Lone Tree Cemetery
Location
Lone Tree Cemetery (Spanbroekmolen) is located 8.5 kilometres south of Ieper town centre, on a road leading from the Rijselseweg, N365, which connects Ieper to Wijtschate and on to Armentières.
From Ieper town centre the Rijselsestraat runs from the market square, through the Lille Gate (Rijselpoort) and directly over the crossroads with the Ieper ring road. The road name then changes to the Rijselseweg.
On reaching the village of Wijtschate the first right hand turning leads onto Hospicestraat which leads onto the village square. The Kemmelstraat leads from the village square towards the cemetery.
2 kilometres along the Kemmelstraat lies the left hand turning onto Kruisstraat. The cemetery lies 1 kilometre along the Kruisstraat on the right hand side of the road.
If you are coming from Mesen (Messines) follow the signs in the village to the Messines Ridge Cemetery. Immediately opposite this is the other end of Kruisstraat. Take this road and keep straight on until you reach the cemetery on your left and the Spanbroekmolen Crater on your right. The Crater is very easily visible forming a large circular growth of bushes and trees on the ridge line.
| GPS | N | E | OSM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 50.77562 | 2.86131 | Map |
If you wish to visit them, you will also pass the Kruisstraat Craters which are on the left at the crossroads just as you start to go up the hill towards Spanbroekmolen.
Historical Information
Lone Tree Cemetery is close to the Spanbroekmolen Crater, one of the nineteen which were made immediately before the infantry attack at the Battle of Messines on 7 June 1917.
Nearly all the graves in the cemetery are those of soldiers who fell on the first day of the battle.
The great mine at Spanbroekmolen actually detonated a few seconds after the others that morning.
Many of those killed and buried here are men from the 36th (Ulster) Division who left their trenches and were caught by the blast and debris.
The cemetery contains 88 First World War burials.
The cemetery was designed by J R Truelove.
Soldiers from the Royal Irish Rifles killed on 7th June 1917
Mont Kemmel (Kemmelberg) is in the background
14th Bn Royal Irish Rifles
11th Bn Royal Irish Rifles
Aged 26
Nephew of David Scott,
of Ballynadolly Upper
Magheragall, Lisburn
14th Bn Royal Irish Rifles
Son of Mrs M Brooks
Grave: II A 1
Grave: II A 2
Grave: II A 3