Menin Road South Military Cemetery

Menin Road South Military Cemetery is a British war cemetery near Ypres (Ieper) in Belgium, maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). It stands along the route of the old Menin Road, which ran east and slightly south from Ypres towards a front line that, for most of the war, shifted only a few kilometres in either direction. The ground on which the cemetery sits remained within Allied lines throughout the conflict.

When was the cemetery established?

Burials at this site began in January 1916, first carried out by the 8th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment, and the 9th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. The cemetery continued to be used by fighting units and field ambulances stationed in the area right up until the summer of 1918, meaning it was in active use for almost the entire duration of the fighting around Ypres.

What happened to the cemetery after the war?

The number of graves grew substantially after the Armistice. Remains were brought in from the nearby Menin Road North Military Cemetery, as well as from isolated graves scattered across the former battlefields to the east. This kind of post-war consolidation was common practice for the Commission during the 1920s: smaller or more exposed burial grounds were gradually cleared, and the fallen were reburied in larger, better-maintained cemeteries where their graves could be properly cared for.

How many servicemen are buried or commemorated here?

Today, 1,657 First World War servicemen are buried or commemorated at Menin Road South Military Cemetery. Of these, 118 burials remain unidentified. Special memorials have been erected for 24 casualties who are known, or believed with reasonable certainty, to be buried among these unidentified graves. In addition, the cemetery holds special memorials to 54 casualties originally buried at Menin Road North Military Cemetery, whose graves were most likely destroyed by shellfire and could never be relocated.

Who designed the cemetery?

The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield, one of the principal architects who worked with the Imperial War Graves Commission (the forerunner of the CWGC) on the design of war cemeteries across France and Belgium after the First World War. His designs are typically marked by restrained, symmetrical layouts intended to create a calm, dignified setting for remembrance.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the cemetery located? The cemetery lies near Ypres (Ieper), in the Belgian province of West Flanders, along the route of the former Menin Road heading east out of the city.

Is this the only cemetery connected to the Menin Road? No. A related site, Menin Road North Military Cemetery, once stood nearby. After the war, identifiable graves from that cemetery were transferred here, while special memorials were raised for those whose graves could no longer be found.

Can visitors access the cemetery? Yes. Like other CWGC sites in the Ypres area, it is open to the public and forms part of the wider network of First World War cemeteries and memorials that visitors to Flanders' former battlefields commonly explore.

Over what period was the cemetery used for burials? The cemetery was in use from January 1916 through the summer of 1918, and further graves were added afterwards when remains were brought in from nearby battlefield sites and the neighbouring Menin Road North Military Cemetery.