At the entrance of the cemetery is also the Messines Ridge (New Zealand) Memorial. This Memorial of the Missing is one of the seven memorials in Belgium and France for New Zealand soldiers who died on the Western Front and have no known grave. The Cross of Sacrifice is on top of this monument and the Stone of Remembrance is central to the cemetery. Because the cemetery is higher than the street level, the open access consists of a dozen steps.

The cemetery contains 1,531 casualties of which 957 could no longer be identified.

Translated by Google •

🇧🇪 Herwig Aertbeliën

February 2, 2023

Messines (now Messines) was considered a strong strategic position, not only because of its elevation above the plain below, but also because of the extensive system of cellars below the monastery known as the 'Institution Royale'. The village was captured from the 1st Cavalry Division by the German 26th Division on 31 October - 1 November 1914. An attack by French troops on 6 – 7 November was unsuccessful and it was not until the Battle of Messines on 7 June 1917 that it was recaptured by the New Zealand Division. On 10-11 April 1918 the village fell again to German hands after a stubborn defense by the South African Brigade, but was recaptured for the last time on 28-29 September 1918.

MESSINES RIDGE BRITISH CEMETERY, which stands on land belonging to the 'Institution Royale' (the Cross of Sacrifice stands on the site of the Institution's windmill), was established after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the Messines battlefield and from the next small cemeteries.

More info at cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemeteries-memorials/cemetery-details/55400/messines-ridge-british-cemetery

Translated by Google •

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Location: Mesen, Ieper, West Flanders, Flanders, Belgium

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