White House Cemetery was begun in March 1915 and used until April 1918 by units holding this part of the line. It then comprised most of the present Plots I and II.
Cemeteries concentrated here
After the Armistice these Plots III and IV were added, when graves were brought in from the battlefields around Ypres (now Ieper) and from a number of small burial grounds, including the following:- BASSEVILLE FARM GERMAN CEMETERY, ZANTVOORDE, on the Zantvoorde-Zillebeke road, where five soldiers from the United Kingdom were buried in November 1914. BAVARIA HOUSE CEMETERY, YPRES, at an Advanced Dressing Station near Verlorenhoek and close to the Potijze-Zonnebeke road. Here were buried, in September-November 1917, 17 soldiers from the United Kingdom, four from Canada, four from Australia, three from New Zealand and one from the West Indies. BEDFORD HOUSE CEMETERY, ENCLOSURE No.1, ZILLEBEKE, on the East side of the Ypres-St. Eloi road. In this, the oldest of the five Bedford House "Enclosures," ten French soldiers were buried in 1914 and 1915, and 14 soldiers from the United Kingdom in 1915 and 1917. COTTAGE GARDEN CEMETERY, ST. JEAN, close to the main street of the village. Here were buried, in 1914-1915, 44 soldiers from the United Kingdom and one from Canada. GREEN HUNTER CEMETERY, VLAMERTINGHE, close to the cabaret "In den Groenen Jager," a little West of the Vlamertinghe-Voormezeele road. Twenty soldiers from the United Kingdom were buried here in 1915 and 1918. HENGEBAERT FARM CEMETERY, DICKEBUSCH, 600 metres North of Dickebusch village, where 16 soldiers from Australia and ten (all R.F.A.) from the United Kingdom were buried in 1915-1917. NORTH BANK CEMETERY, VOORMEZEELE, (also called Lankhof Cemetery), between Lankhof Farm and the canal. In this cemetery, which was completely destroyed, eleven Canadian soldiers were buried in April and May 1916. WILDE WOOD CEMETERY, ZONNEBEKE, a little North of the Ypres-Roulers railway line, where 17 soldiers from the United Kingdom were buried in July-September 1917.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.
Cemetery Location
The Cemetery is located north-east of Ieper on the Brugseweg (N313) in the direction of Roeselare/Brugge. From the Grote Markt in Ieper take the road called Korte Torhoutstraat and at the end turn left into Lange Torhoutstraat, follow this road over the roundabout into Kalfvart and continue to the traffic lights. At the traffic lights turn right into Brugseweg and the cemetery is along here on the left before the village of St.Jan.
(Linesman Map)
Victoria Cross Holder Buried here
Grave IV.A.44 10531 Private Robert Morrow, V.C., 1st Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria’s), 10th Brigade, 4th Division. Died 26 April 1915, age 24. He was the son of Hugh and Margaret Jane Morrow, of Sessia, Newmills, Dungannon, Co. Tyrone.
He won his V.C. on 12 April 1915 for rescuing wounded comrades from no man’s land south of Messines. An extract from "The London Gazette", No. 29170, dated 22nd May 1915, records the following:- "For most conspicuous bravery near Messines on 12th April 1915, when he rescued and carried successively to places of comparative safety, several men who had been buried in the debris of trenches wrecked by shell fire. Private Morrow carried out this gallant work on his own initiative and under very heavy fire from the enemy."
Shot at Dawn
There are four men who were executed and whose graves were concentrated here after the Armistice. Grave III.P.1 2779 Private Herbert H Chase, 2nd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, 12th Brigade, 4th Division. He deserted previously and deserted for a second time during a German gas attack at Mousetrap Farm on 23 May 1915. He was executed at St Sixtus Monastery near Dozinghem on 12 June, age 21, and buried nearby. His body was exhumed and brought here after the Armistice. Grave II.C.24 7171 Private William J Turpie, 2nd Battalion East Surrey Regiment, 85th Brigade, 28th Division. He deserted on 16 April 1915 as his Battalion was moving up to the front line at Zonnebeke from Vlamertinghe. One of the few who deserted who reached England however, he was caught and returned to his Battalion and executed on 1 July 1915, age 24 and buried near Dickebusch. His body being exhumed and interred here after the Armistice. Grave III.L.10 L/8107 Private Alfred E Eveleigh,1st Battalion The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), 16th Brigade, 6yj Division. Age 27. Grave III. L. 9 L/10098 Private Robert W Gawler, 1st Battalion The Buffs (East Kent Regiment),16th Brigade, 6th Division. Age 29. They had both deserted on a previous occasion. They were executed on 24 February 1916 at Burgomaster Farm near Poperinghe and buried nearby. Their bodies were exhumed and reinterred here after the Armistice.
FALKIRK AND DISTRICT MEN BURIED HERE
Carron & Carronshore
1355 Private Alexander F Buist
7th Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
Age 22
24.5.15
III.C.8
Son of Thomas & Maggie Buist, Carronhouse, Carronshore Rd. Husband of Jessie Ferguson Buist, Carronhouse
1881 Private John McDonald
7th Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
Age 19
24.5.15
III.C.7
Son of John & Ann McDonald, 166 West Carron
Stenhousemuir
2352 Private Charles Laird
'A' Company, 7th Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
Age 22
26.4.15
IV.A.45
Polmont
S/10312 Private James Keigan
8/10th Battalion Gordon Highlanders
24.8.17
III.L.23
Burials
There are now 1,163 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery of which, 322 are unidentified. There are special memorials to 16 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 28 casualties who were buried in other cemeteries, but whose graves could not be found on concentration. The cemetery also contains eight British and one Belgian Second World War burials, all dating from May 1940.
UK – 974
Australian – 40
New Zealand – 25
Canadian – 73
South African – 5
Bermuda – 1
British West Indies – 1
Unnamed 325
WWII – 9 – 8 UK and 1 Belgian