Strand Military Cemetery
Location
Strand Military Cemetery is 13 Km south of Ieper town centre, on the Rijselseweg N365, which connects Ieper to Wijtschate, Mesen 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. The cemetery lies on the N365, 4 Km beyond Mesen and immediately before the village of Ploegsteert on the left hand side of the road.
This is just after the Ploegsteert Memorial which will be on your right.
| GPS | N | E | OSM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 50.73278 | 2.88028 | Map |
Historical Information
Charing Cross was the name given by the troops to a point at the end of a trench called the Strand, which led into Ploegsteert Wood.
In October 1914, two burials were made at this place, close to an advanced dressing station, The cemetery was not used between October 1914 and April 1917, but in April-July 1917 Plots I to VI were completed. Plots VII to X were made after the Armistice, when graves were brought in from some small cemeteries and from the battlefields lying mainly between Wytschaete and Armentières.
The cemetery was in German hands for a few months in 1918, but was very little used by them.
There are now 1,143 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 354 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to six casualties known or believed to be buried among them, and to 13 whose graves in four of the concentrated cemeteries were destroyed by shell fire.
The eight Second World War burials (three of which are unidentified) all date from May 1940 and the withdrawal of the British Expeditionary force to Dunkirk ahead of the German advance.
The cemetery was designed by Charles Holden.
Captain Alfred Parker
3rd Bn Black Watch
Royal Highlanders
Died on 7th November 1914 aged 34
Son of Alfred and Harriet Parker
Husband of Joan Parker (nee Bowes-Lyon)
[Cousin of the wife of King George VI]
Served in the South African War
Grave: IX O 3
Major Charles McClure
19th (Queen Alexandra’s Own Royal) Hussars
Died on 21st October 1914 aged 39
Son of James and Charlotte McClure
Born at Wemyss Bay
Served in the South African Campaign
Grave: VIII Q 5
Major Percy Dove
2nd Bn Sherwood Foresters
Notts and Derby Regiment
Died on 15th May 1915 aged 44
Orders of the Medjidie and the Osmanieh (Turkey).
Son of John Dove
Husband of Amy Dove
Served in Rhodesia (1896),
West African Expedition (1897-98),
and South African Campaign
Grave: X G 10
Private Robert Hale 27508
1st Bn Wiltshire Regiment
Died on 10th April 1918 aged 19
Son of Thomas and Harriett Hale
of 19, Matcham Rd., Leytonstone, London
Grave: X R 9
O Weary mourner
Dry your tears
For joy cometh
In the morning
Private John Graham 1321
2nd Bn Manchester Regiment
Died on 14th December 1914 aged 30
Son of Martin and Mary Graham
of 16, Vineyard St., Oldham
Warneton Churchyard. Special Memorial
Private Norris Gilbert 1910
35th Bn Australian Infantry
Died on 7th June 1917 aged 37
Son of George and Sarah Norris
Husband of Lottie Norris
of Bright View, Birrell St., Waverley,
New South Wales
Native of Ascot, England
Grave: VIII L 2