Kemmel No.1 French Cemetery

Location

Kemmel No.1 French Cemetery is located 6 km south-west of Ieper town centre, on the Molenstraat, a road branching from the Kemmelseweg (joining Ieper to Kemmel N331). From Ieper town centre the Kemmelseweg is reached via the Rijselsestraat, through the Lille Gate (Rijselpoort), and straight on towards Armentières (N365). 900 metres after the crossroads is the right hand turning onto the Kemmelseweg (made prominent by a railway level crossing). 5 km along the Kemmelseweg lies the right hand turning onto Vierstraat.

A kilometre along the Vierstraat lies Kemmel No.1 French Cemetery.

There are four CWGC cemeteries in this immediate area. All are well sign posted from the main road. Immediately alongside is Klein-Vierstraat British Cemetery.

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Historical Information

In April 1918, Kemmel was the scene of fierce fighting in which both Commonwealth and French forces were engaged. From 26th April to the end of August, the village was in German hands.

The origin of the cemetery is not known; it was found by the French Graves Services soon after the Armistice and contained Commonwealth, French and German graves.

All but a few of the graves are unidentified

Additional Commonwealth graves were brought into the cemetery from the battlefields of the Ypres Salient and from some other burial grounds in the area (for instance, Becelaere Churchyard and Beerst German Cemetery), as were some German burials found by the Belgian Graves Services.

The French graves were removed later to the Kemmel French Ossuary, and to the French cemetery at Potijze.

The cemetery now contains 296 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 260 of which are unidentified.

Note the triangular top to the German graves
In Belgium they are usually square like those in the background

There are also 94 German graves, of whom the majority are unidentified (Unbekaant).

The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

Klein Vierstraat Cemetery is across the lane

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Other cemeteries in the area

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