POPERINGHE NEW
MILITARY CEMETERY
Poperinge
West-Vlaanderen
Belgium
GENERAL DIRECTIONS: Leave Ieper by taking the Elverdingsestraat, then over two roundabouts in J. Capronstraat, the Poperingseweg (N308) is a continuation of this road and begins after the railway crossing. On reaching the Poperinge ring road (R33), continue for 1km before turning right into Deken De Bolen, the cemetery is located 100m from the ring road, level with the Onze Vrouwedreef on the right hand side of the road. Parking and access are easy.
This town was of great importance during the Great War, this was due to its proximity to Ypres as it was the nearest town of considerable size that, although occasionally bombed, was, for the most part, out of range of the guns and therefore ideal for Casualty Clearing Stations. It did, by 1916, eventually become necessary to move these stations further back and Poperinghe then became a base for Field Ambulances. There are some early graves located in the towns Communal Cemetery, and there are also many in the ‘Old’ Military Cemetery, which was closed for burials in May 1915, it was then that this cemetery was opened.
Shot at Dawn: There are 17 burials in this cemetery, all of whom were executed for either desertion (D) or cowardice (C):
Private J. H. Wilson, 4th Bn. Canadian Expeditionary Force, 09/07/1916, Plot 2. H. 2. (D)
Private C. La Liberte, 3rd Bn. Canadian Expeditionary Force, 04/08/1916, Plot 2. H. 3. (D)
Private J. Bennett, 1st Bn. Hampshire Regiment, 28/08/1916, Plot 2. J. 7. (C)
Private A. Botfield, 9th Bn. South Staffordshire Regiment, 18/10/1916, Plot 2. F. 7. (C)
Private R. Stevenson, 1/4th Bn. Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, 25/10/1916, Plot 2. H. 9. (D)
Private B. McGeehan, 1/8th Bn. King’s Liverpool Regiment, 02/11/1916, Plot 2. D. 9. (D)
Private R. T. Tite, 13th Bn. Royal Sussex Regiment, 25/11/1916, Plot 2. F. 9. (C)
Private W. H. Simmonds, 23rd Bn. Middlesex Regiment, 01/12/1916, Plot 2. E. 9 (D)
Second Lieutenant E. S. Poole, 11th Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment, 10/12/1916, Plot 2. A. 11. (D)
Private J. Crampton, 9th Bn. Yorks & Lancs Regiment, 04/02/1917, Plot 2. B. 14 (D)
Private J. W. Fryer, 12th Bn. Queen’s (Royal West Surrey) Regiment, 14/06/1917, Plot 2. D. 14. (D)
Private J. S. Michael, 10th Bn. Cameronians, 24/08/1917, Plot 2. H. 24. (D)
Private J. Steadman, Machine Gun Corps, 05/09/1917, Plot 2. F. 41. (D)
Sergeant J. T. Wall, 3rd Bn. Worcestershire Regiment, 06/09/1917, Plot 2. F. 42. (D)
Private G. Everill, 1st Bn. North Staffordshire Regiment, 14/09/1917, Plot 2. F. 44. (D)
Private H. Morris, 6th Bn. British West Indies Regiment, 20/09/1917, Plot 2. F. 45. (D)
Private F. C. Gore, 7th Bn. The Buffs ( East Kent Regiment), 16/10/1917, Plot 2. J. 34. (D)
View the French Plot and a further picture of the cemetery
CASUALTY DETAILS: UK 599; Canada 55; Australia 20 New Zealand 3; France 273; Germany 1; Total Burials: 951
16584 Private
Thomas Rawlings
6th Bn. King's Shropshire Light Infantry
12/02/1916, aged 27.
Son of Thomas Rawlings, of Preston Boats, nr. Shrewsbury, Salop.
Plot I. F. 11.
Picture courtesy of Dave Shaw
1336 Rifleman
George Saxton
1st/7th Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment
(Prince of Wales's Own)
11/07/1915, aged 20.
Plot I. B. 1.
Son of Emily and the late Thomas Saxton, of Leeds.
"Remembered with honour"
Submitted by George F. Saxton, nephew of this soldier
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