The village and most of the commune of Zillebeke were in British hands during the greater part of the War; but the number of cemeteries in the neighbourhood bears witness to the fierce fighting of which it was the scene, even in times of trench warfare, from 1914 to 1918. Maple Copse was the name given by the Army to a small plantation a 914 metres East of the Village, and just West of Sanctuary Wood. The place was used by Advanced Dressing Stations, and burials took place there, both before and after the Battle of Mount Sorrel (June, 1916); but in that engagement, and in later fighting, the graves were mainly obliterated. The site of the Cemetery, on the North side of the Copse, was known and enclosed after the Armistice, but of 256 named graves known to exist there only 26 could be definitely located.

There are now over 300, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, over 50 are unidentified and 230 burials are represented by special memorials. The cemetery covers an area of 4,856 square metres and is enclosed a rubble retaining wall.

Burials (Commonwealth War Graves Commission):

• United Kingdom: 154
• Canada: 154
• Total Commonwealth: 308