White House Cemetery

White House Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) burial ground located in the Ypres Salient in West Flanders, Belgium. It holds the graves of soldiers who died during the First World War on the Western Front, forming part of the dense network of war cemeteries surrounding the town of Ypres (Ieper).

Where is White House Cemetery located?

The cemetery sits close to Ypres itself, within the area known as the Ypres Salient — the bulge in the front line that surrounded the town on three sides for much of the First World War. This small stretch of land saw some of the most devastating battles of the conflict, and the surrounding countryside remains dotted with war cemeteries, memorials, and sites of remembrance to this day.

What is a CWGC cemetery?

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is the organisation responsible for commemorating and maintaining the graves of Commonwealth service personnel — from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, and other nations — who died in the two World Wars. CWGC cemeteries share a distinctive, recognisable design: rows of uniform white headstones inscribed with the details of each soldier, carefully tended lawns and planting, and often a central Cross of Sacrifice or Stone of Remembrance — features found across CWGC sites throughout Europe.

Why are there so many war cemeteries in this area?

The Ypres Salient was the setting for several major First World War battles, including the three Battles of Ypres, fought between British, French, Belgian and German forces amid the static, grinding conditions of trench warfare. The sheer scale of casualties in this region led to the establishment, after the war, of a dense network of smaller and larger military cemeteries — many founded on the sites of former dressing stations, front-line positions, or places where the fallen were buried close to where they died. White House Cemetery is one of these sites, a relatively small cemetery that forms part of this wider landscape of remembrance.

What should visitors know before going?

CWGC cemeteries are open to the public year-round and free to visit. These are quiet, solemn places, and visitors are asked to behave respectfully, since each headstone represents an individual soldier's story, someone who died far from home. A visit to White House Cemetery pairs naturally with time spent in Ypres itself, home to the Menin Gate and its daily Last Post ceremony, as well as with the many other cemeteries and memorials scattered across the former battlefields nearby.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is White House Cemetery? The cemetery is located in the Ypres Salient, close to the town of Ypres in the province of West Flanders, Belgium.

Who is buried at White House Cemetery? It is a Commonwealth war cemetery holding the graves of soldiers who died on the Western Front during the First World War.

Is there an entry fee? No. Cemeteries maintained by the CWGC are free to visit and open to the public throughout the year.

Should visitors combine this with other sites in Ypres? Yes — the Ypres area is one of the largest concentrations of First World War cemeteries and memorials in Europe, so it's worth planning a visit that also takes in the town centre and the Menin Gate.