POPERINGHE OLD
MILITARY CEMETERY
Poperinge
West-Vlaanderen
Belgium
GENERAL DIRECTIONS: Leave Ieper by taking the Elverdingsestraat, then over two roundabouts in J. Capronstraat, the Poperingseweg is a continuation of this road and begins after the railway crossing. On reaching the Poperinge ring road (R33), continue for 1km before turning right into Deken De Bolen, the cemetery is located 200m from the ring road, level with the junction of Polenlaan.
Poperinge was in the hands of the British for the majority of the war, although it was fairly close to Ypres, it was just out of range of almost all enemy guns. It became a base for Casualty Clearing Stations and later Field Ambulances.
The Old Military Cemetery was started in October 1914 and closed to British burials in May 1915, although one man of the Chinese Labour Corps was buried here in 1919. The graves of 800 French and Belgian soldiers and almost 500 civilians were removed after the armistice. The civilian casualties died mostly as a result of an outbreak of typhoid at the end of 1914 and were brought here from an emergency hospital in the now destroyed neighbouring Chateau.
Shot at Dawn: Coolie C. C. Wang, Chinese Labour Corps, executed for murder, 08/05/1919, Plot 2. O. 54.
CASUALTY DETAILS: UK 403; Canada 48; Germany 2; Total Burials: 453
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