Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen
The cemetery is located to the north-west of Poperinge near Krombeke. From Ieper follow the directions to Poperinge along the by-pass. At the end of the by-pass at the traffic lights turn right into Oostlaan. Follow Oostlaan over the roundabout to the end of the road. Turn left into Veurnestraat and follow along here to the first turning on the right. (From Poperinge centre, follow the directions to Veurne along the Veurnestraat to the second turning on the left.) Turn into Sint-Bertinusstraat and follow this road up the rise and round a left hand bend. After the bend, take the right hand turning in the direction of Krombeke along the Krombeekseweg. Follow the Krombeekseweg past the "De Lovie" centre and past a cafe on the left. Shortly after the cafe on the left, you will see a sign for the cemetery pointing to a track on the right into the woods. The cemetery is along here at the end of the track.
Westvleteren was outside the front held by Commonwealth forces in Belgium during the First World War, but in July 1917, in readiness for the forthcoming offensive, groups of casualty clearing stations were placed at three positions called by the troops Mendinghem, Dozinghem and Bandaghem. The 4th, 47th and 61st Casualty Clearing Stations were posted at Dozinghem and the military cemetery was used by them until early in 1918. There are now 3,174 Commonwealth burials of the First World War in the cemetery and 65 German war graves from this period. The cemetery also contains 73 Second World War burials dating from the Allied withdrawal to Dunkirk in May 1940. The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.
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