Dickebusch New Military Cemetery

Dickebusch New Military Cemetery and Extension is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) burial ground for the dead of the First World War, located in the Ypres Salient on the Western Front in Belgium, near the village of Dikkebus (French: Dickebusch) just southwest of Ypres.

Where exactly is it located?

The cemetery sits at coordinates 50.81829, 2.83277, in the countryside surrounding Ypres to the southwest. This area, known to military historians as the Ypres Salient, was one of the most fiercely contested and costly sectors of the entire Western Front for almost the whole duration of the First World War. Ypres itself, along with surrounding villages such as Dikkebus, sat at the heart of repeated offensives and counter-offensives fought between Entente forces and the German Empire.

What does "New Cemetery and Extension" mean?

The name indicates that the burial ground began as a new military cemetery, to which an extension was later added — a common pattern for cemeteries established close to dressing stations and casualty evacuation routes during the years-long fighting around Ypres. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the organisation responsible for maintaining the graves of Commonwealth servicemen who died in both World Wars, oversees hundreds of such sites across Flanders, many of them clustered tightly around Ypres itself.

Why does the Ypres Salient have so many war cemeteries?

The region around Ypres became emblematic of an exceptionally long and attritional campaign: successive battles for the town were fought here, and the front line in this sector barely moved for years despite enormous losses on both sides. One consequence of this static, positional warfare is the sheer density of war cemeteries within a small radius of the town — ranging from large necropolises to small, intimate burial grounds established directly behind the front line or near medical posts, a category that includes the cemetery at Dickebusch.

What should visitors know before going?

CWGC cemeteries, including Dickebusch New Military Cemetery, share a recognisable, uniform layout: rows of white headstones, carefully tended lawns and planting, and a quiet, contemplative atmosphere regardless of the site's size. These cemeteries are open to the public year-round and form part of the broader First World War remembrance trail across West Flanders, which also takes in nearby Ypres with its Menin Gate and the In Flanders Fields Museum.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an entrance fee? No — cemeteries maintained by the CWGC are open to the public free of charge.

How do you get to Dickebusch New Military Cemetery? The cemetery lies near the village of Dikkebus, southwest of Ypres town centre, reachable via local roads and cycling routes that connect the region's many war remembrance sites.

Is this the only war cemetery in the area? No — the countryside around Ypres, including the Dikkebus area, has one of the highest concentrations of First World War cemeteries anywhere in Europe, a direct result of the prolonged fighting in the Ypres Salient.

Who maintains the cemetery? The site is cared for on an ongoing basis by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which is responsible for the graves of Commonwealth service personnel around the world.