Tyne Cot Memorial

Tyne Cot Cemetery is a Commonwealth military cemetery located south of the village of Passchendaele, near Zonnebeke in the Belgian province of West Flanders. Tyne Cot is the largest British military cemetery on the European mainland. The cemetery is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. There are 122 Commonwealth cemeteries in the Westhoek.

The cemetery for British casualties from the First World War was designed by Sir Herbert Baker. There are 11,952 graves, 70% of which are unknown and four are German nationals.

On the reverse, marble panels depict the names of 33,783 missing British soldiers and 1,176 missing New Zealanders. The cemetery is freely accessible.

The cemetery offers a view to the west, including Ypres and the West Flemish Hill Country, and to the north, with the silhouette of the Sint-Bavokerk in Westrozebeke, which is located on the Passchendaele-Esen ridge.

Central to the cemetery is the Cross of Sacrifice, built on top of the central bunker. The central bunker was used as an (emergency) hospital during the battle. Deceased soldiers were buried nearby. This is how the cemetery was created. Behind the central bunker is the Stone of Remembrance.

Tyne Cot receives around 200,000 visitors annually. To manage this, a visitor centre was set up in 2006. In fact, one enters right through the back of the cemetery. Downstairs is the actual entrance.

On the outside of the entrance are three commemorative plaques in Dutch, French and English

In the entrance portal there is a door with a cross on it. It contains the register with the names and location of the graves, and a visitor's book. Here is a place to write a message. This is the case in every British cemetery and also at the Menin Gate.

Two bunkers are located at the front of the cemetery, two others are located under the pavilions on either side of the missing persons wall at the back.

On the central pillbox the Cross of sacrifice was established, as in all other cemeteries. The cross has a sword in the middle, therefore it is not really a Christian symbol, but a symbol for "sacrifice".

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