Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery
Location
Vlamertinghe 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). 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.
Vlamertinge is the modern spelling — many of the town names of lost the ‘h’ at the end when they took on their Dutch format after the war.
| GPS | N | E | OSM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 50.855849 | 2.819867 | Map |
Historical Information
Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery was started by French troops in 1914 and was taken over by Commonwealth forces in April 1915. It was used by fighting units and field ambulances until June 1917, when the land adjoining the cemetery was claimed for a military railway preventing further extension.
The cemetery is remarkable for the care with which men of the same unit were buried side by side if they died at about the same time.
There is also a very high proportion of graves of Territorial units, in particular Lancashire Territorials, who have nearly 250 graves in plots IV, V and VI. During the early months of 1917, whenever it was possible, the 55th Division brought their dead from the front for burial here.
The cemetery now contains 1,175 Commonwealth burials of the First World War. The French graves were removed after the war, but three German war graves remain. There are also four Second World War burials dating from the Allied retreat to Dunkirk in May 1940.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.
The wrought iron gates were presented by the family of the late Lord Redesdale, whose son, Major Mitford, is buried in the Cemetery.
Captain Francis Grenfell VC
9th (Queen’s Royal) Lancers
Died on 24th May 1915, aged 35
Son of Pascoe and Sophia Du Pre Grenfell
Educated at Eton, Francis became
Master of the Beagles in 1898.
On leaving Eton in 1899 he joined the
3rd (Militia) Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders.
He saw service in the South African War
Grave: II B 14
The London Gazette
16th November 1914
For gallantry in action against un-broken Infantry at Andregnies, Belgium, on 24th August, 1914, and for gallant conduct in assisting to save the guns of 119th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, near Doubon the same day.
The Gravestone also states :
In memory of his twin brother Riversdale.
Riversdale was a Captain in the Royal Buckinghamshire Hussars but attached to his brother’s Regiment. He was killed on the 14 September 1914 and is buried in Vendresse Churchyard near Soissons.
Their cousin Julian was one of the war poets and is buried in Boulogne sur Mer.