The village of Reninghelst (Flemish spelling Reningelst) was in British occupation from the autumn of 1914 to the end of the War, and from March, 1915, British burials were carried out in the Churchyard, the Churchyard Extension and the New Military Cemetery; but in April, 1918, in the Battles of the Lys, a new cemetery was made by Field Ambulances and fighting units near the hamlet of Ouderdom, on the Poperinghe-Wytschaete road. It was called at first Ouderdom Military Cemetery, but later Grootebeek British Cemetery, from the stream (Grootebeek, or Groote Kemmelbeek) which runs beside it. It was used at intervals until the end of September; and it absorbed a small Indian cemetery made on the spot in April, 1915. The graves of three French soldiers who fell in April, 1918, have been removed to another burial ground.

There are now over 100, 1914-18 and a small number of 1939-45 war casualties commemorated in this site. One of these graves, destroyed by shell fire, is now represented by a special memorial; and another special memorial records the name of Pte. J. Lynn, V. C.; buried in Vlamertinghe Churchyard, whose grave was similarly destroyed. The cemetery covers an area of 1,694 square metres.

Burials (Commonwealth War Graves Commission):

• United Kingdom: 100 (+ 2 WW II)
• New Zealand: 1
• South Africa: 1
• Undivided India: 7
• Total Commonwealth: 109 (+2 WW II)