Buttes New British Cemetery
Facts and practical information
Buttes New British Cemetery, located in Belgium, is a solemn reminder of the sacrifices made during World War I. This hallowed ground is the final resting place for soldiers who fought in the surrounding battlefields, particularly those who fell during the Battle of Polygon Wood in September 1917. The cemetery lies within Polygon Wood itself, near the town of Zonnebeke, in the West Flanders province.
Established by the Australian 2nd Division in October 1917, the cemetery was originally named Buttes New British Cemetery (New Buttes Cemetery) to distinguish it from a now non-existent burial ground established during the Battle of Polygon Wood. The 'New' was later dropped, and it became known simply as Buttes New British Cemetery.
Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the cemetery is meticulously maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It is characterized by its symmetrical layout and the Cross of Sacrifice, which is a common feature in Commonwealth war cemeteries. The Buttes New British Cemetery contains 2,108 burials, with a significant number of them being unidentified, their headstones bearing the inscription "A Soldier of the Great War, Known unto God."
The site also includes the New Zealand Memorial to the Missing, which commemorates 378 New Zealand soldiers who died in the Polygon Wood area during the latter half of 1917 and have no known grave. The memorial is a poignant tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of these soldiers.
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