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Tyne Cot cemetery, the largest British commonwealth cemetery in the world with almost 12,000 soldiers buried there, was a sobering and humbling experience for me. Row after row after row of simple white tombstones of British, Canadian, Australian men who died well before their time.
The name comes from the Northumberland infantrymen who tried to take the ridge here who thought that the German bunkers looked like Tyneside cottages. The white Cross of Sacrifice was built over one of these bunkers, you can still see a small square of one of the bunkers there.
At the rear of the cemetery is a semicircular wall that has the names of almost 35,000 soldiers who have no known grave and didn't fit on the Menin Gate which has another 55,000 names inscribed on it.
If driving, the cemetery is fairly well marked by signs, we didn't need a map to locate it. Leave a Comment Directions: Tyne Cot Cemetery is located 9 kilometres north east of Ieper town centre, on the Tynecotstraat, a road leading from the Zonnebeekseweg (N332).
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If you have only time to visit one of the cemeteries around Ypres this is certainly the one I would advise.
First, from the ridge on which is located the cemetery the visitor has an extended view on what was the most important part of the Ypres Salient to the north-east with the villages of Zonnebeke and Passendale. From the cemetery one sees in the distance the town of Ieper/Ypres. The visitors centre at the back of the cemetery shows maps of the third battle of Ypres which happened right here.
Second reason is certainly that Tyne Cot is the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the world with 12.000 graves. It is a beautiful one showing the typical Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) cemetery layouts, architectural structures and horticultural environment. The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.
The visitor will find here the Cross of Sacrifice, a simple cross embedded with a bronze sword and mounted on an octagonal base, designed by the architect Reginald Blomfield to represent the faith of the majority and the Stone of Remembrance, designed by architect Edwin Lutyens to commemorate those of all faiths and none. The uniform graves and headstones are those decided by the GWGC (see my specific tip).
Most graves are British, Australian, Canadian and from New-Zealand but 70% of the burials are of unknown soldiers. The fighting was intense here; there are 4 bunkers left, one is at the base of the Cross of Sacrifice.
At the back stands the Tyne Cot Memorial which forms the far wall of the cemetery and commemorates those with no known grave from 16th August 1917 on. There are 34.870 names engraved arranged by regiment and rank. The 54.896 names of the soldiers reported missing from before 16th August 1917 are engraved on the walls of the Menin Gate in the centre of Ieper.
There is a small entry near the visitors centre leading directly to the parking for buses and cars (no toilets). The main entry is on the down side of the cemetery.
There are about 200.000 visitors/year. Address: Tynecotstraat, Zonnebeke-Passendale.Directions: Tyne Cot Cemetery is located 9 kilometres north east of Ieper town centre, on the Tynecotstraat, a road leading from the Zonnebeekseweg (N332).
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 Tyne Cot entrance by JosM |
 Postcard - 1993 by grayfoLeave a Comment Address: Below Passchendaele villageDirections: N303 north of Zonnebeke.
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The Third Battle of Ypres had the village of Passchendaele as its target.
The mud was so deep that men and horses drowned.
General Haig said: 'Good God, did we send men to fight in that?'.
Yes. They did.
Lions led by donkeys.
Go if you can, take an organised tour if you know little or nothing of what happened.
Tyne Cot has a new visitors' centre, which brings you closer to the reality. These were real people.
I have a page on Tyne Cot: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/73696/5499d/
And one on the First World War in Flanders: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/73696/171/
They may help. Leave a Comment
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 Tyne Cot Cemetary by myriam_c
Originally this battlefield cemetery had only 343 graves but it was enlarged after Armistice. It is now the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the world in terms of burials, about 12000.
Tyne Cot Memorial is in the background. On Tyne Cot Memorial there are about 35000 names of soldiers whose graves are not known and who died between August 1917 and the end of the war. Leave a Comment Directions: Tyne Cot Cemetery is located 9 kilometres north east of Ieper town centre, on the Tynecotstraat in Passendale.
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Although this huge graveyard is a little way from Ieper it really should be visited.
The Cemetery is located 9 kilometres north east of Ieper town centre, on the Tynecotstraat, a road off the Zonnebeekseweg (N332). There is also a visitors centre there with things that belonged to the soldiers buried here. What i thought so moving was that the names and ages of the soldiers were read out through speakers as you walked to the visitors centre - it somehow inpressed on you that they were real people and just how young most of them were. My grandfather fought and was injured in the Somme and this place helped me think of his life during the war years. Leave a Comment Directions: Tyne Cot Cemetery is located 9 kilometres north east of Ieper town centre, on the Tynecotstraat, a road leading from the Zonnebeekseweg (N332).
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The largest military cemetery in the world with 12,000 gravestones and the 35,000 names of soldiers whose remains were never found inscribed in the circling wll of the cemetery.
Some graves looked as though newly created and our guide explained that these killing fields still continue to yield up the lost.
All human remains discovered are sent to a centre in Scotland for identifcation, using the most up to date modern technology, before they are returned for a proper burial - sometimes with family representatives present.
We arrived early at the cemetery and met, on their way out, a large group of young, teenage, cadets from Britain whose bus stood waiting for them. They stood quietly to one side to let us through.
I don't think I have ever seen such saddened, solemn faces on a group of young people.
Their visible reaction to the visit says all there is to say. Leave a Comment Directions: Tyne Cot Cemetery is located 9 kilometres north east of Ieper town centre, on the Tynecotstraat, a road leading from the Zonnebeekseweg (N332).
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 Memorial for the Missing by JosM |
 Tyne Cot by Kettleman
It takes its name from the nickname given to the pillboxes in the area, and is attributed to the Northumberland troops that thought they looked like cottages from their native NE of England.
The cemetery contains the graves of over 11000 soldiers from Britain and the Commonwealth plus 4 German soldiers.
The central area with the cross is actually built over a German concrete bunker, which is still visible through some holes in the build.
The walls in the background are engraved with the names of soldiers that have no known grave, and is the overspill from the Menin Gate in the Ypres/Ieper city centre. Leave a Comment Directions: North-East of Ieper/Ypres
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