RIDGE WOOD
MILITARY CEMETERY

Voormezeele

West-Vlaanderen

Belgium

GENERAL DIRECTIONS: The cemetery is on the N331 Kemmelseweg, go through the Lille Gate and continue towards Armentieres (N365), approximately 1km further on is a right turn onto the Kemmelseweg (N331) close to the level crossing, continue along this road for a further 4km, before turning right at Elzenwalle Brasserie Cemetery, Ridge Wood Cemetery is a further 100m on the left.

Ridge Wood was the name given to a wood standing on high ground between the Kemmel road and Dickebusch Lake. The cemetery itself lies in a hollow on the western side of the ridge. The cemetery was started here by the 2^nd Royal Irish Rifles in May 1915, and Canadian units and the 9^th Durham Light Infantry also buried men here when they occupied the line in this sector. The German advance in the spring of 1918, brought the British front line back onto the Ridge, and it was not until July that the Wood was finally cleared by the 6^th and 33^rd Divisions. The cemetery does contain some burials from these later battles, but the graves of some French soldiers who fought here at that time were later removed.

CASUALTY DETAILS: UK 280; Canada 292; Australia 44; New Zealand 3; Germany 2; Total Burials: 621