Ploegsteert - A Walk Around the Cemeteries
- Admin
- May 30
- 3 min read
Ploegsteert Memorial and the Ploegsteert Cemeteries hold a fascination for me. On every visit to Flanders I am drawn back to Ploegsteert or Plug Street. I have spent many hours over the years researching the men from Falkirk District and the stories of men from other areas of the UK and the Commonwealth who are buried or commemorated here. Making use of trench maps, excerpts from war diaries, and the diaries of the men who fought here, this guide to the Ploegsteert Cemeteries will enable you to learn new stories about the men who fought and died here and are buried in the CWGC cemeteries. The WW1 battlefield here saw some of the early fighting of 1914 and 1915, including the Christmas Truce of 1914. Mine warfare was a prominent feature with three of the craters from 1917 still visible today. The Ploegsteert bunkers and dugouts that still remain deep in the wood and the series of forts which Anthony Eden, serving with the 21st Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps, and in the line at Reading Fort on Hunter Avenue, described as ‘… a series of unimpressive forts offering no protection from shell fire.’ This was true for his Company Sergeant Reginald Park who was killed when a 5.9 shell landed on a disused fort in which he was rat catching. He is buried in Berks Cemetery Extension. The cemeteries don’t just hold the last resting place of the men, they also hold the stories of their lives. And there are many stories to be told. Not just of those we already know about, but of those we have not met. The very rarely visited Maple Leaf Cemetery at Romarin, Underhill Farm Cemetery, the beautiful and peaceful Toronto Avenue, Rifle House, and Ploegsteert Wood Cemeteries hidden in the wood and not often visited. Hyde Park Corner (Royal Berks) Cemetery, famous for the burial place of Lieutenant Ronald Poulton Palmer and of Rifleman Albert French age 16 however, many overlook the grave of Private Frederick William Giles, age 17, and who was the first burial in this cemetery. Ploegsteert Churchyard with nine burials, seven British and two Canadian, including that of Captain Eric John Western Dolphin, 1st Battalion Hampshires, 11th Infantry Brigade, 4th Division, ‘treacherously shot by the Germans.’ The Ploegsteert domain features beautiful walking trails, picnic areas, and the footprint of the fighting in the Ypres Salient in this area is also all around you.
Getting Around
I park my car in the car park at Ploegsteert village square. The route around the Ploegsteert sector is more or less a circular route. I like to walk or use by bike to get around. If you are pressed for time then use your car. I use trench maps to get around and also refer to Google Maps for the modern landscape. There are now more information points and places of interest opened up. Pay a visit to the Ploegsteert 14-18 Experience located at Hyde Park Corner. Access to some of the paths and trails in Ploegsteert Wood are restricted. When at Underhill Farm Cemetery make a detour and climb Hill 63 for some great views.
Iron Harvest
A word of warning, if you find unexploded munitions please leave them well alone not just for your own safety but for that of others who maybe in your party. Remember it is illegal to take this type of ‘souvenir’ back to the UK. Take a photo/video and post it on your social media channel.
The Ploegsteert Cemeteries
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