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Messines Ridge British Cemetery

Memorials	:	5
Location	:	Mesen, Arrondissement Ieper, Belgium
Coordinate	:	50.7645700, 2.8909700
Description	:	Visiting Information: Wheelchair access to the cemetery is possible, but may be by an alternative entrance. For further information regarding wheelchair access, please contact our Enquiries Section on telephone number 01628 507200. Location Information: Messines Ridge British Cemetery is located 9.5 kilometres south of Ieper town centre on the Nieuwkerkestraat, a road leading from the Rijselseweg, N365, which connects Ieper to Wijtschate, Mesen and on to Armentieres. From Ieper town centre the Rijselsestraat runs from the market square, through the Lille Gate (Rijselpoort) and directly over the crossroads with the Ieper ring road. The road name then changes to the Rijselseweg.... Read More	Visiting Information: Wheelchair access to the cemetery is possible, but may be by an alternative entrance. For further information regarding wheelchair access, please contact our Enquiries Section on telephone number 01628 507200. Location Information: Messines Ridge British Cemetery is located 9.5 kilometres south of Ieper town centre on the Nieuwkerkestraat, a road leading from the Rijselseweg, N365, which connects Ieper to Wijtschate, Mesen and on to Armentieres. From Ieper town centre the Rijselsestraat runs from the market square, through the Lille Gate (Rijselpoort) and directly over the crossroads with the Ieper ring road. The road name then changes to the Rijselseweg. Nieuwkerkestraat is a right hand turning from the N365 in the town of Mesen. The cemetery lies 250 metres after this right hand turning, on the left hand side of the road. Historical Information: Messines (now Mesen) was considered a strong strategic position, not only from its height above the plain below, but from the extensive system of cellars under the convent known as the Institution Royale. The village was taken from the 1st Cavalry Division by the German 26th Division on 31 October-1 November 1914. An attack by French troops on 6 -7 November was unsuccessful and it was not until the Battle of Messines on 7 June 1917 that it was retaken by the New Zealand Division. On 10-11 April 1918, the village fell into German hands once more after a stubborn defence by the South African Brigade, but was retaken for the last time on 28-29 September 1918. MESSINES RIDGE BRITISH CEMETERY, which stands on ground that belonged to the Institution Royale, was made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefield around Messines and from a number of small burial grounds in the area. The dates of death of those buried here range from October 1914 to October 1918, but the majority died in the fighting of 1917. There are now 1,531 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in the cemetery. 954 of the burials are unidentified but special memorials commemorate a number of casualties known or believed to be buried among them, or who were buried in other cemeteries where their graves were destroyed by shell fire. Within the cemetery stands the MESSINES RIDGE (NEW ZEALAND) MEMORIAL which commemorates over 800 soldiers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who died in or near Messines in 1917 and 1918 and who have no known grave. This is one of seven memorials in France and Belgium to those New Zealand soldiers who died on the Western Front and whose graves are not known. The memorials are all in cemeteries chosen as appropriate to the fighting in which the men died. Both cemetery and memorial were designed by Charles Holden. No. of Identified Casualties: 577

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Messines Ridge British Cemetery?
Messines Ridge British Cemetery is located at Mesen, Arrondissement Ieper ,West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen) ,Belgium.
Messines Ridge British Cemetery cemetery's updated grave count on graveviews.com?
5 memorials
Where are the coordinates of the Messines Ridge British Cemetery?
Latitude: 50.7645700
Longitude: 2.8909700

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Nearby Cemetories:

1. Messines Ridge New Zealand Memorial
Mesen, Arrondissement Ieper, Belgium
Coordinate: 50.7649474, 2.8909312

2. Sint-Niklaaskerk
Mesen, Arrondissement Ieper, Belgium
Coordinate: 50.7640800, 2.8987640

3. Island of Ireland Peace Park
Mesen, Arrondissement Ieper, Belgium
Coordinate: 50.7594550, 2.8951760

4. Mesen Communal Cemetery
Mesen, Arrondissement Ieper, Belgium
Coordinate: 50.7669322, 2.9017516

5. Bethleem Farm West Cemetery
Mesen, Arrondissement Ieper, Belgium
Coordinate: 50.7585700, 2.9066200

6. Cabin Hill Military Cemetery
Heuvelland, Arrondissement Ieper, Belgium
Coordinate: 50.7739600, 2.9049100

7. Bethleem Farm East Cemetery
Mesen, Arrondissement Ieper, Belgium
Coordinate: 50.7608100, 2.9115100

8. Derry House Cemetery No. 2
Heuvelland, Arrondissement Ieper, Belgium
Coordinate: 50.7790800, 2.9006500

9. Torreken Farm Cemetery #1
Heuvelland, Arrondissement Ieper, Belgium
Coordinate: 50.7823900, 2.8921900

10. R.E. Farm Cemetery
Heuvelland, Arrondissement Ieper, Belgium
Coordinate: 50.7671200, 2.8602600

11. Ration Farm La Plus Douve Cemetery Annex
Comines-Warneton, Arrondissement de Mouscron, Belgium
Coordinate: 50.7548300, 2.8637100

12. La Plus Douve Farm Military Cemetery
Comines-Warneton, Arrondissement de Mouscron, Belgium
Coordinate: 50.7529200, 2.8645700

13. Spanbroekmolen British Cemetery
Heuvelland, Arrondissement Ieper, Belgium
Coordinate: 50.7783700, 2.8670900

14. Lone Tree Military Cemetery
Mesen, Arrondissement Ieper, Belgium
Coordinate: 50.7745300, 2.8619200

15. Prowse Point Military Cemetery
Comines-Warneton, Arrondissement de Mouscron, Belgium
Coordinate: 50.7438800, 2.8985800

16. Wytschaete Military Cemetery
Heuvelland, Arrondissement Ieper, Belgium
Coordinate: 50.7849600, 2.8769600

17. Mud Corner Cemetery
Comines-Warneton, Arrondissement de Mouscron, Belgium
Coordinate: 50.7420900, 2.8983500

18. Wijtschate Communal Cemetery
Wytschaete, Arrondissement Ieper, Belgium
Coordinate: 50.7873400, 2.8840100

19. Wulvergem Churchyard
Heuvelland, Arrondissement Ieper, Belgium
Coordinate: 50.7595600, 2.8547600

20. Saint Quentin Cabaret Military Cemetery
Comines-Warneton, Arrondissement de Mouscron, Belgium
Coordinate: 50.7569700, 2.8556500

21. Toronto Avenue Cemetery
Comines-Warneton, Arrondissement de Mouscron, Belgium
Coordinate: 50.7407200, 2.9000300

22. Somer Farm Cemetery
Heuvelland, Arrondissement Ieper, Belgium
Coordinate: 50.7904600, 2.8897900

23. Underhill Farm Cemetery
Comines-Warneton, Arrondissement de Mouscron, Belgium
Coordinate: 50.7411700, 2.8702400

24. Ploegsteert Memorial
Ploegsteert, Arrondissement de Mouscron, Belgium
Coordinate: 50.7378000, 2.8822800

Messines Ridge British Cemetery

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