Essex Farm Cemetery - Ieper (Ypres), West-Vlaanderen, Belgium - Veteran Cemeteries on Waymarking.com

Between 1915 and 1918, the site where Essex Farm Cemetery is located was a Canadian field artillery dressing station. A small bunker to care for the wounded was set up in 1915 using sandbags, boards and reinforced panels. In the fall and winter of 1916/1917, British engineers fortified and enlarged the field hospital with concrete structures.

The Canadian medical doctor Major John McRae, later lieutenant colonel, served in the field hospital in the spring of 1915 and cared for the wounded of the 1st Canadian Artillery Brigade and the victims of the gas attack of April 22nd, 1915 in Sint Juliaan. Here he wrote the poem "In Flanders Fields" on May 3rd, 1915, which is probably one of the most popular poems about the First World War. The poppy mentioned in the poem became a symbol for the fallen. The bunker system is still preserved, an information board explains the bunker, gives some historic background and refers to John McRae.

In the war years 1915 to 1918 1204 soldiers were buried in the cemetery, 102 could not be identified. After the war the graves were cared for by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the monuments at the entrance and in the cemetery were designed by the architect Sir Reginald Blomfield. The graves are still looked after by the "Commonwealth War Graves Commission" by British cemetery gardeners. Accordingly, white, uniformly shaped and about 80cm high tombstones made of Portland sandstone, the cross of sacrifice at the entrance, a memorial for the 49th (West Riding) Division and short lawns characterize the image of the cemetery.

The cemetery is accessible all times, since the gate is always open.

References:
- sign near by the bunker
- Essex Farm Cemetery, entry at cwgc.org (Commonwealth War Graves Commission)
- Essex Farm Cemetery, Wikipedia

Date cemetery was established: 1915 Visiting hours: You can visit any time, the gate is always open. Website pertaining to the cemetery: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
Please submit a photo(s) taken by you of your visit to the location (non-copyrighted photos only). GPS photos are also accepted with the location in the background, and old vacation photos are accepted. If you are not able to provide a photo, then please describe your visit or give a story about the visit.

We would also like to hear about any of your deceased family members who may be laid to rest in the cemetery.

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