A Tour of Ploegsteert Wood Extra – Maple Leaf Cemetery – Updated 2023

A mile and a half to the west of Ploegsteert Village lies the rarely-visited Maple Leaf Cemetery. 

This is a battlefield cemetery, begun in December 1914 and used sporadically until the following summer, when the Canadians sited an Advanced Dressing Station nearby and began, sadly, to use the cemetery on more frequent occasions.  Surprisingly, perhaps, all 167 of the British troops buried here are identified.

The work of the CWGC never ceases.

Cemetery entrance, three German headstones immediately ahead.  Nice cone, by the way.

Repointing required, methinks.

The Cross of Sacrifice greets us on entry, and immediately on our left,…

…those German graves we just saw, each headstone inscribed with two names.  Although the final British burial took place here in December 1917, the Germans used the cemetery to bury nine of their dead in April 1918 after they had captured this area during their spring offensive.  The three other Germans are buried beneath a single headstone that you can see behind, and just to the right of, the tree.

The first graves in Row A,…

…and further along Row A, the three German headstones now in the centre background.

Looking down the length of the cemetery from the end of Row A.  On the far right, one of only four Australian burials here.  The cemetery plan, by kind permission of the CWGC, can be found here.

Looking west, with Row G on the left,…

…and turning to our left, now looking south, back towards the Cross.  A few burials were made here at the end of December 1914, and the cemetery was used throughout 1915 and the first half of 1916 until mid-July, after which regular burials did not start again until late January 1917.  The cemetery was then used throughout 1917, although the only burials here from 1918 are the German graves.

North easterly view across Rows K (closest to camera), L, M & N.  Four headstones along Row K…

…we find the grave of Private Albert Parry, West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales’s Own), who was executed for desertion on 30th August 1917.  For whatever reason, his headstone bears no family inscription.

His medal card simply states his fate.

Crossing the cemetery, and closest to the camera at the end of Row L is the only South African buried here, this serjeant, from the South African Railway Overseas Dominion Service, killed on 3rd May 1917.

The ‘In Perpetuity’ plaque, inlaid into the cemetery’s southern boundary wall,…

…and back at the entrance.  If you do visit any of the Flanders’ cemeteries in person, don’t forget to sign the Visitor’s Book.  Most, although not all, CWGC cemeteries have one, and, whilst it’s always interesting to see where visitors have come from to pay their respects, it also helps the CWGC gather statistical information for what I am sure are really useful purposes.

As we head back towards Ploegsteert Village, these views shows Mont Kemmel, beyond the shed on the left horizon, the Bois de la Hutte on the right,…

…with, further right, Ploegsteert Wood,…

…and even further right, the road to Ploegsteert village.  To the left of the farm buildings, if you look really carefully…

…there’s a bunker,…

…British, undoubtedly, across the cornfields.  Next, we shall return to Ploegsteert Village and continue east, along the southern edge of Ploegsteert Wood, until we arrive at our next stop, Lancashire Cottage Cemetery

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