MAPLE LEAF CEMETERY
Hainaut
Belgium
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 50.72056 Longitude: 2.83899
© Werner Van Caneghem
Location Information
Maple Leaf Cemetery is located 14 Kms south of Ieper town centre, on a road leading from the Rijselseweg, N365, which connects Ieper to Wijtschate, Mesen, Ploegsteert and on to Armentieres. From Ieper town centre the Rijselsestraat runs from the market square, through the Lille Gate (Rijselpoort) and directly over the crossroads with the Ieper ring road. The road name then changes to the Rijselseweg. On reaching the village of Ploegsteert, turn right at the church onto rue du Romarin. At the end of this road lies the left hand turning onto Niepkerkestraat (for only 50 metres), then immediately right onto Zakstraat. The cemetery is located 50 metres beyond the right hand turning onto Zakstraat.
Visiting Information
Wheelchair access possible via main entrance.
Historical Information
Maple Leaf Cemetery was begun in December 1914 by fighting units and field ambulances, but from July 1915 to April 1916, the village was occupied by the Advanced Dressing Station of the 3rd Canadian Field Ambulance and the cemetery thus acquired its present name. The last Commonwealth burial was made in December 1917, but German graves were added in April 1918 when the cemetery was in German hands.
The cemetery contains 167 Commonwealth and nine German burials of the First World War.
The cemetery was designed by G H Goldsmith.
Total Burials: 176.
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 82, New Zealand 43, Canada 39, Germany 7, Australia 4, South Africa 1. Total 176.
Maple Leaf Cemetery is located 14 Kms south of Ieper town centre, on a road leading from the Rijselseweg, N365, which connects Ieper to Wijtschate, Mesen, Ploegsteert and on to Armentieres. From Ieper town centre the Rijselsestraat runs from the market square, through the Lille Gate (Rijselpoort) and directly over the crossroads with the Ieper ring road. The road name then changes to the Rijselseweg. On reaching the village of Ploegsteert, turn right at the church onto rue du Romarin. At the end of this road lies the left hand turning onto Niepkerkestraat (for only 50 metres), then immediately right onto Zakstraat. The cemetery is located 50 metres beyond the right hand turning onto Zakstraat.
Visiting Information
Wheelchair access possible via main entrance.
Historical Information
Maple Leaf Cemetery was begun in December 1914 by fighting units and field ambulances, but from July 1915 to April 1916, the village was occupied by the Advanced Dressing Station of the 3rd Canadian Field Ambulance and the cemetery thus acquired its present name. The last Commonwealth burial was made in December 1917, but German graves were added in April 1918 when the cemetery was in German hands.
The cemetery contains 167 Commonwealth and nine German burials of the First World War.
The cemetery was designed by G H Goldsmith.
Total Burials: 176.
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 82, New Zealand 43, Canada 39, Germany 7, Australia 4, South Africa 1. Total 176.
Images in this gallery © Geerhard Joos
67197 Driver
David Chequer
"C" Bty. 113th Bde. Royal Field Artillery
4th December 1915, aged 21.
Row F. 4.
Son of Margaret Lindford (formerly Chequer), of 2, Cleaver St., Burnley, and the late Robert Chequer. Native of Shawforth, Lancs.
David Chequer
"C" Bty. 113th Bde. Royal Field Artillery
4th December 1915, aged 21.
Row F. 4.
Son of Margaret Lindford (formerly Chequer), of 2, Cleaver St., Burnley, and the late Robert Chequer. Native of Shawforth, Lancs.
15399 Private
James Parrott
8th Bn. South Lancashire Regiment
18th October 1915, aged 45.
Row E. 5.
Husband of Hannah Parrott, of 64, Brown St., Macclesfield.
Picture courtesy of Luc D'haene
James Parrott
8th Bn. South Lancashire Regiment
18th October 1915, aged 45.
Row E. 5.
Husband of Hannah Parrott, of 64, Brown St., Macclesfield.
Picture courtesy of Luc D'haene
89892 Gunner
Reuben N. Theobald
Royal Garrison Artillery
13th May 1917, aged 28.
Row N. 8.
Son of John and Eliza Theobald, of Lincoln; husband of Lucy Theobald, of 9, St. Thomas St., Scarborough.
Pictures courtesy of great, great niece, Heidi Langham
Reuben N. Theobald
Royal Garrison Artillery
13th May 1917, aged 28.
Row N. 8.
Son of John and Eliza Theobald, of Lincoln; husband of Lucy Theobald, of 9, St. Thomas St., Scarborough.
Pictures courtesy of great, great niece, Heidi Langham
4th December 1917; Dressing station occupied by the 9th (Australian) Field Ambulance at Pont-d'Achelles, on the Bailleul-Armentieres Road, near Steenwerck. Note the unidentified guard in the bottom right hand corner.
Pictures in this gallery © Werner Van Caneghem
Dog handler of the Royal Engineers (Signals) with his messenger dogs at a Army Veterinary Corps HQ Kennel near Nieppe Wood, 19 May 1918. Note the dogs feet, bandaged as a result of injuries caused by mustard gas. © IWM (Q 10965)
Shot at Dawn
42467 Private Albert Parry, 2nd Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment, (Prince of Wales's Own) executed for desertion 30th August 1917. Row K. 4. Husband of Alice Maude Parry, of 11, Empringham Terrace, Dalby Street, Hull. The eighth soldier in his Division to be executed. (Putkowski, p 189)
42467 Private Albert Parry, 2nd Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment, (Prince of Wales's Own) executed for desertion 30th August 1917. Row K. 4. Husband of Alice Maude Parry, of 11, Empringham Terrace, Dalby Street, Hull. The eighth soldier in his Division to be executed. (Putkowski, p 189)
Picture © Geerhard Joos
Officers of the Forestry Control Department on one of the trucks. Forest de Nieppe, March 1917. © IWM (Q 4745)
1917; Stretcher cases awaiting attention or evacuation from a Casualty Clearing Station believed to be Pont-d'Achelles Hospital near Nieppe, during the Battle of Messines.
A group of soldiers of the Lancashire Fusiliers infantry regiment at the entrance to a communication trench between walls of sandbags running from Hyde Park Corner at the corner of Ploegsteert Wood to the front line. January 1917. © IWM Q 4647
Ploegsteert Wood, Belgium. 26 December 1917. Men of the 22nd Battalion, laying down wire entanglements, behind the line at Ploegsteert Wood. Hill 63 is seen in the background. The men were living in hutments at Kortepyp Camp where Christmas Day was spent. The Battalion was in reserve and fatigue parties were sent forward daily by the light railway to Ploegsteert where wiring was carried out and extensive salvaging operations undertaken under the supervision of Major J. S. Dooley MC. The area was very quiet at this time and received only desultory shelling.
