The Battle of Passchendaele

The Battle of Passchendaele

The Battle of Passchendaele is remembered for its atrocious conditions, high casualty rates and Canadian valor. Canadians, instrumental in securing victory, earned a total of nine Victoria Crosses for their courage.

Located near the town of Ypres where another brutal battle occurred, a small town called Passchendaele sat, unaware of the brutal future that was to come. Although it had very little strategic value, General Douglas Haig of the Royal British Army was determined to retake the ridge from the German defenses. Despite over 16 000 Canadian deaths, and a total of nearly 300 000 deaths over all, the ridge was retaken by the Allies.

By the time the Canadians entered the battle on the Passchendaele Ridge, British and Australian troops had fought there for more than three months. Their efforts had been unsuccessful: 100,000 casualties for very little ground won. The main geographical features included thousands of shell holes almost touching each other at all times.