Abeele Aerodrome Military Cemetery is a

Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations m ...

(CWGC) burial ground for the dead of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

located in the

Ypres Salient The Ypres Salient around Ypres in Belgium was the scene of several battles and an extremely important part of the Western front during the First World War. Ypres district Ypres lies at the junction of the Ypres–Comines Canal and the Ieperlee ...

on the Western Front. The cemetery grounds were assigned to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

in perpetuity by King Albert I of Belgium in recognition of the sacrifices made by the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...

in the defence and liberation of

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

during the war.

Foundation

The cemetery, at Abele in Belgium but metres from the border with France, was founded by French troops in April 1918, receiving Commonwealth and American burials between July and September 1918.WW1Cemeteries.com
, accessed 19 June 2006 After the

Armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the ...

, the French and American graves were concentrated at other cemeteries, leaving just Commonwealth burials. These were increased by concentrating 25 graves from the nearby Boeschepe churchyard in France. The cemetery is named for the wartime aerodrome established in nearby fields although the cemetery itself contains no

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

graves. The cemetery was designed by G. H. Goldsmith, who also designed Orient House in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

Notable graves

Reference works point to two unusual inscriptions on gravestones in this cemetery. One asks the poignant question ''"Old Pal, why don’t you answer me"'', whilst another, less unusually, is in Welsh and reads ''"Arglwydd Dangos Ini Tad Digon Yw Ini"''.YpresSalient.co.uk
accessed 19 June 2006

References

External links

*
wo1.be
* {{Find a Grave cemetery, 2155682, Abeele Aerodrome Military Cemetery Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries in Belgium