“Mendinghem” is a British-invented name. It was one of several given the locations in the area of Poperinghe and Proven in West Flanders, Belgium, and is in the style of local village names which often end “..inghem” (today they would be spelled at “…ingem”). They are humourous, for they applied to locations of military hospitals and included not only “Mendinghem”, but “Bandaghem” and “Dozinghem”.
During 1916, the construction of an additional railway line to support operations in the Ypres salient was commenced, and “Mendinghem” would be a development of this work. The railway would link the Channel ports through Bergues to Proven and then off via “Dozinghem” and “International Corner” to Elverdinghe and Boesinghe.
The 47th (1/1st Home Counties) Casualty Clearing Station was the first to arrive to occupy “Mendinghem”, arriving on 5-7 July 1917. It took a while to construct the camp, and this CCS opened on 5 October 1917.
The CWGC says of Mendinghem Military Cemetery, “In July 1916, the 46th (1/1st Wessex) Casualty Clearing Station was opened at Proven and this site was chosen for its cemetery. The first burials took place in August 1916. In July 1917, four further clearing stations arrived at Proven in readiness for the forthcoming Allied offensive on this front and three of them, the 46th, 12th and 64th, stayed until 1918. From May to July 1918, while the German offensive was at its height, field ambulances were posted at Proven. The cemetery was closed (except for one later burial) in September 1918. There are now 2,391 Commonwealth burials of the First World War in this cemetery and 52 German war graves. The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.”
The earliest British death recorded at the cemetery is that of Gunner 28893 Alfred Ernest Horsfield of 135 Battery, 32 Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery. His records show that the cause of his death on 23 August 1916 was a cerebral hemorrhage “accelerated by military duty”. Horsfield was aged 32 and married with two children: his wife later remarried. Records also suggest he died while in the care of 12th Field Ambulance. This unit had arrived at Proven on 26 July 1916 and was operating a Rest Station there. The day after Horsfield died, it left the area to move to Lijssenthoek.