1st and 2nd class
Grave: 105
Adjudant Armand Glibert 183/393
Corps d’Aviation, 6 Escadrille
Ex 12e Régiment de Ligne
Born in Bruxelles 16th January 1885
Died on 8th April 1917
At Bovekerke (shot down by Walter Göttsch)
Son of Joseph Glibert
Order of Leopold, War Cross,
Military Cross and four citations
Grave: 494
Soldaat Hieronymus Haesendonckx
135/50816
1er Grenadiers Regiment, 2 Bn
Born in Turnhout on 9th August 1893
Died on 24th October 1914
At Stuivekenskerke
Son of Frans and Maria Haesendonckx
Cross of Knight of the Order of Leopold II with palm
War Cross with palm
Grave: 320
The 1st Grenadiers were involved in a bloody counter attack nearby at the bridge at Tervate. On 22nd October the Germans had managed to get across the river IJzer and the 1st Grenadiers under Major, Comte d’Oultremont led a desperate counter attack. Caught between two lines of enemy troops the Grenadiers were bloodily rebuffed.