Talana Farm Cemetery

Talana Farm Cemetery is a British First World War cemetery located near Ypres, in the commune of Boezinge on the western bank of the Yser Canal. The site sat barely a kilometre from the edge of the Ypres Salient, with German lines running along the eastern side of the canal for most of the war.

Where does the name come from?

The cemetery takes its name from nearby farm buildings that British troops named after the Battle of Talana Hill, fought in October 1899 during the Second Boer War in South Africa. Naming farms and landmarks along the front after earlier military campaigns was a common practice among British units operating in this sector.

When was the cemetery established?

The cemetery was begun by French troops in April 1915. It was taken over in June of the same year by the 1st Rifle Brigade and the 1st Somerset Light Infantry, and continued to be used by fighting units right through to March 1918 — spanning almost the entire period of heaviest fighting around Ypres.

Who is buried here?

The cemetery now contains 529 Commonwealth burials and commemorations from the First World War. Plots III and IV hold numerous graves of soldiers from the 49th (West Riding) Division, along with graves of artillery units that took over this section of the front in August 1917. Fourteen of the burials remain unidentified, and special memorials commemorate six casualties whose graves within the cemetery could not be individually located. A further ten men, buried together in Plot I, Row E, are identified only as a group rather than individually. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission notes it is probable that the cemetery once held additional graves that were later destroyed by shellfire.

Who designed the cemetery?

The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield, one of the principal architects commissioned by the Imperial War Graves Commission and the designer of the Cross of Sacrifice found across war cemeteries throughout Europe. In his memoirs, Blomfield explained that in designing the cross he aimed to make it "as abstract and impersonal" as possible, free from association with any particular architectural style.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Talana Farm Cemetery located? The cemetery lies in the commune of Boezinge, on the western bank of the Yser Canal, close to the city of Ypres in the Belgian province of West Flanders.

What period of the war do the burials cover? The burials span from April 1915 to March 1918, covering almost the entire course of the fighting for the Ypres Salient, including the Third Battle of Ypres.

How many people are commemorated at the cemetery? 529 Commonwealth servicemen are buried or commemorated here, though a number of the burials remain unidentified.

Can visitors access the cemetery? Yes. Like most sites maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Talana Farm Cemetery is freely open to the public and forms part of the wider battlefield remembrance trail around Ypres in Flanders.