Berks Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery Extension

Infobox Military Cemetery
name= Berks Cemetery Extension
body= Commonwealth War Graves Commission


use_dates= June 1916 - September 1917
established= 1916
designer= H Chalton Bradshaw
coordinates= coord|50|44|17|N|02|52|55.2|E|
nearest_town= Ploegsteert, Hainaut, Belgium
total=880
unknowns=
by_country=Allied Powers:
*United Kingdom: 467
*Canada: 149
*Australia: 180
*New Zealand: 80
Central Powers:
*Germany: 4
by_war=
World War I: 880
source= [http://ww1cemeteries.com/ww1cemeteries/berkscemeteryextension.htm WW1cemeteries.com]

Berks Cemetery Extension is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) burial ground for the dead of World War I 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.

Foundation

The cemetery was founded by Commonwealth troops in June 1916 as an extension to Hyde Park Corner (Royal Berks) Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery which lies across the road. [ [http://www.wo1.be/eng/database/dbDetail.asp?TypeID=6&SubTypeID=19&ItemID=5735 www.wo1.be] , accessed 26 May 2006]

The cemetery was still small at the time of the Armistice. It was englarged in 1930 when it became clear that Rosenberg Chateau Military Cemetery and Rosenberg Chateau Military Cemetery Extension, approximately one kilometre away, could not be acquired in perpetuity and the graves were moved to the Berks Cemetery Extension. [ [http://www.cwgc.org/search/cemetery_details.aspx?cemetery=9102&mode=1 CWGC entry] , accessed 26 May 2006]

Inside the cemetery is the Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing.

The cemetery was designed by H(arold) Chalton Bradshaw, who also designed the Cambrai Memorial in France. [ [http://www.webmatters.net/cwgc/cambrai_mem.htm First World War] ]

References

External links

*
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&GSln=Hepburn&CRid=1992242&pt=Berks%20(CWGC)%20Cemetery%20Extension& Find-A-Grave]
* [http://www.silentcities.co.uk/cemeteryb/Berks%20Cemetery%20Extension%20(Rosenberg%20Chateau%20Plots),%20Ploegsteert.htm Silent Cities]