AEROPLANE CEMETERY
Ieper
West-Vlaanderen
Belgium
GENERAL DIRECTIONS: Take the Torhoutstraat from the market square onto the small roundabout, go right here into Basculestraat, at the crossroads turn left onto Zonnebeekseweg, the cemetery is 3km along this road on the right, just beyond the French Cemetery. Access and parking are easy.
Before the start of the Third Battle of Ypres on 31 July 1917 the site of the cemetery stood in No Man’s Land until it was taken by the 15th (Scottish) and 55th (West Lancashire) Divisions, the cemetery was then started in August 1917 under the name of New Cemetery Frezenberg by the 15th and 16th (Irish) Divisions. However, by October 1917 the cemetery gained its present name from the wreck of an aeroplane which lay near to the present position of the Cross of Sacrifice. The cemetery continued to be used by fighting units until March 1918 when the area was taken by the Germans, eventually re-taken in September 1918 the cemetery was later enlarged after the armistice.
Shot at Dawn: Privates A.D. Thompson, J. Robinson and B. Hartells all of the Worcestershire Regiment were shot for desertion on 26 July 1915, they are buried together in Plot 2 Row A 6, 7, 8.
Casualty Details: UK 831; Canada 48; Australia 208; New Zealand 17; South Africa 1; Total burials 1105
Plan of the cemetery
Cemetery plan courtesy of Barry Cuttell
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