First DCLI Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery, The Bluff
Encyclopedia
First DCLI Cemetery, The Bluff 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.
of 1918, and it finally returned to Allied hands on 28 September after a push by the 14th (Light) Division. The area is now a provincial nature reserve and picnic area called "Provinciaal Domein Palingbeek".
(DCLI) before the fighting of 1916. At the time of the armistice
it contained burials only from the DCLI but the cemetery was expanded by concentration of graves from the former battlefields.
The cemetery was designed by J R Truelove.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves, and places of commemoration, of Commonwealth of Nations military service members who died in the two World Wars...
burial ground for the dead of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
located near Ypres
Ypres
Ypres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote...
(now Ieper) in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
.
The cemetery grounds were assigned to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in perpetuity by King Albert I of Belgium
Albert I of Belgium
Albert I reigned as King of the Belgians from 1909 until 1934.-Early life:Born Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad in Brussels, he was the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, and his wife, Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen...
in recognition of the sacrifices made by the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
in the defence and liberation of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
during the war.
Immediate area
The area where the cemetery stands, known by soldiers as "The Bluff", is an artificial ridge in the landscape created by spoil from failed attempts to dig a canal. With the additional height in an otherwise relatively flat landscape, The Bluff was an important military objective. German forces took The Bluff in February 1916, and it was recaptured by the 14th (Light) Division on 2 March. In July 1916, the Germans detonated a mine under the ridge, but did not capture it. The Germans took The Bluff during the Spring OffensiveSpring Offensive
The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht , also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, beginning on 21 March 1918, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914...
of 1918, and it finally returned to Allied hands on 28 September after a push by the 14th (Light) Division. The area is now a provincial nature reserve and picnic area called "Provinciaal Domein Palingbeek".
Foundation
The cemetery here was founded by the Duke of Cornwall's Light InfantryDuke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1959. Its lineage is continued today by The Rifles....
(DCLI) before the fighting of 1916. At the time of the armistice
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
it contained burials only from the DCLI but the cemetery was expanded by concentration of graves from the former battlefields.
The cemetery was designed by J R Truelove.
Other cemeteries on "The Bluff"
- Hedge Row Trench Commonwealth War Graves Commission CemeteryHedge Row Trench Commonwealth War Graves Commission CemeteryHedge Row Trench Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission burial ground for the dead of the First World War located near Ypres in Belgium on the Western Front....
- Woods Commonwealth War Graves Commission CemeteryWoods Commonwealth War Graves Commission CemeteryWoods Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission burial ground for the dead of the First World War located near Ypres in Belgium on the Western Front....