History Information (Source: CWGC)

During the First World War, the village of Lijssenthoek was situated on the main communication line between the Allied military bases in the rear and the Ypres battlefields. Close to the Front, but out of the extreme range of most German field artillery, it became a natural place to establish casualty clearing stations.The cemetery was first used by the French 15th Hopital D'Evacuation and in June 1915, it began to be used by casualty clearing stations of the Commonwealth forces.From April to August 1918, the casualty clearing stations fell back before the German advance and field ambulances (including a French ambulance) took their places.  Lijssenthoek was one of the cemeteries visited by King George V in May 1922. The King, who lost members of his own family in the war, embarked on a tour of a number of cemeteries while they were being formally established by the Commission.

The cemetery contains 9,901 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 24 being unidentified. There are 883 war graves of other nationalities, mostly French and German, 11 of these are unidentified. There is 1 Non World War burial here.  There is also a section with 35 graves for workers of the Chinese Labour Corps who died in the area of Ypres and Poperinge during and just after the First World War.

The only concentration burials were 24 added to Plot XXXI in 1920 from isolated positions near Poperinghe and 17 added to Plot XXXII from St. Denijs Churchyard in 1981.  Eight of the headstones are Special Memorials to men known to be buried in this cemetery, these are located together alongside Plot 32 near the Stone of Remembrance.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield and Captain Arthur James Scott Hutton. Hutton was appointed to the Commission as Assistant Architect in France, Belgium and Germany, working with Blomfield, Sir Herbert Baker and Sir Edwin Lutyens.

Citation

An extract from "The London Gazette," No. 29328 dated 15th Oct., 1915, records the following:-For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty at Lone Pine trenches, in the Gallipoli Peninsula, on 9th August, 1915. In the early morning the enemy made a determined counter attack on the centre of the newly captured trench held by Lieutenant Tubb. They advanced up a sap and blew in a sandbag barricade, leaving only one foot of it standing, but Lieutenant Tubb led his men back, repulsed the enemy, and rebuilt the barricade. Supported by strong bombing parties, the enemy succeeded in twice again blowing in the barricade, but on each occasion Lieutenant Tubb, although wounded in the head and arm, held his ground with the greatest coolness and rebuilt it, and finally succeeded in maintaining his position under very heavy bomb fire.

Grave Reference: XIX. C. 5.

(Source: Wikipedia)