Essex Farm Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery

Essex Farm Cemetery is a World War I, Commonwealth War Graves Commission burial ground near Ypres, Belgium. There are 1,204 dead commemorated, of which 104 are unidentified. The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield and has an area of 6032 m2.

Location
The cemetery is located halfway between the center of Ypres and the center of Boezinge, about 2.5 km from each. The cemetery is located at Site John McCrae, between Diksmuidseweg (N369) and the Ieperlee, half a kilometer north of Duhallow ADS Cemetery and half a kilometer south of Bard Cottage Cemetery, also near the Diksmuidseweg and channel. In the northwest corner of the site is the Cross of Sacrifice, on the east side of the Stone of Remembrance.

Notable burials
It is famous because it holds the grave of Valentine Strudwick, who died at the age of a young 15 on 14 January 1916. His local paper wrote, 'Pte Valentine Joe Strudwick of the 8th Rifle Brigade, joined up twelve months ago, and at the time of his death...had not reached his sixteenth birthday... a fine example of those maturer years who have not yet joined up...'

Another burial is that of Private Thomas Barratt who was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1917 while on scout patrol. He showed conspicuous bravery, stalking and killing enemy snipers under fire.

In Flanders Fields
The graveyard is also the site where John McCrae wrote his famous poem In Flanders Fields: In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.