Lendelede Communal Cemetery

Lendelede Communal Cemetery is a small municipal burial ground in the village of Lendelede, in the Belgian province of West Flanders, roughly 8 kilometres north of the town of Kortrijk. Like most communal cemeteries in this part of Flanders, it primarily serves as the local resting place for residents of Lendelede and the surrounding area, but it also holds a single grave connected to the Second World War, placing it on the map of Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) sites in Belgium.

What makes this cemetery notable?

The cemetery's wartime significance goes back to May 1940, during the German invasion of Belgium and the early, chaotic weeks of the Second World War. As German forces pushed through the Low Countries, the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was drawn into the defence of Belgian territory, fighting a series of rearguard actions meant to slow the advance and buy time for the withdrawal of Allied troops toward the coast and, eventually, Dunkirk. Losses during this period were heavy and widely scattered, with soldiers being buried, sometimes individually, in whatever local cemetery lay closest to where they fell.

That is how one Commonwealth serviceman came to be buried at Lendelede: a member of the 12th Royal Lancers, a regiment of the Royal Armoured Corps, who died on 25 May 1940 at the age of 32. The 12th Lancers were among the reconnaissance units used to screen the BEF's movements during the retreat, often operating ahead of or alongside the main columns, which placed them at particular risk during the fast-moving fighting of that month.

Where is the grave located?

Visitors looking for the Commonwealth grave will find it just inside the cemetery entrance, a short walk of about 15 metres up the path, on the right-hand side. It sits among the graves of the local community, a quiet reminder that the war reached even small villages far from the front lines that later became famous.

Why visit Lendelede Communal Cemetery?

For most travellers, Lendelede itself is a modest rural stop rather than a major destination, but the cemetery offers a low-key, reflective counterpoint to the larger and more heavily visited CWGC sites around Ypres and the Ypres Salient, which lie roughly 30-40 kilometres away. Because only one Commonwealth grave is present, a visit here takes just a few minutes, making it an easy addition for anyone exploring West Flanders' network of war cemeteries and memorials, or for those with a personal or family connection to the 12th Royal Lancers.

Najczęstsze pytania / FAQ

Is Lendelede Communal Cemetery a war cemetery? No, it is a regular municipal cemetery for the village of Lendelede. It contains just one Commonwealth war grave from the Second World War, in addition to the graves of local residents.

Who is buried in the Commonwealth grave? A soldier of the 12th Royal Lancers, Royal Armoured Corps, who died on 25 May 1940, aged 32, during the fighting that accompanied the British withdrawal toward Dunkirk.

Where exactly is the grave within the cemetery? Through the main entrance and about 15 metres along the path, on the right-hand side.

Is the cemetery maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission? The individual Commonwealth grave is recorded and cared for under CWGC records, even though the cemetery as a whole is a civilian communal cemetery managed locally.