Pause for a moment and consider the name Kandahar Farm Cemetery. It evokes images of a distant land. It suggests a place far removed from the fields of Belgium. Yet, here it stands. Kandahar Farm Cemetery holds the remains of soldiers from the Commonwealth.
Kandahar Farm was near Wulverghem. The front line ran east of the village. Commonwealth divisions used this cemetery. They held the sector from November 1914 to April 1918. Germans captured Wulverghem and Neuve-Eglise in April 1918. The villages were recovered in early September. The cemetery was used again then.
Charles Holden designed Kandahar Farm Cemetery. There are now 443 Commonwealth burials from World War I here. The cemetery stands as a testament. It marks the cost of war.
Consider the individual stories within Kandahar Farm Cemetery. Lieutenant Christian Peder Christensen rests here. He was 31. He served with the 39th Bn Australian Infantry. He died on July 29 1917. He and four others were laying cables at Messines. They were killed in action. He was well-liked by his comrades.
Private Leslie Francis Essex is buried here. He was with the 51st Bn Australian Infantry. He died on August 26 1917. He was just 20 years old. He died of wounds received in action.
Gunner John Biggar is another soul resting at Kandahar Farm Cemetery. He served with the 7th Brigade Australian Field Artillery. He died on July 8 1917 at 24 years old. He was killed in action during the fighting for Messines Ridge. His family never really recovered from his death. They were sad every Anzac Day.
Look around at Kandahar Farm Cemetery. Notice the Cross of Sacrifice. It stands tall inside the entrance. Stone benches offer a place for quiet reflection. The cemetery is enclosed by a stone wall.
Kandahar Farm Cemetery covers 2809 square meters. It holds soldiers from different nations. The United Kingdom has 218 burials here. Australia has 186. New Zealand has 33. Canada has six. There are also three German soldiers buried here.
One Australian soldier is commemorated by a special headstone. His grave cannot now be found. The 18th Hussars erected a memorial here. It honors seven of their men who fell on November 1 1914. They fought near Messines.
Remember the location of Kandahar Farm Cemetery. It is 14 km south of Ieper town center. It is on the Niewkerkestraat. This road leads from Ieper to Wijtschate Mesen and Armentieres.
Take a moment to reflect. Think about the lives cut short. Remember the sacrifices made. Kandahar Farm Cemetery stands as a place of remembrance. It honors those who served. It reminds us of the human cost of war.