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Godezonne Farm cemeteryKemmel No. 1 French cemeteryLone Tree cemeteryRE Farm cemeterySpanbroekmolen British cemeterySuffolk cemetery
Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries in BelgiumHeuvellandCemeteries and memorials in West FlandersWorld War I cemeteries in Belgium
Allied PowersCommonwealth War Graves CommissionFirst World WarYpres SalientWestern FrontSpanbroekmolenMessines RidgeSpanbroekmolen cemeteryBattle of MessinesRoyal Irish Rifles36th (Ulster) DivisionmineRoyal Engineersseries of minesammonalToc H foundationPoperingecemeteryUnited KingdomAlbert I of BelgiumBritish EmpireBelgium
| Lone Tree | |
|---|---|
| Commonwealth War Graves Commission | |
 | |
| Used for those deceased 1916–1918 | |
| Established | 1917 |
| Location | 50°46′29″N 02°51′42″E / 50.77472°N 2.86167°E / 50.77472; 2.86167 near Wijtschate, Heuvelland, Belgium |
| Designed by | JR Truelove |
| Total burials | 88 |
| Unknown burials | 9 |
| Burials by nation | |
Allied Powers:
| |
| Burials by war | |
World War I: 88 | |
| Statistics source: [https://www.ww1cemeteries.com | |
Lone Tree Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) burial ground for the dead of the First World War located in the Ypres Salient on the Western Front in Belgium. It is located at Spanbroekmolen, on one of the highest points of the Messines Ridge.
Graves in Lone Tree cemetery
Foundation
Like the Spanbroekmolen cemetery nearby, Lone Tree Cemetery was established in 1917 at the start of the Battle of Messines.[1] Most of the burials are of men from the Royal Irish Rifles 36th (Ulster) Division[2] who died on the first day of the battle.[3] Most graves are of soldiers who went "over the top" early in the morning of 7 June 1917.
Some of the men buried here were actually killed by the explosion of the mine placed by the British Royal Engineers under Lone Tree hill[4] at Spanbroekmolen, which was blown around 15 seconds later than planned. The Spanbroekmolen mine formed part of a series of mines under the German lines. It was charged with 91,000 pounds (41,000 kg) of ammonal and set 88 feet (27 m) below ground, at the end of a gallery 1,710 feet (520 m) long.[5] When detonated on 7 June 1917, its blast formed the "Lone Tree Crater" with a diameter of 250 feet (76 m) and a depth of 40 feet (12 m).[5] The crater at Lone Tree was acquired in 1929 by the Toc H foundation in Poperinge, today recognised as the Pool of Peace memorial.[6][7][8]
The cemetery was designed by J. R. Truelove.[2] 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.[9]
References
^ Michael Duffy The Western Front Today – Lone Tree Cemetery FirstWorldWar.com 22 August 2009, accessed 31 August 2009
^ ab CWGC :: Cemetery Details, accessed 31 August 2009
^ wo1.be Archived 2012-02-23 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 31 August 2009
^ WW1Cemeteries.com, accessed 31 August 2009
^ ab Edmonds 1948, p. 53.
^ Photo gallery: Battle of Messines Ridge, access date 16 February 2015.
^ Messines, access date 16 February 2015.
^ Holt & Holt 2014, pp. 192–193.
^ First World War, accessed 19 August 2006
External links
Cemetery details. Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Lone Tree Military Cemetery at Find a Grave
