Wevelgem Communal Cemetery

Wevelgem, West-Vlaanderen

Location Information:

Wevelgem Communal Cemetery is located 22 Km east of Ieper town centre on the Meenseweg N8, connecting Ieper to Menen (Menin), Wevelgem and onto Kortrijk. Wevelgem is approached via the Meenseweg N8. From Ieper town centre the Meenseweg is located via Torhoutstraat and then right onto Basculestraat. Basculestraat ends at a main crossroads, directly over which begins the Meenseweg. The cemetery itself is located on the junction with the Moorselestraat and is accessed from the N8 Vanackerstraat.

Historical Information:

The British Expeditionary Force was involved in the later stages of the defence of Belgium following the German invasion in May 1940, and suffered many casualties in covering the withdrawal to Dunkirk. Commonwealth forces did not return until September 1944, but in the intervening years, many airmen were shot down or crashed in raids on strategic objectives in Belgium, or while returning from missions over Germany. Wevelgem Communal Cemetery contains the graves of 63 Commonwealth airmen of the Second World War. Elsewhere in the cemetery there are three First World War burials.