Mobile: 0794 120 1995
...the Battle of Passchendaele started
The Battle of Passchendaele was the third Battle of Ypres.
The initial bombardment lasted two weeks with 4.5 million shells fired from 3,000 guns but it failed to destroy the heavily fortified German positions.
It continued until early November 1917 and exact casualty figures are disputed. What is certain is that hundreds of thousands were killed or injured on both sides. One Hilperton man died in the battle; Corporal Fred Hudd. He is remembered on the Hilperton war memorial.
The Menin Gate memorial commemorates those who died with no known grave before 16th August 1917. UK servicemen who died after that date are commemorated on the memorial at Tyne Cot cemetery.
Should you ever visit Flanders do make time to visit at least one of the many war cemeteries. I defy you not to be moved at the sight of row upon row of headstones commemorating soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country - many of the headstones being for unknown men and simply engraved 'A Soldier of the Great War - Known Unto God' or similar.