Oxford Road Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery

Oxford Road
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Used for those deceased 1917–1918
Established August 1917
Location 50°52′08″N 02°55′00″E / 50.86889°N 2.91667°E
near Ieper, West Flanders, Belgium
Designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield
Total burials 853
Burials by nation
Burials by war
Statistics source: WO1.be

Oxford Road Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission burial ground for the dead of the First World War located near Ypres (now Ieper) in Belgium 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]

Foundation

Stone of Remembrance

The cemetery, named after the nickname of a nearby road behind the trenches, was established as two cemeteries.[2] The first was laid down in August 1917. The second, nearby, was begun in 1917. After the armistice, battlefield graves were consolidated between the two, creating one enlarged cemetery.[3]

The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.[2]

Notable graves

South African-born Captain Clement Robertson VC is buried in this cemetery.[4][5] He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for valour on 4 October 1917 at Zonnebeke.

Sergeant Colin Blythe of the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, an exceptional spin bowler who had played for Kent and England and was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1904.[6]

References

  1. ↑ First World War, accessed 19 August 2006
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "CWGC :: Cemetery Details". www.cwgc.org. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  3. ↑ "Wereldoorlog I in de Westhoek – Oxford Road". www.wo1.be. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  4. ↑ "Oxford Road Cemetery". ww1cemeteries.com. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  5. ↑ Clement Robertson at Find a Grave
  6. ↑ "Combat cricketers". National Army Museum. Retrieved 2009-05-23.

External links