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Buttes New British Cemetery and 5th Australian Division Memorial

Buttes New British Cemetery and 5th Australian Division Memorial

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Buttes New British Cemetery and 5th Australian Division Memorial

Recommended by 76 hikers out of 78

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Location: Zonnebeke, Ieper, West Flanders, Flanders, Belgium

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Tips

🇧🇪 Herwig Aertbeliën

September 15, 2022

A former military shooting range becomes a battlefield.
The once beautiful forest has been replanted twice over the years. During the Great War it was transformed into a mud plain with only the Buttes rising above it. The Germans expanded this landscaped hill into a fortified place. The recapture of the Buttes was quite a challenge for the Australians at the end of September 1917, but it was successful. A front cemetery was constructed on this site during the German occupation. In the autumn of 1917 this place was shared with the British war dead. Now 1,422 fallen soldiers are buried there. The forest (... or the place where the forest stood was subsequently replanted). The second time the forest was cut down was during WWII. The trees were then used as beach obstacles (Rommel's asparagus poles) in the Atlantic Wall. After WWII the forest was replanted. Finally, in 1955, the German fallen were exhumed and transferred to a collective cemetery. One German soldier is still buried in this cemetery. Don't forget to visit the front cemetery across the street.
Still a very special place. Today you can still walk in the forest and think about the nonsense of war.
Parking is available within walking distance (100 m) from the site.

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Maciou

May 23, 2022

Beautiful and peaceful cemetery.

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Franky De Witte

October 31, 2022

Buttes New British Cemetery is located in the Polygon Forest. The cemetery was designed by Charles Holden. This cemetery has a memorial to the 5th Australian Division and a New Zealand Memorial. The Memorial consists of 2 buildings connected by a colonade and commemorates the missing New Zealanders. Across the street is the smaller Polygon Wood Cemetery.

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Elevation 60 m

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Wednesday 5 November

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Max wind speed: 18.0 km/h

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See hikes here

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Location: Zonnebeke, Ieper, West Flanders, Flanders, Belgium

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Buttes New British Cemetery and 5th Australian Division Memorial

1. Peace Monument Sculpture – Polygon Wood Cemetery loop from Mexico

2. Polygoonbos – Polygon Wood Cemetery loop from Zonnebeke

3. Zillebekevijver – Polygon Wood Cemetery loop from Torrepoort

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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