Mud, blood, and wire: Tales from the Battles of Passchendaele

October marks the anniversary of the bloody Battles of Passchendaele, the climactic phase of the Third Battle of Ypres. Discover stories of the men who fought and fell there today.

Stories from the Battles of Passchendaele

Lance Corporal James Smaile Wishart

Image: Lance Corporal James Wishart (Photo supplied by Scott Wishart)

A multinational force fought at Passchendaele, bringing in soldiers from across the British Empire.

Amongst their number was Lance Corporal James Smaile Wishart, a member of the 2nd Battalion, Otago Regiment, New Zealand Expeditionary Force.

The son of a sheep farmer, James was one of eight siblings. On his father’s farm, James became adept at raising Jersey cattle, several of which he exhibited at the annual Southland Show.

James was also a member of the Southland Pipe Band, taking part in displays throughout the region. He served in the Territorial Army with the 8th (Southland) Regiment. By all accounts, James was popular in the local community and well-respected.

Come the First World War, New Zealand was obliged to enter the conflict as a Dominion of the British Empire. James enlisted in June 1916, and, after a period of illness, set sail for England. 

James landed in England in November and by December he was in France, assigned to 2nd Battalion, Otago Regiment, joining the 8th Otago Company.

James was then in and out of the line but moved with his battalion to Flanders, Belgium, in March 1917. It’s likely he fought at the Battle of Messines Ridge in June.

In July, James was struck ill but re-joined his unit for the beginning of the Third Battle of Ypres.

At the start of August, the section of the front occupied by the 2nd Battalion at La Basseville came under heavy shelling. 5 men were killed and 12 wounded. Manning a machine-gun nest at the time, James was injured but chose to remain at his post instead of seeking treatment.

For this, James was promoted to Lance Corporal.

On 12 October, the Kiwis went into action at Passchendaele, specifically targeting German positions at Bellevue Spur: a gentle slope leading towards Passchendaele village.

Heavily defended, and the landscape churned into a deep morass, the New Zealanders were facing steep odds.

James and the 8th Company faced down four enemy pill boxes as well as reams of thick barbed wire. The Otago men were cut down in droves and over 800 New Zealanders were killed.

Among their number was James Wishart. Sadly, his body was never recovered, and he is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial.

Our thanks to Scott Wishart for sharing James’ story.

Private Alexander Decoteau

Image: Private Alexander Decoteau (Canadian Virtual War Memorial)

Canadian soldiers served with distinction during the actions at Passchendaele.

One of the Canadians who fought at Passchendaele was Alexander Decoteau.

A native of North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Alexander belonged to the Cree First Nations tribe. 

Alexander was a gifted runner. He began to compete in local and regional events. In 1910, for example, Alex won four middle-distance and distance races at the Canadian Provincial Championships.

In 1911, he enlisted in the Edmonton Police Force becoming the city’s first First Nation officer.

Such was his talent that Alex was selected to represent Canada at the 1912 Stockholm Summer Olympics. He competed in the 5,000-metre race, finishing in second in the first heat. Unfortunately, he suffered leg cramps in the final running, finishing sixth.

Alexander enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in April 1916, at first serving with the 202nd Battalion, before transferring to the 49th Battalion.

After training at Sacree Military Camp near Calgary, Alberta, Alex and his battalion set sail for England in November.

Even when serving overseas, Alex continued competitive running. At an event in Salisbury, Alex was awarded King George V’s personal gold pocket watch by the monarch himself after claiming victory in a 5-mile race.

On the Western Front, Alexander’s running skills saw him employed as a communications trench runner, ferrying messages back and forth where needed.

This was dangerous work and ultimately proved fatal. Alexander was struck and killed by a sniper’s bullet on 30 October 1917 during the Second Battle of Passchendaele. 

He is today buried at Passchendaele New British Cemetery.

Private Henry John De Voogd

Image: Private Henry John De Voogd (Passchendaele Archive)

Born in the gold mining town of Eaglehawk, Victoria, Australia, in 1883, Henry John De Voogd was the son of a Dutch immigrant seeking his fortune in the Australian Gold Rush.

Like his father, also called Henry, the future Australian serviceman went into the gold mining business following his schooling.

Henry exchanged life down the mines for the military, enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force in February 1916, joining the 51st Battalion.

Standing 5 foot 10 inches tall, Henry must have been quite the imposing figure, given the average height of the British Great War soldier was 5 foot 6.

With the 51st Battalion, Henry landed in Plymouth, England, in June 1916 following two months at sea.

After a further two months of training, the 51st Battalion was shipped to the Western Front in August.

It seems Henry had a turbulent time while in Europe. 

