Hooge Crater Cemetery
Location
Hooge Crater Cemetery is 4 km east of Ieper town centre on the Meenseweg (N8), connecting Ieper to Menen.
From Ieper town centre the Meenseweg is located via Torhoutstraat and right onto Basculestraat. Basculestraat ends at a main crossroads, directly over which begins the Meenseweg.
The cemetery itself is located 3.5 km along the Meenseweg on the right hand side of the road.
| GPS | N | E | OSM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 50.84625 | 2.94357 | Map |
Historical Information
Hooge Château and its stables were the scene of very fierce fighting throughout the First World War. On 31 October 1914, the staff of the 1st and 2nd Divisions were wiped out when the château was shelled.
From 24th May to 3rd June 1915, the château was defended against German attacks and in July 1915, the crater was made by a mine sprung by the 3rd Division.
On 30th July, the Germans took the château, and on 9th August, it and the crater were regained by the 6th Division.
The Germans retook Hooge on 6th June 1916 and on 31st July 1917, the 8th Division advanced 1.6 km beyond it. It was lost for the last time in April 1918, but regained by the 9th (Scottish) and 29th Divisions on 28th September.
Hooge Crater Cemetery was begun by the 7th Division Burial Officer early in October 1917. It contained originally 76 graves, in Rows A to D of Plot I, but was greatly increased after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefields of Zillebeke, Zantvoorde and Gheluvelt and the following smaller cemeteries:-
- Bass Wood Cemeteries No.1 and No.2, Zillebeke, on the East side of the Bassevillebeek, 1 km South of Herenthage Château. They contained the graves of 48 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in December, 1917-March, 1918.
- Koelenberg German Cemeteries, Gheluwe, close together on the South side of the Menin Road, in which were buried ten soldiers from the United Kingdom.
- K.O.S.B. Cemetery, Gheluwe, on the Menin Road, 1 km West of Gheluwe. Here were buried, after the capture of Gheluwe by the 34th Division, in October, 1918, 18 soldiers from the United Kingdom, of whom ten belonged to the 1st/5th K.O.S.B.
- La Chapelle Farm, Zillebeke, between Chester Farm and Blauwepoort Farm, where 17 soldiers from the United Kingdom were buried in February and March, 1915.
- Menin Road Pillbox Cemetery, Zillebeke, between Herenthage Chateau and Gheluvelt, where 20 soldiers from the United Kingdom were buried in October, 1917.
- Nieuwe Kruiseecke Cabaret Cemetery, Gheluvelt, on the South side of the Menin Road, where 21 soldiers from the United Kingdom and one from Canada were buried in October, 1918.
- Pillbox Cemetery, Zonnebeke, 500 metres North-East of Westhoek, which was used in October, 1917; there were buried in it 34 soldiers from Australia, 26 from the United Kingdom, two from Canada and one of the British West Indies Regiment.
- Sanctuary Wood Old British Cemetery, Zillebeke, within the wood and North-East of the present cemetery; there were buried in it, in 1915-1917, 50 soldiers from the United Kingdom (of whom 30 were unidentified) and four from Canada.
- Tower Hamlets Cemetery, Gheluvelt, between Gheluvelt and Bass Wood, on the West side of a row of pillboxes called Tower Hamlets; it contained the graves of 36 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in the winter of 1917-1918.
- Westhoek Ridge Small Cemetery, Zonnebeke, in Westhoek village, near the Area Commandant’s pillbox and the A.D.S.; it was used in the autumn of 1917, and it contained the graves of 16 soldiers from Australia and six from the United Kingdom.
Hooge Crater Museum opposite the cemetery
There are now 5,923 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 3,579 of the burials are unidentified, but special memorials record the names of a number of casualties either known or believed to be buried among them, or whose graves in other cemeteries were destroyed by shell fire.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.
3774 Private Patrick Bugden VC
31st Bn Australian Infantry
Died on 28th September 1917 aged 20
Son of Thomas and Annie Bugden
of Tweed Heads, New South Wales
Born at Gundurimba, New South Wales
Grave: VIII C 5
The London Gazette 30400
26th November 1917
For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty when on two occasions our advance was temporarily held up by strongly defended “pill-boxes”. Private Bugden, in the face of devastating fire from machine guns, gallantly led small parties to attack these strong points and, successfully silencing the machine guns with bombs, captured the garrison at the point of the bayonet.
On another occasion, when a Corporal, who had become detached from his company, had been captured and was being taken to the rear by the enemy, Private Bugden, single-handed, rushed to the rescue of his comrade, shot one enemy and bayoneted the remaining two, thus releasing the Corporal.
On five occasions he rescued wounded men under intense shell and machine gun fire, showing an utter contempt and disregard for danger.
Always foremost in volunteering for any dangerous mission, it was during the execution of one of these missions that this gallant soldier was killed.
Four Soldiers
Of the Great War
It is rare to see a headstone carrying such a title in a CWGC Cemetery.
Private B Cobb G/43479
19th Bn Middlesex Regiment
Died on 26th September 1917 aged 24
Son of Mark and Kate Cobb
of Yew Tree Cottage, Fareham Park, Fareham, Hants
Grave: XVI J 8
Private James Jarman 53112
18th Bn King’s (Liverpool Regiment)
Died on 31st July 1917 aged 23
Son of Mr. T and Mrs. F Jarman
of 71, Pine Rd., Cricklewood, London
Grave: IV G 15
Rev David Hunter
Australian Army Chaplains’ Department
55th Bn Australian Infantry
Died on 28th September 1917 aged 41
Son of George and Jane Hunter
Husband of Marion Hunter
of Pyrmont St., Ashfield, New South Wales
Born in Ireland
Grave: II F 16
Rifleman George Shoobert 653160
1/21st Bn London Regiment
First Surrey Rifles
Died on 26th August 1917 aged 23
Son of Edward and Mirian Shoobert
of 37, Estcourt Rd., Woodside, South Norwood, London
Grave: I I 7