| Dickebusch New Military Cemetery and Extension | |
|---|---|
| Commonwealth War Graves Commission | |
| Used for those deceased 1915-1918 | |
| Established | 1915 |
| Location | near Dikkebus, West Flanders, Belgium |
| Designed by | Sir Edwin Lutyens |
| Total burials | 1,171 |
| Unknown burials |
13 |
| Burials by nation | |
Allied Powers: (Cemetery/Extension)
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| Burials by war | |
| World War I: 624/547 | |
| Statistics source: WW1Cemeteries.com [1][2] and CWGC [3][4] | |
Dickebusch New Military Cemetery and Extension are Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) burial grounds for the dead of the First World War located in the Ypres Salient on the Western Front.
The cemetery grounds were assigned to the United Kingdom in perpetuity by King Albert I of Belgium in recognition of the sacrifices made by the British Empire in the defence and liberation of Belgium during the war.[1]
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The main cemetery was founded in February 1915 by field ambulances and troops in the area[2] after the closure of the Old Military Cemetery a short distance away.[3]
The Extension - across the road from the cemetery - was established in May 1917,[2] again for use by ambulance units and troops.[3]
The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.
Amongst the dead in the main cemetery is Lance Corporal Joseph Stanley Victor Fox of the Wiltshire Regiment, attached to the 3rd Division Cyclists' Company.[4]
L/Cpl Fox was executed by his own side for desertion on 20 April 1915.[5] He was 20 years old. He had been fired on while on patrol, his company swimming a canal to regroup. They were sent back to retrieve their abandoned bicycles, but Fox did not return - his bicycle was unusable and he was unable to find his unit. He was found in February 1915 but gave false details, fearful of being shot for desertion despite having no control over his original disappearance. The court martial took this into account, but senior officers overruled them.[6]
On 7 November 2006, the British government reversed its previous decision and announced a pardon for all soldiers executed in the Great War.[7]
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