At the Battle of the Somme in September 1916, he was wounded in the wrist and sent back to England to recuperate. 

Henry rejoined his unit in November, shortly after which he was court-martialled for disobedience. Initially given a two-year prison sentence with hard labour, his sentence was suspended in January 1917 for unspecified reasons.

Henry was hospitalised again between March and April 1917. At this time, his battalion had been transferred to Flanders in preparation for the Third Battle of Ypres.

On 12 October, the 51st Battalion was in reserve as the Aussies pressed their attack on Passchendaele. Despite being held in reserve, the battalion was sent forward but came under intense artillery fire. It is likely that Henry lost his life in this barrage.

Henry’s body was not found until 1920 when he was identified by his metal ID disk.

His Dutch surname caused problems for exhumation teams. Henry’s original wooden grave marker was labelled “De Noogd” in error.

Henry De Voogd Sr. complained to the Army that his efforts to locate his son’s war grave were proving nearly impossible, mainly because he was looking for a name that didn’t exist in any cemetery register.

The mistake was rectified and today Henry’s headstone at Tyne Cot Cemetery proudly bears his name.

Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse VC and Bar MC

Image: Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse VC and Bar MC

With his brother Christopher, Noel Chavesse was one of identical twins born to the Right Rev. The Lord Bishop of Liverpool Francis Chevasse on 9 November 1884. 

He also had another brother, Aidan, who, like Noel, would fall on the battlefields of the Great War.

Originally born in Oxford, the family moved when Francis was appointed his role in Liverpool.

The twins were educated at Liverpool College where the pair excelled at sport, particularly athletics, but also showed strong academic performance.

Both Noel and Christopher would attend Trinity College, Oxford where, over four years, Noel studied medicine. He graduated in 1912, earning the university’s top medical prize the Derby Exhibition. 

The twins did not neglect their sport while at Oxford. Rugby union was a favourite of the Chevasse brothers, but they continued to run, their performance so good they were chosen to represent Great Britain in the 400 years at the 1908 Olympic Games.

Noel finished third in the heats with Christopher second – unfortunately, not enough to qualify for the semi-finals.

Noel joined the Royal Medical Corps in 1913, joining the 10th King’s (Liverpool Regiment), a Territorial Army unit. 

At the outbreak of the war, Noel was attached to the 1/10th (Scottish) Battalion of the Liverpool Regiment.

Serving with distinction, he was awarded a Military Cross for his conduct at Hooge, Belgium in June 1915. He had previously been promoted to Captain in April of that year. In November, he was mentioned in despatches.

Noel is one of just three people to be awarded a Victoria Cross and Bar, essentially being awarded two VCs for his conduct and gallantry in the field. 

His first VC decoration came at the Battle of the Somme at Guillemont. The medal citation gives the following details:

“He tended the wounded in the open all day, under heavy fire, often in view of the enemy. The next night he searched for wounded in front of the enemy's lines for four hours. 

“Next day, with a stretcher-bearer, he carried an urgent case for 500 yards, under heavy fire, into safety and was wounded in the side by a shell splinter. 

“The same night he rescued three wounded men from a shell hole twenty-five yards from the enemy's trench, buried the bodies of two officers and collected many identity discs, although fired on by bombs and machine guns. 

“Altogether he saved the lives of some twenty badly wounded men, as well as taking care of his other patients.”

Surviving the Somme, Noel’s wartime experience would later take him to the mud-sodden battlefields of Passchendaele.

Though severely wounded himself whilst rescuing an injured soldier, he refused to leave his post, and for two days, not only continued to perform his duties but in addition, went out repeatedly under heavy fire to search for and attend to the wounded left on the battlefield.

During these searches, although practically without food during this period, exhausted and in severe pain, he helped to carry badly wounded men over heavy and difficult ground. 

By his extraordinary energy and inspiring example, he rescued many wounded who would have otherwise undoubtedly died. 

A short time later he died from his own wounds.

Noel is buried at CWGC Brandhoek New Military Cemetery, his headstone decorated with his two Victoria Crosses.

The Battle of Passchendaele

What was the Battle of Passchendaele?

Image:  Men of the East Yorkshire Regiment crossing newly won ground at Frezenburg during the Third Battle of Ypres (© IWM (Q 3014A))

The Battle of Passchendaele is an alternative name for the Third Battle of Ypres, one of several titanic clashes played out on the battlefields of Flanders.

In terms of battles fought at the village of Passchendaele, just outside of Ypres, there were actually two. These formed the climactic actions of Third Ypres.

The Ypres Salient was one of the crucial battlegrounds of the Western Front during the First World War.

