Wytschaete Military Cemetery

Location

Wytschaete Military Cemetery is located 7 km south of Ieper town centre, on a road leading from the Rijselseweg N365, which connects Ieper (formerly Ypres) to Wijtschate (Wytschaete) and on to Armentières. From Ieper town centre the Rijselsestraat runs from the market square, through the Rijselpoort (Lille Gate) and directly over the crossroads with the Ieper ring road. The road name then changes to the Rijselseweg. The first right hand turning on reaching the village of Wijtschate leads onto the Hospicestraat, leading to the village square. The Wijtschatestraat leads from the village square, 500 metres beyond which lies the cemetery on the right hand side of the road.

Historical Information

Wytschaete (now Wijtschate) was taken by the Germans early in November 1914. It was recovered by Commonwealth forces during the Battle of Messines on 7th June 1917, but fell into German hands once more on 16th April 1918.

The 16th (Irish) Division Cross is next to the entrance

The village was recovered for the last time on 28th September. The cemetery was made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from isolated positions surrounding Wytschaete and the following small battlefield cemeteries:

• Rest and be Thankful Farm, Kemmel: 23 UK burials (13 of them 2nd Suffolks), mostly of 1915.
• RE (Beaver) Farm, Kemmel: 18 Royal Engineer and four Canadian Engineer burials of 1915-1917.

• The Cemetery near Rossignol Estaminet, Kemmel: 18 UK burials (11 of the 1st Wiltshire Regiment), of January-April 1915.
• Somer Farm Cemetery No.2, Wytschaete: 13 UK burials made by IXth Corps in June 1917.
• Gordon Cemetery, Kemmel: 19 UK burials (14 of them 1st Gordon Highlanders) of January-May 1915.

Many of the burials are unidentified

There are now 1,002 servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 673 of the burials are unidentified, but there are special memorials to 16 casualties known or believed to be buried among them.

Other special memorials commemorate casualties known to have been buried at the Cemetery near Rossignol Estaminet, RE (Beaver) Farm and Rest and be Thankful Farm, whose graves could not be found on concentration.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

It is not often that we see a tricolour on a grave.

Irish soldiers were not treated with the greatest respect on returning home to a nation that was in the process of gaining its independence from the British.

It took ninety years for their nation to honour those who fought and died in British uniforms.

Serjeant William McParland MM 20195
7th/8th Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers
Died on 7th June 1917 aged 33

Grave: I A 1

Serjeant F Oakley 6363
2nd Bn Suffolk Regiment
Died on 11th May 1915 aged 31
Son of James Oakley,
of Chequers Lane, Glemsford, Suffolk
Husband of Alice Oakley,
of 9, Victoria Rd., Newport, Isle of Wight

At rest
With poppy of Flanders
His duty done for all

Grave: IV A 3

Private Charles Blanch 45008
7th/8th Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers
Died on 7th June 1917 aged 38
Son of James and Elizabeth Blanch,
of East Dereham
Husband of Harriett Blanch,
of 4, White Lion Yard, Church St.,
East Dereham, Norfolk

Grave: II C 13

Other cemeteries in the area