Railway Dugouts Burial Ground

 memorial, monument, cemetery, First World War 1914-1918, heritage, interesting place

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CWGC, Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery.

Located two kilometres to the west of the village of Zillebeke, the railway runs on an embankment, overlooking a small farmstead, known to the British as Transport Farm. A cemetery was started here in April 1915 and continued to be made until the armistice. The cemetery was heavily used in 1916 and 1917, when Advanced Dressing Stations were placed in the Dugouts which were built into the embankment, and the farm. Originally they were made in small groups in no specific order, and in 1917 a considerable number were destroyed by shellfire before they could be marked. The cemetery was commonly known by both the names Railway Dugouts and Transport Farm, and both these have been used in the present name. The cemetery was enlarged after the armistice, when graves from the surrounding battlefields were brought in, 258 known graves, which had been destroyed by enemy shells were also specially commemorated at this time.

Of particular note of the men who are buried here is Second Lieutenant Frederick Youens, VC, 13th Bn. Durham Light Infantry, who died 07/07/1917 of wounds sustained from a hand grenade that he had picked up and was attempting to throw back at the enemy. He is buried in on Plot 1. O. 3.

Total Burials: 2463
CASUALTY DETAILS:
UK 1660
Canada 636
Australia 154
New Zealand 3
India 4
Entirely Unidentified 2
Germany 4

Protected architectural heritage (ID: 201166)