The cemetery was begun in April, 1915, and used by troops holding this sector (particularly the 46th (North Midland) Division and the 1st Dorsets) until April, 1918. It was enlarged after the Armistice by the concentration of graves from the battlefields of Ypres and from German cemeteries in Belgium.
There are now over 850, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this cemetery. Of these, nearly two-fifths are unidentified and special memorials are erected to 81 soldiers from the United Kingdom and one from Australia, known or believed to be buried in the cemetery. While five other special memorials record the names of four soldiers from the United Kingdom and one from Canada, buried in German cemeteries, whose graves could not be found. Twelve graves, identified as groups but not individually, are marked by headstones inscribed "Buried near this spot". The cemetery (without the access path) covers an area of 2,736 square metres and is enclosed by a red brick wall.
Of the cemeteries from which British graves were concentrated to Larch Wood:
- AMERICA CROSS ROADS GERMAN CEMETERY, WERVICQ, (named from a cabaret between Wervicq and Kruiseecke) contained the graves of five soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in October, 1914.
- BRUGES GENERAL CEMETERY, ST. MICHEL, contained the graves of 32 soldiers and airmen from the United Kingdom and one Canadian merchant seaman.
- CORTEMARCK GERMAN CEMETERY, No. I, a little North-West of the village, contained the grave of two R.F.C. officers.
- EERNEGHEM GERMAN CEMETERY, a little East of Eerneghem, contained the grave of one R.A.F. officer.
- GHISTELLES CHURCHYARD contained the graves of two British soldiers who fell in July, 1917. There was a German aerodrome at Ghistelles, and the Germans used a plot in the Churchyard for war burials.
- GROENENBERG GERMAN CEMETERY, ZANTVOORDE (on the South side of "Shrewsbury Forest"), contained the graves of four soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in February, 1915.
- HANDZAEME GERMAN CEMETERY (on the North side of the village) contained the graves of two Canadian soldiers who fell in May, 1915.
- ICHTEGHEM GERMAN CEMETERY (a little West of Ichteghem) contained the grave of two unknown R.A.F. officers.
- LEFFINGHE GERMAN CEMETERY (on the North side of the village) contained the graves of one R.F.C. officer who fell in July, 1917, and three unknown soldiers from the United Kingdom.
- MARCKHOVE GERMAN CEMETERY, CORTEMARCK, contained the graves of ten soldiers and airmen from the United Kingdom who fell in 1918. OUDENBURG CHURCHYARD contained the graves of two soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in 1917.
- TENBRIELEN COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION, contained the graves of six soldiers who fell in 1914.
- THOUROUT GERMAN CEMETERY No. 2 (on the road to Jabbeke, beyond the railway line), contained the graves of seven soldiers and airmen from the United Kingdom and one from Canada.
- VLADSLOO GERMAN CEMETERY (near the Church), contained the graves of two R.F.C. officers who fell in 1917.
- WARNETON SUD-ET-BAS GERMAN CEMETERY, contained the graves of two unknown British soldiers who fell in 1918.
- WERVICQ COMMUNAL CEMETERY and its EXTENSIONS (on the Belgian side of the Lys) contained the graves of 62 soldiers from the United Kingdom and six from Canada.
- WIJNENDAELE GERMAN CEMETERY, THOUROUT, contained the graves of two flying officers from the United Kingdom and one from Canada.
- ZANTVOORDE GERMAN CEMETERY (called also De Voorstraat No. 49) contained the graves of eleven soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in 1914.
Burials (Commonwealth War Graves Commission):
- United Kingdom: 700
- Canada: 86
- Australia: 36
- Other Commonwealth: 1
- Entirely Unidentified: 33
- Total Commonwealth: 856
- Other Nationalities: 1