Thread by @CanadianForces

“I died in hell, they called it Passchendaele” – “Memorial Tablet” by Siegfried Sassoon
1/11

📸 Library and Archives Canada/Brittanica/Canadian War Museum

#CAF #TBT #ThrowbackThursday #CanadaRemembers #Canada #Motivation #Inspiration #History

Passchendaele is often remembered as one of the most horrific battles of the First World War. But it’s also a story of how Canadians earned a hard-fought victory against unimaginable hardships in the fall of 1917. 2/11

The Ypres area of Belgium—where Passchendaele is located—was the scene of many devastating battles, including the first recorded use of poison gas. Ypres was also the last portion of Belgium that was not in German hands, so it held great symbolic meaning to the Allies. 3/11

British and ANZAC forces began their campaign on July 31, 1917, with artillery barrages. Heavy rains followed and turned the battlefield to mud as the craters, which often contained the rotting bodies of dead soldiers and horses, were flooded. 4/11

The attackers struggled through thick mud with little cover while German machine gunners tore them to pieces. Despite the conditions, Allied forces slowly gained territory, but the main objectives remained out of reach. 5/11

In October 1917, the Canadian Corps, recently triumphant at Vimy Ridge, Hill 70, and Lens, was sent to Belgium to relieve the battered forces and take part in the final push to capture Passchendaele. 6/11

Initially, Lieutenant-General Arthur Currie, commander of the Canadian Corps, tried to avoid sending his men to fight across the unforgiving terrain, but he was overruled by his superiors. On October 26, the Canadian offensive began. 7/11

Under relentless rain and artillery fire, Canadian troops suffered heavy losses as they tried to advance through the mud. Conditions were so difficult that, in one entire day, they had only advanced 700 metres and suffered almost 3,000 casualties. 8/11

Success on the battlefield was often only made possible due to acts of great individual heroism to get past spots of stiff enemy resistance. In fact, nine Canadians, two of whom lost their lives on the battlefield, earned Victoria Crosses. 9/11

Despite the adversity, the Canadians and British managed to reach the outskirts of Passchendaele and went on to capture it. They fought back fierce enemy counterattacks and succeeded in holding the village against nearly impossible circumstances. 10/11

Canada’s victory fueled the country’s growing reputation as an impressive military force. It came at a cost as more than 4,000 of our soldiers died at Passchendaele with almost 12,000 wounded. Their sacrifices and achievements will never be forgotten. 11/11