Back on the bike and a trip out of Ypres to The Bluff. Numerous cemeteries along the southeast edge of the Salient. The front line in some places was only 40 yards wide.
The first stop was the village of Voormezeele which has four separate Cemeteries called Enclosures 1-4. This was later reduced to three with one being joined together. The Stepson of JM Barrie, the creator of Peter Pan is buried here, and he was the inspiration for the character Peter Pan.
I then moved onto Bus House Cemetery which had a high number for WWII graves. Many soldiers were killed holding the Germans back as the main British forces retreated to Dunkirk in 1940.
I came across an intact British Bunker and then moved onto Oak Dump Cemetery. This was right on the Frontline. It was lost and reclaimed again from the Germans more than once.
I then passed a huge water filled crater. This was not due to mining but was from a German arial bomb. Very unusual for WWI.
I was now very close to The Bluff. This was a huge spoil bank created from the spoil of excavating a large unfinished Canal. The British took this high ground position and held it throughout most of the war. It was mined and shelled continuously, and carters were fortified and used by the British to strengthen their position. Spoilbank Cemetery was located on the west of the position and used to bury those killed on the Bluff.
This cemetery has the grave for RH Reeves, who was only aged 15. Also, two brothers killed together.
My final stop was Chester Farm Cemetery. This is only 200 yards north of Spolibank Cemetery. Chester Farm has 92 men from the 2nd Manchesters killed between April and July 1915. It also has 72 London Regimental burials.
