POPERINGHE NEW
MILITARY CEMETERY

Poperinge

West-Vlaanderen

Belgium

GENERAL DIRECTIONS: Poperinghe New Military Cemetery is located 10.5 Kms west of Ieper town centre, in the town of Poperinge itself. From Ieper, Poperinge is reached via the N308. From Ieper town centre the Poperingseweg (N308), is reached via Elverdingsestraat then directly over two small roundabouts in the J. Capronstraat. The Poperingseweg is a continuation of the J. Capronstraat and begins after a prominent railway level crossing. On reaching the town of Poperinge, the left hand turning from the N308 leads onto the R33 Poperinge ring road. 1 Km along the N33 lies the right hand turning onto Deken De Bolan. The cemetery is located 100 metres from the ring road level with Onze Vrouwedreef on the right hand side of the road.

The town of Poperinghe (now Poperinge) was of great importance during the First World War because, although occasionally bombed or bombarded at long range, it was the nearest place to Ypres (now Ieper) which was both considerable in size and reasonably safe. It was at first a centre for Casualty Clearing Stations, but by 1916 it became necessary to move these units further back and field ambulances took their places. The earliest Commonwealth graves in the town are in the communal cemetery. The Old Military Cemetery was made in the course of the First Battle of Ypres and was closed, so far as Commonwealth burials are concerned, at the beginning of May 1915. The New Military Cemetery was established in June 1915. The New Military Cemetery contains 677 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and 271 French war graves.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield

Shot at Dawn: There are 17 burials in this cemetery, all of whom were executed for either desertion (D) or cowardice (C):

Shot at Dawn: Private J. H. Wilson, 4th Bn. Canadian Expeditionary Force, 09/07/1916, Plot 2. H. 2. (D)

Shot at Dawn: Private C. La Liberte, 3rd Bn. Canadian Expeditionary Force, 04/08/1916, Plot 2. H. 3. (D)

Shot at Dawn: Private J. Bennett, 1st Bn. Hampshire Regiment, 28/08/1916, Plot 2. J. 7. (C)

Shot at Dawn: Private A. Botfield, 9th Bn. South Staffordshire Regiment, 18/10/1916, Plot 2. F. 7. (C)

Shot at Dawn: Private R. Stevenson, 1/4th Bn. Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, 25/10/1916, Plot 2. H. 9. (D)

Shot at Dawn: Private B. McGeehan, 1/8th Bn. King’s Liverpool Regiment, 02/11/1916, Plot 2. D. 9. (D)

Shot at Dawn: Private R. T. Tite, 13th Bn. Royal Sussex Regiment, 25/11/1916, Plot 2. F. 9. (C)

Shot at Dawn: Private W. H. Simmonds, 23rd Bn. Middlesex Regiment, 01/12/1916, Plot 2. E. 9 (D)

Shot at Dawn: Second Lieutenant E. S. Poole, 11th Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment, 10/12/1916, Plot 2. A. 11. (D)

Shot at Dawn: Private J. Crampton, 9th Bn. Yorks & Lancs Regiment, 04/02/1917, Plot 2. B. 14 (D)

Shot at Dawn: Private J. W. Fryer, 12th Bn. Queen’s (Royal West Surrey) Regiment, 14/06/1917, Plot 2. D. 14. (D)

Shot at Dawn: Private J. S. Michael, 10th Bn. Cameronians, 24/08/1917, Plot 2. H. 24. (D)

Shot at Dawn: Private J. Steadman, Machine Gun Corps, 05/09/1917, Plot 2. F. 41. (D)

Shot at Dawn: Sergeant J. T. Wall, 3rd Bn. Worcestershire Regiment, 06/09/1917, Plot 2. F. 42. (D)

Shot at Dawn: Private G. Everill, 1st Bn. North Staffordshire Regiment, 14/09/1917, Plot 2. F. 44. (D)

Shot at Dawn: Private H. Morris, 6th Bn. British West Indies Regiment, 20/09/1917, Plot 2. F. 45. (D)

Shot at Dawn: Private F. C. Gore, 7th Bn. The Buffs ( East Kent Regiment), 16/10/1917, Plot 2. J. 34. (D)

The mass pardon of 306 British Empire soldiers executed for certain offences during the Great War was enacted in section 359 of the Armed Forces Act 2006, which came into effect on royal assent on 8 November 2006.

CASUALTY DETAILS: UK 599; Canada 55; Australia 20 New Zealand 3; France 273; Germany 1; Total Burials: 951