The village of Kemmel and the adjoining hill, Mont Kemmel, were the scene of fierce fighting in the latter half of April, 1918, in which both British and French forces were engaged. The cemetery was begun in January, 1917, and Plots I to III were made by Field Ambulances and fighting units before the middle of January, 1918. Plot IV was begun in April, 1918. Of the 437 original burials, 188 were those of officers and men belonging (or attached) to Artillery units. After the Armistice, graves were brought into Plot I, Row H, and Plots IV to VII, from two smaller cemeteries and from the battlefields of Dikkebus, Loker and Kemmel. One American grave was removed to Lijssenthoek.
There are now over 800, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, over 100 are unidentified and special memorials are erected to two soldiers from the United Kingdom, known or believed to be buried in the cemetery. The cemetery covers an area of 3,040 square metres and is enclosed partly by a rubble wall and partly by a curb.
The graves of 58 soldiers from the United Kingdom and one from Canada were brought from the Cemetery at the FERME HENRI PATTYN-VANLAERES, POPERINGHE, on the West of the road to Westoutre. These men fell in May and July, 1915, and (in one case) in April, 1918. The graves of 17 soldiers from the United Kingdom, who fell in July and August, 1918, were brought from MONT-VIDAIGNE MILITARY CEMETERY, WESTOUTRE, on the Western slope of the hill between Westoutre and Bailleul. The cemetery contained also the graves of 17 French soldiers who fell in April and May, 1918.
Burials (Commonwealth War Graves Commission):
- United Kingdom: 780
- Canada: 8
- Australia: 8
- New Zealand: 7
- South Africa: 1
- Other Commonwealth: 1
- Total Commonwealth: 805