Coxyde Military Cemetery

It may seem strange that there is a British military cemetery in part of the Belgian sector that was largely defended by French troops throughout the war.

However, the plans for the great British offensive in 1917 also foresaw an attack along the coast. The most famous action in this offensive was the Battle of Passendale, which lasted from August to November and cost hundreds of thousands of lives. As a prelude to this battle, it was intended to make an amphibious landing at Middlekerke, whilst simultaneously pushing along the coast from Niewupoort. It was hoped that this pincer movement would lead to the capture of the harbours at Zeebrugge and Ostend, which were thought to be key bases for the German U-boats.

To carry out this coastal attack, British troops were moved into the sector. However, the plan - Operation Hush - was discovered in advance by the Germans, who launched a successful pre-emptive attack of their own in the dunes at Nieuwpoort. This explains why most of the graves here date from the end of July and the beginning of August 1917. The other part of the offensive - the British attack at Ieper and Passendale - was also a bloody failure.

After the German attack, the French once again took over this sector of the front. In October 1914, they had already fought their own Battle of the Dunes with the Germans, which allowed the Allies to hold on the strategically vital Goose's Foot lock system at Nieuwpoort.

Koksijde (Coxyde in French) was 10 kilometres behind the front line, but the casualties were brought here for burial at night, away from the constant bombardment of the guns.

The most famous victim to be buried in Coxyde was the modernist poet and art critic T.E. Hulme, who had a major influence on, amongst others, Ezra Pound and Nobel Prize winner T.S. Eliot.

Vl. Toeristisch bezienswaardigheden