St.-Julien was within the British lines from the late autumn of 1914 until April, 1915. The first German gas attack was launched on the 22nd April, when the 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade earned undying fame by its defence of St.-Julien; but two days later the place was lost in a second gas attack. It was recaptured on the 31st July, 1917, by the 39th Division, lost for a few days, and reoccupied on the 3rd August. On the 27th April, 1918, it passed into German hands again, in the "readjustment of our line in the Salient"; but it was retaken by the Belgian Army on the 28th September. The Dressing Station Cemetery was begun in September, 1917, and used until March, 1918.

One grave in Plot I, Row F, is of August, 1918. This original cemetery consisted of Plots I and III and part of Plot II, and contained 203 graves. It was severely damaged by shell fire in the summer of 1918. It was increased after the Armistice by the concentration of graves into Plots II and IV from the battlefields surrounding St.-Julien.

There are 428, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, 180 are unidentified and special memorials are erected to commemorate nine soldiers from the United Kingdom and two from South Africa who are known to be buried among them. The Cemetery covers an area of 2,173 square metres and is enclosed by a brick wall.

Burials (Commonwealth War Graves Commission):

• United Kingdom: 395
• Canada: 15
• Australia: 10
• New Zealand: 3
• South Africa: 5
• Total Commonwealth: 428