Polygon Wood ( nl, Polygoonbos, french: Bois du Polygone) is a forest located between
Ypres
Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though
the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality co ...
and
Zonnebeke
Zonnebeke (; vls, Zunnebeke) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the villages of , , Passendale, Zandvoorde and Zonnebeke proper. On January 1, 2006, Zonnebeke had a total population of ...
,
West Flanders
)
, settlement_type = Province of Belgium
, image_flag = Flag of West Flanders.svg
, flag_size =
, image_shield = Wapen van West-Vlaanderen.svg
, shield_size =
, image_map ...
,
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 ...
. It was the scene for several battles during the First World War and there are at least two cemeteries of the
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 mil ...
in the immediate vicinity of the wood.
History
Polygon Wood
In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed ''polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two to ...
, near the village of
Zonnebeke
Zonnebeke (; vls, Zunnebeke) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the villages of , , Passendale, Zandvoorde and Zonnebeke proper. On January 1, 2006, Zonnebeke had a total population of ...
, was the location of a number of battles during the First World War, beginning in late 1914. It took its name from its shape on maps of the area. The wood had been held by the Germans since April 1915 but was captured by the
Australian 5th Division in the
Battle of Polygon Wood, which took place in the period from September to October 1917. Abandoned during the
German spring offensive in March–April 1918, the area was the scene of further fighting in September 1918 when it was seized by the
9th (Scottish) Division.
The
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 mil ...
maintains two cemeteries in or next to Polygon Wood. The first is the
Polygon Wood Cemetery
Polygon Wood Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission burial ground for the dead of the First World War. It is located in Belgium, in what was the Ypres Salient on the Western Front.
History
Polygon Wood, near the village of Zonnebeke, w ...
, located on Lange Streve, which runs along the north-east side of Polygon Wood, while the second is
Buttes New British Cemetery
Buttes New British Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission burial ground for the dead of the First World War located in the Ypres Salient in Belgium on the Western Front.
History
Many of the men buried in the cemetery died as a result o ...
, which is in the wood itself along with a memorial to the
Australian 5th Division, located on top of an old butte.
Gallery
File:Polygon Wood, September 1917.png, A map of Polygon Wood clearly showing the shape that gave the wood its name
Image:006_-_Polygon_Woods,_Zonnebeeke,_Belgium.JPG, Entrance to Polygon Wood Cemetery
Image:007_-_Polygon_Woods,_Zonnebeeke,_Belgium.JPG, Cross of Sacrifice in the Polygon Wood Cemetery
File:Battle of Polygon Wood.jpg, The battlefield at Polygon Wood, painted by George Edmund Butler
George Edmund Butler ( – ) was a landscape and portrait painter specialising in oils and watercolours. Born in England, his family emigrated to New Zealand when he was 11 years old. After completing his schooling, he studied art at the Welling ...
in 1918
Notes
References
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*
External links
{{commons category, Polygon Wood
Polygon WoodYouTube video of Polygon Wood
Military history of Canada
World War I memorials in Belgium
Battle of Passchendaele
Forests of Belgium
World War I sites in Belgium
Geography of West Flanders
Cemeteries and memorials in West Flanders