Essex Farm Cemetery, Ypres

Essex Farm Cemetery stands as a poignant reminder of the brutal realities of World War I, located near the city of Ypres in Belgium. This solemn site is the final resting place for soldiers who fought in the surrounding Flanders fields, a region that witnessed some of the most intense and sustained fighting of the war.

The cemetery was established in 1915 and is situated on the grounds that were once part of the Essex Farm Advanced Dressing Station, where medical personnel treated the wounded from the Ypres Salient battles. Among those who served here was the Canadian physician and poet, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, who penned the immortal poem "In Flanders Fields" after the death of a friend in May 1915.

Covering an area of relatively small size, Essex Farm Cemetery contains the graves of over 1,200 Commonwealth soldiers. The headstones are uniformly aligned, creating an atmosphere of order amidst the chaos of war that once consumed the landscape. Among the graves are those of many unknown soldiers, their headstones bearing the solemn inscription, "A Soldier of the Great War, Known unto God."

The cemetery also includes a notable memorial to the 49th West Riding Division, commemorating their sacrifice during the Battle of Ypres. Visitors will find a special headstone for Valentine Joe Strudwick, one of the youngest casualties of the British Army, who died at just 15 years of age.