Hagle Dump Cemetery

Hagle Dump Cemetery is a First World War British military cemetery located roughly 7.5 km west of Ypres (Ieper) town centre, on the Sint Pietersstraat road leading toward Poperinge, within the municipality of Elverdinge in Belgium. Its name comes from a nearby military supply dump, next to which both the cemetery and the adjacent Hagle Farm Camp once stood.

When was the cemetery established?

The burial ground was started on 27 April 1918, during the Battles of the Lys — one of the final major German offensives on the Western Front. That same day, a nearby ammunition dump exploded, killing twenty-three men whose graves now lie together in Plot I, Rows C and D. This tragic incident was the direct reason the cemetery came into existence at this particular spot.

How long was it used?

The cemetery served fighting units and field ambulances until October 1918, covering the final stretch of fighting in this sector. After the Armistice in November 1918, the cemetery was substantially enlarged: more than 200 graves were brought in from the surrounding battlefields of the Ypres Salient and placed in Plots III and IV.

How many graves does it contain?

Hagle Dump Cemetery now holds 437 Commonwealth burials from the First World War, of which 139 remain unidentified — a sadly common outcome for many soldiers who fell in the Flanders battlefields. The cemetery also once held the graves of 26 American soldiers, killed between July and September 1918, along with two French soldiers; these were later moved to other burial grounds, which is why they no longer appear among the current burials.

Who designed the cemetery?

The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield, one of the principal architects appointed by the Imperial War Graves Commission (today's Commonwealth War Graves Commission) to design war cemeteries after the First World War. Blomfield is also credited with creating the Cross of Sacrifice, the recognisable monument found at the majority of British war cemeteries worldwide. Architect Arthur Hutton assisted him on the project.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the cemetery located? In Elverdinge, part of the municipality of Ieper (Ypres), along the road toward Poperinge, in the West Flanders province of Belgium.

Why is it called a "Dump" cemetery? The name refers to a nearby military supply dump, next to which the burial ground and an adjoining army camp were originally set up.

Is it one of the larger cemeteries in the Ypres area? With 437 burials, it ranks as a medium-sized cemetery compared to the largest Ypres Salient cemeteries such as Tyne Cot, but its history — from the tragic ammunition dump explosion to the post-war concentration of graves from the battlefields — makes it a significant place of remembrance.

Can visitors come to the cemetery? Yes, like most cemeteries maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, it is freely accessible to visitors throughout the year.