Toronto Avenue Cemetery

Toronto Avenue Cemetery is a small First World War burial ground tucked away inside Ploegsteert Wood, within the municipality of Comines-Warneton (Dutch: Komen-Waasten) in the province of Hainaut, Wallonia, Belgium. It is one of the many cemeteries scattered across this former front-line region, but it holds a distinction that sets it apart from nearly every other war cemetery in the country.

What makes this cemetery unique?

Toronto Avenue Cemetery holds 78 graves, all belonging to Australian soldiers of the 9th Brigade, 3rd (Australian) Division. It is the only cemetery in Belgium containing exclusively Australian burials, making it a distinctive site for anyone tracing Australia's involvement on the Western Front. It is also notable for being one of the few cemeteries in the region where the headstones retain full identifying details for those buried beneath them — in many comparable cemeteries from this period, a significant share of the graves belong to unidentified soldiers.

Why are these soldiers buried here?

The men resting at Toronto Avenue Cemetery were killed during the Battle of Messines, fought between 7 and 10 June 1917. This battle was part of a wider Allied offensive in Flanders, aimed at capturing the strategically important ridge near Messines (Mesen) and pushing German forces from their fortified positions. Losses on both sides were heavy, and many of the fallen from Australian units were laid to rest close to where they fell, in nearby Ploegsteert Wood — an area that remained under Allied control for most of the war and served as a relatively stable, though still dangerous, sector of the front.

What is it like to visit, and how do you get there?

The cemetery sits deep within Ploegsteert Wood, away from any main road. It can only be reached on foot, along a track running through the trees — a post blocking the path prevents any vehicle access. This secluded, forested setting has helped the cemetery retain a quiet, undisturbed character, similar to many of the smaller burial grounds scattered along the former Western Front, far removed from the more heavily visited memorial sites.

Regional context

Comines-Warneton is a municipality situated right on the border with France, within the province of Hainaut. Along with neighbouring West Flanders, this area saw intense fighting throughout the First World War, and the surrounding woods and fields still contain dozens of war cemeteries of varying size, many maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Toronto Avenue Cemetery, though modest in scale, forms an important part of this wider network of remembrance sites tied to the Western Front.

Frequently asked questions

How many graves are at the cemetery? 78 graves, all belonging to Australian soldiers of the 9th Brigade, 3rd (Australian) Division.

When did the soldiers buried here die? During the Battle of Messines, between 7 and 10 June 1917.

Can you drive to the cemetery? No — it is accessible only on foot via a woodland track, with a post blocking vehicle access.

What makes this cemetery stand out? It is the only cemetery in Belgium containing exclusively Australian burials, and most headstones still identify the individual soldiers buried there.