Ypres was fought over heavily during the early stages of the war. The Allies held off two major German attacks there between October and November 1914 and again between April and May 1915.

The city was on the main route to the coast. Whoever controlled Ypres essentially controlled access to the channel ports and the sea. For Britain, they were the main route its armies and supplies could reach the continent, thus Ypres had to be held at all costs.

By the end of the second battle, the German Army was holding positions on high ground around Ypres. The bulge in Allied lines that had formed there was known as the Ypres Salient. This was overlooked by German artillery sitting on ridges and hills around the salient.

The Third Battle of Ypres took place between July and November 1917. Following Allied attacks at the Aisne and Arras earlier in 1917, under the direction of Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, aimed at attacking in Flanders, Belgium.

The Ypres Salient was chosen.

The Battles at Passchendaele occurred at the tail end of the Third Ypres Offensive. These attacks were focused on capturing the village of Passchendaele atop important high ground overlooking the Ypres Salient.

The First Battle of Passchendaele

Image: The mud-soaked battleground of Passchendaele (© IWM (CO 2241))

The first of the two Passchendaele offensives, the First Battle of Passchendaele, began on 12 October 1917. 

At 5.25 am, British artillery lit up cloudy skies but was ineffective. Passchendaele had become awash with mud as torrential rain and damage to Belgium’s drainage systems, meaning bringing up heavy guns was nearly impossible. 

Those guns near the front sank into the cloying mud with each shot. Many shells that did hit German frontlines fell deep into the muddy ground, limiting their effectiveness. In some cases, their effects were completely neutralised.

The British Empire had lined up a multinational force to fight at Passchendaele. Men from South Africa, the Caribbean, Australia, Canada, South Africa and India, alongside British troops, fought at Third Ypres and Passchendaele.

As well as the German Army, the Commonwealth forces were battling the elements. In some places, mud came up to soldiers’ ankles. Attacking over such ground was exceedingly difficult.

The advance on the village of Passchendaele saw some small advances. Ground was taken and pillboxes were captured with the Australians in the vanguard.

Machine gun posts in concrete bunkers took a heavy toll on the advancing Allied soldiers. Barbed wire, uncut by the initial barrage, held them up too. Eventually, the Inevitable German counterattacks pushed back the advancing Commonwealth troops. 

With artillery support limited, and the ground churned into an absolute quagmire, the attack was called off on 21 October.

The Second Battle of Passchendaele

Image: Troops had to use duckboards and matting to navigate the rain-sodden battlefields of Passchendaele (© IWM IWM (Q 5714))

With the battle almost literally bogging down, and British and Australian units exhausted, the Canadian Corps was brought in as reinforcements for the Second Battle of Passchendaele.

Under the leadership of General Sir Arthur Currie, the Canadian Corps had earned a formidable reputation, following its stunning victories at Vimy Ridge and Hill 70 earlier in 1917.

Currie was less than enthusiastic about committing his men. He predicted heavy casualties, forecasting 16,000 losses. Currie’s predictions would prove eerily accurate.

On October 26, at 5.40 am, the skies above Passchendaele were once more illuminated with blasts from British artillery. As shells rained down on German positions, the Canadians began a frontal attack on Passchendaele with British and Australian units on the flank.

Deep mud limited the speed of the advance once more, but over the next four days, the Canadians, British, and Australians were able to make ground. Crucially, they were able to withstand German counterattacks and hold their newly captured lines.

Passchendaele remained out of the Commonwealth force’s grasp. Another attack went in on October 30. Heavy German resistance limited the amount of ground taken, with the attack falling short of its final objective.

At 6 am on the morning of 6 November, the Canadian Corp attacked again. Rushing over No Man’s Land, the Canadians outflanked the German strongpoints and pillboxes, breaking into the ruins of Passchendaele.

Fierce, hand-to-hand combat erupted in the shattered village. Allied soldiers clashed with their German opponents at bayonet point. Passchendaele’s German defenders were overwhelmed by the melee. Over 500 were taken prisoner.

A final advance began in a torrential rainstorm on 10 November. British and Canadian troops pushed to the north of Passchendaele, consolidating their gains. 

After months of bloody struggle, the Battle of Passchendaele, and subsequently the Third Battle of Ypres, was over. 

Was the Battle of Passchendaele a success?

Debate has raged over the effectiveness of the Battle of Passchendaele.

Field Marshal Haig certainly thought it was an important victory.

In his after-action report, Haig wrote: “The ultimate destruction of the enemy’s field forces has been brought appreciably nearer.”

Certainly, German positions around the Ypres Salient had been weakened. Important high ground on Passchendaele Ridge had been captured. Ground had been taken too.

