The cemetery was established on the initiative of the British authorities, who wanted to create a common burial ground for all Polish soldiers who lost their lives in Belgium. The remains were transferred from various cities and municipalities, including Ypres, Ghent, Stekene, Tielt, Roeselare, and Merksplas.
The tall natural stone crosses have short arms and bear metal plates with the details of the deceased. For Jewish soldiers, there are grave markers with arches and the Star of David. Two rows of graves with metal plates bearing the names of the fallen stretch along a path. At the back stands a memorial wall.
Memorial Wall
At the back of the cemetery stands a memorial wall covered with white and gray natural stone tiles and topped with a metal cross. On and around this memorial wall are plaques bearing, among other things, the names of the cities and towns liberated by Polish soldiers, the motto "For Your and Our Freedom" (also in Polish and French), the insignia of the 1st Polish Armored Division – a calvary helmet and a stylized wing – and an insignia for the Polish squadrons of the RAF.
A Lasting Memory
The sculpture in the cemetery – depicting a female figure with a laurel wreath – was created by Marion Wnuk from Warsaw in 1959. Wnuk was a respected sculptor who was active in the underground resistance during the Second World War and was deported. After the war, he became, among other things, the rector at the State School of Fine Arts in Gdansk and at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. He won several awards and erected some prestigious monuments, loyal to the Soviet regime.
Annual Remembrance
Once a year, Poles residing in Belgium – on the initiative of the Polish Union and with representatives of various governments – come to commemorate their dead.
