SANCTURY WOOD CEMETERY
(CWGC Ref 5/50)
SANCTUARY
Wood is one of the larger woods in the commune of Zillebeke. It lies between the
Menin Road (about Hooge and Clapham Junction) and Observatory Ridge. It was
named in November 1914, when it was used to screen troops behind the front line
(It was not shelled until the night of the 13th-14th November 1914). It
was the scene of fighting in September 1915; and it was the centre of the Battle
of Mount Sorrel (2nd to 13th June, 1916), when the 3rd Canadian Division was
very heavily attacked and driven back, but the greater part of the ground lost
was recovered by the 1st Canadian Division.
There were three British
cemeteries at Sanctuary Wood before June 1916. All had been made in May-August,
1915, and they contained 56, 55 and 101 graves respectively. The first two were
on the Western end of the wood; the third was in a clearing further East. All
were practically obliterated in the Battle of Mount Sorrel; but traces of the
second were found, and it became the nucleus of the present Sanctuary Wood
Cemetery.
It contained, at the date of the
Armistice, 137 graves, including 41 Canadian and one German; 88 of these have
not been exactly located, and are now represented by special memorials.
Plots II -V were added, and the
cemetery extended as far as " Maple Avenue ", in the years 1927 to
1932 inclusive, when 1,852 graves were brought in from the battlefields of
Belgium. They came mainly from the communes immediately surrounding Ypres, but a
few were taken from Nieuport (on the coast) and a few from other cemeteries.
They are largely due to the Battles of Ypres, 1914 and 1915, and the British
offensive of the autumn of 1917.
Sanctuary Wood Cemetery now
contains 1,989 graves, which may be divided as follows:-
United Kingdom soldiers and
airmen (including 1,214 unidentified) 1,734
Canadian soldiers (including 70
unidentified) 142
Australian soldiers (including
53 unidentified) 88
New Zealand soldiers (including
14 unidentified) 18
South African soldiers 3
Newfoundland soldiers (including
2 unidentified) 3
German officer 1
Of these 1,989 men, it will be
seen that 1,353 are unidentified. Eighty-eight are buried in graves in Plot I,
which cannot now be exactly located. Many graves, in all five plots, are
identified in groups but not individually, and the headstones in such cases are
superscribed: " Buried near this spot."
In Plot I is buried Lieutenant
G. W. L. Talbot, in whose memory Talbot House at Poperinghe was established in
December, 1915; and the first list of the graves was made by his brother the
Reverend N. S. Talbot, M.C., later Bishop of Pretoria.
The cemetery covers an area 7033
m2. It is enclosed by a stone rubble wall and stands on relatively
high ground.
The Register records particulars
of 547 War Dead.
British graves from the
following cemeteries were concentrated to Sanctuary Wood:
BEYTHEM COMMUNAL CEMETERY,
RUMBEKE (one United Kingdom burial of October, 1918).
DEERL YCK GERMAN CEMETERY (two
United Kingdom burials of October, 1918; two others were taken to Dadizeele New
British Cemetery).
DONEGAL FARM GERMAN CEMETERY, DRANOUTRE, on the more Southerly road from Dranoutre to Lindenhoek (one unidentified British officer).
EISKELLAR GERMAN CEMETERY,
GHELUVELT, the cemetery of the lo6th Infantry Regiment, between Veldhoek and
Herenthage Chateau (one unidentified; one other burial was taken to Harlebeke
New British Cemetery).
FLANDERS FIELD AMERICAN
CEMETERY, WAEREGHEM, one of the permanent American Military Cemeteries (one
R.A.F. Officer).
HOLLEBEKE CEMETERY NO.60 (or
THREE HOUSES GERMAN CEMETERY) (one unidentified; others were taken to
Oosttaverne Wood Cemetery, Wytschaete).
INGELMUNSTER GERMAN CEMETERY (two R.F.C.; three other British were taken to Harlebeke New British Cemetery).
KASTELHOEK GERMAN CEMETERY (NO.61), HOLLEBEKE, on the road from Houthem to Zillebeke (five United Kingdom soldiers who died January-February, 1917; others were taken to Harlebeke New British Cemetery).
KLEIN-ZILLEBEKE GERMAN CEMETERY,
ZILLEBEKE, between Klein-Zillebeke and Zwarteleen (three unidentified).
KORTEKEER GERMAN CEMETERY NO.
12A, LANGEMARCK, on the road running North from Kortekeer, which is between
Langemarck and Bixschoote (three United Kingdom graves of 1914).
KRUISEECKE GERMAN CEMETERY,
COMINES, on the road from Becelaere to Wervicq (two unidentified; other British
were taken to Zantvoorde British Cemetery).
L'ALOUETTE GERMAN CEMETERY,
NEUVE-EGLISE, 2,000 yards due East of Neuve-Eglise village (three unidentified).
LANGEMARCK GERMAN CEMETERY NO.9,
on the Pilckem road (five United Kingdom soldiers).
LANGEMARCK NORTH GERMAN CEMETERY
(permanent), on the road to Koekuit and Clercken (one unidentified).
MENiN COMMUNAL CEMETERY (one
United Kingdom grave of 1914). MESSINES GERMAN CEMETERY NO.2, at the North-East
corner of the village (seven United Kingdom graves of 1915).
MESSINES GERMAN CEMETERY NO.3, a
little East of the Church (one United Kingdom grave and one Canadian).
MOTOR CAR CORNER CEMETERY GERMAN
EXTENSION, PLOEGSTEERT (seven unidentified who fell in 1918).
PETIT -PONT GERMAN CEMETERY,
PLOEGSTEERT, between Petit-Pont and Hill 63 (two unidentified M.G.C. Officers).
RABSCHLOSS GERMAN CEMETERY
NO.64, MESSINES, 1,500 yards West of Hollebeke village (one unidentified).
REUTEL GERMAN CEMETERY,
BECELAERE (ten unidentified; other British were taken to Perth Cemetery (China
Wall), Zillebeke).
SLYPSKAPPELLE CHURCHYARD,
MOORSLEDE (two United Kingdom soldiers and one Newfoundland; one other is still
buried there).
TERDEGHEM CHURCHYARD (Nord,
France) (four R.G.A. and one Canadian) .
THOUROUT GERMAN CEMETERY NO.2,
due East of Hooghe, on the road running North from Thourout (two R.A.F.,
September 1918).
The cemetery is reached from
leper by the Menin Road as far as "Cafe Canada," and thence by Maple
Avenue, which leads past it to the CANADIAN MEMORIAL on HILL 62. This is a
miniature park, architecturally treated, on the highest point of Observatory
Ridge ( the spur which rises Eastward from Zillebeke village and ends above
Dumbarton Wood).
Something unusual is that there are some KSLI graves within this cemetery, the names of whom are also included on the Menin Gate. One such example is Major William James Rowan-Robinson (Plot II Row 2 Grave 2) - 2nd Bn KSLI.