But was it enough? Haig, who thought the decisive breakthrough would take place in Flanders, had failed to fully break the German army at Passchendaele.

Pressure had been relieved on other fronts, but the amount of ground captured was comparatively small against the large cost in human life. 

The ground taken at Third Ypres was given up without a fight as the Allies sought to reorganise their lines following Germany’s massive Spring Offensive in March 1918.

How many people were killed in the Battle of Passchendaele?

Image: Stretcher bearers carry a wounded comrade to safety (© IWM (Q 3008))

Approximately a third of the British and Allied troops that fought at the two battles of Passchendaele were killed or injured.

As many as 13,000 were killed during the First Battle of Passchendaele. Some 12,000 lost their lives during the Second Battle of Passchendaele, of which 3,700 were Canadian.

Throughout the clashes at Passchendaele, the Canadians took around 15,600 casualties – eerily close to General Currie’s predictions.

The battles at Passchendaele and Third Ypres were some of the bloodiest fought on the Western Front to date. The CWGC commemorates around 76,000 servicemen killed during these major offensives. 

Total casualties, including killed, missing our wounded, are estimated at 250,000 to 300,000.

German casualties are estimated at 260,000 killed, missing, wounded, or captured.

Commemorating the fallen of Passchendaele

Ypres and its surrounding area were subject to brutal combat from the earliest days of the Great War. 

Due to the sheer number of battles fought here, and the hundreds of thousands of casualties lost in and around the Ypres Salient, there are many Commonwealth War Graves Cemeteries and memorials around Ypres and West Flanders.

Below is a snapshot of the cemeteries and memorials commemorating the war dead of the First and Second Battles of Ypres.

Tyne Cot Cemetery and Memorial

Image: Tyne Cot Cemetery

Tyne Cot Cemetery is the largest Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in the world. 

Nearly 12,000 Commonwealth soldiers of the First World War are buried there, predominantly British, though Australian, Canadian, Newfoundland, New Zealand, South African and British West Indies casualties are commemorated here too.

The cemetery sits on ground near Passchendaele, which was captured by the 3rd Australian Division and the New Zealand Division. Within two days, a cemetery had been established, containing casualties sustained during the major clashes at Passchendaele.

Within the cemetery grounds sits the Tyne Cot Memorial. Almost 35,000 officers and enlisted men are commemorated on its name panels, all servicemen with no known war grave. The Tyne Cot Memorial commemorates the missing of the Ypres Salient killed on 16 August 1917.

Tyne Cot marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the First World War.

Passchendaele New British Cemetery

Image: Passchendaele New British Cemetery

Passchendaele New British Cemetery actually dates from after the Armistice.

While the governments began hashing out the peace terms at Versailles, CWGC staff were busy going out into the former battlefields of the Western Front and bringing in bodies to newly constructed or expanded cemeteries.

The burials at Passchendaele New British Cemetery were brought in from battlefield cemeteries and impromptu burial grounds sprung up across the Ypres Salient, although almost all the burials here date from 1917.

Just over 2,100 First World War war graves are located at Passchendaele New British Cemetery. Representing the ferocity of the fighting here, 1,600 of them hold unidentified casualties.

Dozinghem Military Cemetery

In readiness for the coming Flanders offensive, Allied casualty clearing stations were set up in three positions known to troops as Mendinghem, Dozinghem, and Bandaghem.

Dozinghem was home to 4th, 47th, and 61st casualty clearing stations were troops wounded in the Third Battle of Ypres and assault on Passchendaele were cared for as they came in off the battlefield.

The military cemetery established at Dozinghem was used until early 1918 but predominantly holds burials from the Battle of Passchendaele.

Close to 3,175 Commonwealth burials of the First World War are located at Dozinghem Military Cemetery.

Visit the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in Ieper, Belgium

Our new Ieper visitor centre stands at the heart of commemoration in Belgium directly across from the Menin Gate.

It forms the perfect starting point when visiting the WW1 battlefields and the cemeteries and memorials when those who fell are today commemorated. Our multi-language team are on hand. You can: 

• Discover more about our cemeteries and memorials in Ieper and the work of our teams in Belgium and around the world.
• Purchase souvenirs from our gift shop. All proceeds are directly invested in our educational and outreach projects worldwide.  
• Purchase your biodegradable wreath – we can even keep it safe for you until the Last Post.
• Undertake research on the CWGC database – you can discover if we commemorate your relative or let us assist you with a research project and help find the graves you’re looking for.
• Join a guided tour of the Menin Gate - learn more about the iconic memorial and discover some of the stories of the Commonwealth casualties commemorated there. 

We hope to see you in Ieper!