The "Enclosures" were originally regimental groups of graves, begun very early in the War and gradually increased until the village and the cemeteries were captured by the enemy, after very heavy fighting, on the 29th April 1918. No. 1 and No. 2 are now treated as a single cemetery, and the British graves from No. 4 have been concentrated into them. Enclosure No. 1, now Plot I, was begun by the 28th Division in March 1915 and carried on by the 17th, 3rd and other Divisions (and later by Artillery) until April 1918.
A few graves in Row N were added by the Germans, and a few more by the British in September and October 1918. One grave was brought into Row F, after the Armistice, from a position in the village. Enclosure No. 2, now Plot II, was begun in March 1915 and used until April 1917. The graves from Enclosure No. 4 were brought into Row B, C and D after the Armistice.
There are now over 500, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, nearly 40 are unidentified and nineteen British Graves destroyed by shell fire, are represented by Special Memorials. Other Special Memorials record the names of two soldiers from the United Kingdom, buried in Enclosure No. 4, whose graves were also destroyed. The two Enclosures cover an area of 2,644 square metres and are enclosed by a brick wall. Voormezeele Enclosure No.4 was behind a brewery a little South of No. 1 and No. 2. It was begun by the French 3rd Regiment of Zouaves in December 1914, and used by the 4th Rifle Brigade and other British units from January to November 1915. It contained the graves of 42 soldiers from the United Kingdom and 33 French and two German soldiers.
Burials (Commonwealth War Graves Commission):
- United Kingdom: 520
- Canada: 54
- Australia: 17
- New Zealand: 2
- Total Commonwealth: 593
- Other Nationalities: 6