London Rifle Brigade Cemetery

London Rifle Brigade Cemetery is a British war cemetery located about 800 metres beyond the village of Ploegsteert, on a road leading from the Rijselseweg (N365), in the municipality of Comines-Warneton in the Hainaut province of Belgium. It lies roughly 15 kilometres south of the centre of Ypres, in an area British soldiers of the First World War nicknamed "Plugstreet" — their anglicised rendering of the Flemish name Ploegsteert.

Where does the cemetery's name come from?

The cemetery takes its name from 22 burials of soldiers of the London Rifle Brigade, then part of the 4th Division, made in Plot III in January, February and March 1915. These early burials gave the site the name it still carries today.

When was the cemetery established and used?

The cemetery was begun by units of the 4th Division in December 1914. It was used on a regular basis by the fighting units holding this section of the line, as well as by field ambulances, until August 1917, although occasional burials continued to be made afterwards, up to March 1918. In April and May 1918 a number of German burials were also made here, during the period when the area fell under German occupation. Ploegsteert itself remained under Allied control for most of the war, passing into German hands only between 10 April and 29 September 1918.

Who designed the cemetery?

The cemetery was designed by the architect Charles Holden, one of the principal architects who worked on Commonwealth war cemeteries across the former battlefields of Flanders and France for the then Imperial War Graves Commission, now the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC).

How many burials does the cemetery contain?

London Rifle Brigade Cemetery is the resting place of 353 British, Australian and New Zealand soldiers — 335 Commonwealth war graves from the First World War in total, one of which remains unidentified. The cemetery also contains 18 German war graves.

What memorial can be found at the site?

In June 1927, Lieutenant-General Sir H.F.M. Wilson, formerly General Officer Commanding the 4th Division, unveiled a tablet set into the wall at the north corner of the cemetery. The tablet commemorates the dedication of the cemetery by the Bishop of London on Easter Day 1915, and records the sacrifice of 91 officers and 1,831 other ranks of the London Rifle Brigade who died during the war.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the cemetery located? On the N365 road, about 800 metres beyond the village of Ploegsteert, in the municipality of Comines-Warneton, roughly 15 km south of Ypres.

Why is it called London Rifle Brigade Cemetery? Because of 22 burials of soldiers from that unit made here in early 1915, in Plot III.

Are German soldiers also buried here? Yes — alongside the 335 Commonwealth graves, the cemetery contains 18 German war graves, dating from April and May 1918.

Who designed the cemetery? The architect Charles Holden, one of the principal designers of Commonwealth war cemeteries from the First World War.