Maple Leaf Cemetery

Maple Leaf Cemetery is a small World War I war cemetery in Nieuwkerke, a village in the municipality of Heuvelland in West Flanders, close to the French border. Set in a quiet rural landscape away from the region's larger, better-known war cemeteries, it offers a more intimate and reflective stop for anyone tracing the history of the Great War in Flanders.

Where does the name come from?

The cemetery was begun in December 1914, established by fighting units and field ambulances operating in the area at the time. Its present name, however, comes from a later period: between July 1915 and April 1916, Nieuwkerke was home to the Advanced Dressing Station of the 3rd Canadian Field Ambulance. The presence of Canadian medical units — and their national emblem, the maple leaf — gave the cemetery the name it still carries today.

Who is buried here?

The cemetery holds 176 First World War graves in total. Of these, 167 belong to soldiers of Commonwealth nations: 80 from the United Kingdom, 39 from Canada, 43 from New Zealand, 4 from Australia, and 1 from South Africa. Alongside them lie 9 German war graves, two of which remain unidentified. This mix of nationalities reflects the shifting fortunes of this small corner of Flanders, which repeatedly changed hands between front line and rear medical area over the course of the war.

The last British soldier was buried here in December 1917. A few months later, in April 1918, during the German spring offensive, the area around Nieuwkerke fell into German hands — which explains the presence of German graves from that period within a cemetery originally used to bury Allied soldiers.

What does the cemetery look like?

The cemetery was designed by George Goldsmith and is today maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), the organisation responsible for the upkeep of thousands of similar sites across Belgium and France. The familiar CWGC layout — rows of uniform white headstones, carefully tended lawns, and a calm, symmetrical composition — gives even a cemetery this modest in size a sense of order and quiet dignity.

Why visit?

Maple Leaf Cemetery represents the hundreds of small war cemeteries scattered across West Flanders that, together, form a far more complete picture of the Great War than the large, famous cemeteries alone. A visit here traces the story of a single patch of ground — from a Canadian dressing station, through the presence of soldiers from four Commonwealth continents, to the temporary German occupation of the site in the war's final year. It is a modest but telling place for anyone interested in First World War history and the military heritage of the Ypres Salient area.

Frequently asked questions

Where does the name Maple Leaf Cemetery come from? The name refers to the maple leaf, Canada's national symbol — between 1915 and 1916 a Canadian field ambulance dressing station was stationed in the village, giving the cemetery its lasting name.

How many graves are at the cemetery? There are 176 First World War graves in total: 167 Commonwealth war graves and 9 German war graves.

Who maintains the cemetery? The cemetery is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), following the original design by architect George Goldsmith.

Where exactly is the cemetery located? In Nieuwkerke, a village in the municipality of Heuvelland, in West Flanders, Belgium, near the French border.