COXYDE MILITARY CEMETERY
De Panne
West-Vlaanderen
Belgium
GENERAL DIRECTIONS: Coxyde Military Cemetery is located approximately 500 metres beyond the village of Koksijde on the N396 towards De Panne. From Koksijde Dorp the N396, Houtsaegerlaan crosses the Zeelaan and at the same time changes its name to Robert Vandammestraat. 1 kilometre along the Robert Vandammestraat N369, on the right hand side, lies the cemetery.
In June 1917, Commonwealth forces relieved French forces on 6 kilometres of front line from the sea to a point south of Nieuport (now Nieuwpoort), and held this sector for six months. Coxyde (now Koksijde) was about 10 kilometres behind the front line. The village was used for rest billets and was occasionally shelled, but the cemetery, which had been started by French troops, was found to be reasonably safe. It became the most important of the Commonwealth cemeteries on the Belgian coast and was used at night for the burial of the dead brought back from the front line. The French returned to the sector in December 1917 and continued to use the cemetery, and during 1918, Commonwealth naval casualties from bases in Dunkirk (now Dunkerque) were buried there. After the Armistice, graves were brought into the cemetery from isolated sites and from other cemeteries in the area. The cemetery was used again during the Second World War, chiefly for the burial of casualties sustained during the defence of the Dunkirk-Nieuport perimeter in May 1940. The cemetery now contains 1,507 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, the French graves from this period having since been removed. Of the 154 Second World War burials, 22 are unidentified. The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.
CEMETERIES CONCENTRATED INTO COXYDE MILITARY CEMETERY:
Furnes Road British Cemetery
Oosthoek Military Cemetery
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Shot at Dawn:
Private W. Wycherley 2nd Manchester Regiment executed 12/9/17 and buried in Plot 3 Row G. 6. - Desertion.
Rifleman F. W. Cheeseman 18th Kings Royal Rifle Corps, executed 20/10/17, he is buried in Plot 4 Row G. 23. - Desertion.
Sapper A. P. Oyns 50th Search Light Company Royal Engineers, executed 20/10/1917, Plot 4 Row G. 24. - Murder.
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CASUALTY DETAILS: UK 1453; Canada 15; Australia 18; New Zealand 19; South Africa 2; Germany 10; Total Burials: 1517
WW2 Plot
Lieutenant
Ralph Dorchell Doughty MC.
3rd A. F. A. Brigade,
Australian Field Artillery
25/07/1917, aged 26.
Son of William Mamby Doughty, and the late Susanna Doughty, of Stratford, New Zealand.
Plot I. F. 20.
Picture courtesy of Peter Kivell, great, great nephew.
More information and the diaries of Lt. Doughty
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buried within this cemetery: LITTLEWOOD, Pte. Austin. 1604. 2nd Bn King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. Died 15th July 1917. Age 25. He joined the forces a few days after the outbreak of teh war, and had been in France 2 years and 8 months. One of three brothers who served. I. H. 18. HAGAR, Pte. J. 202731. 2nd Bn. King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. Died 2nd October 1917. Age 18. A Native of Dewsbury. He tried to enlist at 16 but owing to his very juvenile appearance the Army authorities refused to take him. As soon as they would have him , at 17, he commenced soldiering and left for France June 1917. Pte Hagar was killed whilst leaving the trenches. IV. E. 7. |
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