Potijze Burial Ground Cemetery, Belgium (CWGC)

POTIJZE BURIAL GROUND CEMETERY

West-Vlaanderen

Belgium

GPS Coordinates - Latitude: 50.86041, Longitude: 2.90991

Location Information

The cemetery is located to the North-East of the town of Ieper. From the station turn left and drive along Fochlaan to the roundabout, turn right and go to the next roundabout. Here turn left into Haiglaan and drive to the next roundabout. Here turn right into Oude Veurnestraat, this then changes into Diksmuidseweg and Brugseweg. Drive along this road and continue straight over the traffic lights to the end of the road. At the T junction turn left (still Brugseweg) and continue along this road the N313 to the village of Sint Jan. At the crossroads in the village turn right onto the N345, Potijzestraat, follow this road and the cemetery is approx 400 metres along on the right hand side.

Visiting Information

Wheelchair access to the site is possible, but may be by an alternative entrance.

Historical Information

Potijze was within the Allied lines during practically the whole of the First Word War and although subject to incessant shell fire, Potijze Chateau contained an Advanced Dressing Station. Potijze Burial Ground Cemetery was used from April 1915 to October 1918.

There are now 584 Commonwealth burials of the First World War within the cemetery.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield and Noel Ackroyd Rew

Total Burials: 586.

Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 559, Australia 3, Germany 2, Canada 1. Total 565.

Unidentified Casualties: United Kingdom 21.

Dedications

13505 Serjeant Henry (Harry) Evans, 11th Bn., Essex Regiment, 14th March 1916 aged 30. Son of David & Jane Evans of Ringmer, Sussex.

Remembered by great nieces Wendy Green & Karen Green (granddaughters of his sister Elizabeth)

11744 Lance Corporal
Ernest James Kelly
2nd Bn. Scots Guards
17th March 1916, aged 24.
Row E. 9.

Son of James and Margaret Kelly, of 9, Banks Rd., West Kirby, Cheshire.

9489 Corporal
William Edgar May
2nd Bn. Hampshire Regiment
9th August 1916, aged 20.
Row U. 1.

Son of William Thomas and Emily May, of Bishop's Waltham, Hants.

Lieutenant
Cecil Gordon Salmon
3rd Bn. attd. 2nd Bn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment)
14th June 1915, aged 20.
Row BI. 20.

Son of the Rev. Alexander Salmon and Elizabeth Salmon. Educated at Denstone College, Staffs.

15241 Private
Albert E. Smith
1st Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own)
4th March 1916, aged 18.
Row G. 2.

Son of John William Smith, of Drinkstone Green, Bury St. Edmund's.

15029 Private
Albert Sutton
2nd Bn. Sherwood Foresters, (Notts and Derby Regiment)
5th October 1915, aged 23.
Row DI. 1.

Son of Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Sutton, of 1, Ridgeway Buildings, West St., Retford.

7028 Private
Thomas Tournay
2nd Bn. Sherwood Foresters, (Notts and Derby Regiment)
25th August 1915, aged 34.
Row CI. 8.

Son of Mrs. E. J. Tournay, of 115, Barnby Gate, Newark.

Picture courtesy of Kevin Scott

Images in this gallery © Werner Van Caneghem

Portrait of a German prisoner captured in the attack on Vampire Farm near Potijze, during the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge, 20th September 1917. © IWM Q 2860