Maple Copse Cemetery, Belgium (CWGC)

MAPLE COPSE CEMETERY

West-Vlaanderen

Belgium

Location Information

Maple Copse Cemetery is located 5 Kms south-east of Ieper town centre, a road leading from the Meenseweg (N8), connecting Ieper to Menen.

From Ieper town centre the Meenseweg is located via Torhoutstraat and right onto Basculestraat. Basculestraat ends at a main cross roads, directly over which begins the Meenseweg.

2.5 Kms along the Meenseweg shortly after Birr Cross Roads Cemetery, lies the right hand turning onto Wulvestraat. 1 Km along the Wulvestraat is the left hand turning onto Schachteweidestraat. The cemetery itself is located 2 Kms along the Schachteweidestraat on the right hand side of the road.

Visiting Information

Wheelchair access possible via main entrance.

Historical Information

The commune of Zillebeke contains many Commonwealth cemeteries as the front line trenches ran through it during the greater part of the First World War.

Maple Copse was the name given by the Army to a small plantation about 900 metres east of the village of Zillebeke, and just west of Sanctuary Wood. The place was used by Advanced Dressing Stations and burials took place there both before and after the Battle of Mount Sorrel in June 1916. However, in that engagement, and in later fighting, the graves were mostly destroyed. The site of the cemetery, on the north side of the copse, was enclosed after the Armistice, but of the graves known to exist there, only a small number could be definitely located.

The cemetery now contains 308 burials and commemorations of the First World War. Of the 78 burials that could be located, only 26 are identified and special memorials commemorate 232 casualties whose graves in the cemetery had been destroyed.

Total Burials: 308.

Identified Casualties: Canada 143, United Kingdom 114. Total 257.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and Noel Ackroyd Rew

British graves in Maple Copse cemetery east of Zillebeke in the Ypres Salient, 1919. © IWM (Q 109521)

16638 Private
Stephen Jackson
9th Bn. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
4th December 1915, aged 27.
Sp. Mem. C. 14.

Lived at 19 Scarlett Street, Burnley

1251 Driver
John Wilfred Hodson Randles
6th Staffs. Battery, 3rd North Midland Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
13th July 1915, aged 17.
Special Memorial B. 17.

Son of George and Emma Randles, of 18, Railway St., Stafford.

My mother believes the attached photo to be of him but we are not 100% sure of this so if anyone could confirm this then that would be marvellous.

Picture courtesy of great niece, Kay Gaunt

Pictures in this gallery © Werner Van Caneghem

Dug-outs and trenches in Maple Copse, August 1915. © IWM (Q 49348)

Dug-outs in Maple Copse, a few days after the attack by the 18th Brigade, 6th Division, on the 9th August 1915, to restore the line at Hooge. © IWM (Q 50256)