Bedford House Cemetery - Zillebeke, Belgium
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member pmaupin
N 50° 49.733 E 002° 53.483
31U E 492350 N 5630801
[EN] Bedford House Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission burial ground for the dead of the First World War located near Zillebeke. [FR] Bedford House Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission burial ground for the dead of the First World War located near Zillebeke.
Waymark Code: WM15A51
Location: West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
Date Posted: 11/20/2021
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member bluesnote
Views: 0

"The cemetery grounds were assigned to the United Kingdom in perpetuity by King Albert I of Belgium in recognition of the sacrifices made by the British Empire in the defence and liberation of Belgium during the war.

Zillebeke was directly behind the Western Front, making it a useful site for divisional headquarters and field ambulance stations. Château Rosendal, a large house with a moat and extensive gardens was put to this use. The British forces in the area named the château "Bedford House" or "Woodcote House", with the former becoming the official name used for the post-war cemetery.

Whilst the area remained in Allied hands through the war, it was devastated by shell fire and the château was razed over the course of the war, being hit by German 8-inch shells, as well as 500 gas shells in just one day of the Third Battle of Ypres.

Five cemeteries were established in the grounds. At the end of the war, the earliest of these was moved to White House cemetery in Sint Jan, whilst the fifth was relocated to Aeroplane cemetery in Ypres. "

Sources : The Cemetery

Photo goes Here

"Le cimetière a été attribué à perpétuité au Royaume-Uni par le roi Albert Ier de Belgique en reconnaissance des sacrifices consentis par l'Empire britannique pour la défense et la libération de la Belgique pendant la guerre.

Zillebeke se trouvait directement derrière le front occidental, ce qui en faisait un site utile pour les quartiers généraux divisionnaires et les postes d'ambulance de campagne. Château Rosendal, une grande maison avec un fossé et de vastes jardins a été mise à cet usage. Les forces britanniques dans la région ont nommé le château "Bedford House" ou "Woodcote House", le premier devenant le nom officiel utilisé pour le cimetière d'après-guerre.

Alors que la zone est restée aux mains des Alliés pendant la guerre, elle a été dévastée par des tirs d'obus et le château a été rasé au cours de la guerre, frappé par des obus allemands de 8 pouces, ainsi que 500 obus à gaz en un seul jour de la Troisième bataille d'Ypres.

Cinq cimetières ont été créés sur le terrain. À la fin de la guerre, le premier a été transféré au cimetière de la Maison Blanche à Sint Jan, tandis que le cinquième a été transféré au cimetière des avions à Ypres."

Sources : Le Cimetière

Website: [Web Link]

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