Divisional Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission burial ground for the dead of the First World War located in Vlamertinge at Ypres on the Western Front in Belgium.

Divisional
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Divisional Cemetery
Used for those deceased 1915–1916 and 1917
EstablishedApril 1915
Location50°50′54″N 02°51′28″E / 50.84833°N 2.85778°E / 50.84833; 2.85778
near 
Designed bySir Edwin Lutyens
Total burials283
Unknowns
6
Burials by nation
Burials by war
Statistics source: wo1.be

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.[1]

Foundation

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The cemetery was founded in April 1915.[2] The cemetery contains the bodies of 23 troops of the 2nd Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment, killed when German forces attacked and took Hill 60 with the use of poison gas.[3]

Fighting then moved away from the Vlamertinge area, returning in July 1917 during the Third Battle of Ypres and causing the cemetery to be reopened.[4] It was then used by artillery units until the line moved away again later that year.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.[2]

References

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  1. ^ First World War, accessed 19 August 2006
  2. ^ a b Commonwealth War Graves Commission Divisional Cemetery Details, accessed 13 October 2007
  3. ^ wo1.be Archived September 4, 2004, at the Wayback Machine, accessed 13 October 2007
  4. ^ WW1Cemeteries.com Archived 2007-10-13 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 13 October 2007
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