ChatterBank2 mins ago
Passchendaele
I don't want to offend anyone, and I am not being flippant - but I've literally never heard of this before.
There are rememberance ceremonies going on today - but the Battle of Passchendaele isn't something that (I suspect) my generation really know about.
Is this a notable event in WW1? Am I just uneducated in this, or have others been taken by surprise?
There are rememberance ceremonies going on today - but the Battle of Passchendaele isn't something that (I suspect) my generation really know about.
Is this a notable event in WW1? Am I just uneducated in this, or have others been taken by surprise?
Answers
Best Answer
No best answer has yet been selected by sp1814. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.
For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.
I wouldn't worry about knowing/not knowing about Passchendaele; it's no doubt well known to the sort of people who can cite every battle since Badon (King Arthur), but it's more symbolic than actually important.
It began in a wet summer that turned everything into a mudbath as well as a bloodbath; and people became fed up with Haig apparently sending their sons to be cannon fodder. Half a million casualties (both sides) altogether. The Canadians eventualy captured Passchendaele months later, so the allies claimed they'd won, but they'd only gained a few miles.
So this is seen as the classic WW1 battle: terrible conditions, megadeaths, and all for not very much. It did weaken the Germans, so it had some use; but Haig was pushing for a big breakthrough and it didn't happen.
It began in a wet summer that turned everything into a mudbath as well as a bloodbath; and people became fed up with Haig apparently sending their sons to be cannon fodder. Half a million casualties (both sides) altogether. The Canadians eventualy captured Passchendaele months later, so the allies claimed they'd won, but they'd only gained a few miles.
So this is seen as the classic WW1 battle: terrible conditions, megadeaths, and all for not very much. It did weaken the Germans, so it had some use; but Haig was pushing for a big breakthrough and it didn't happen.
At school in the 40's and 50's we learned nothing of the two world wars - history lessons started with the Beaker People and ended with Cromwell.
This mattered not a jot, because we all had family who had been involved in both, in my case a Grandfather who was shot 3 times in the Great War, the last time on the Somme, shortly before reaching a German trench and captivity for the duration. All this after previously being in the Boer War...He died in the late 60's seemingly unaffected by any of it. My father was in both wars, so as you may imagine there was no shortage of information, especially when they'd had a drink....
I think my point is that people of a certain age were educated in all this stuff by family and friends who also had family in it, which was just about everybody.
At the time of my marriage in the 60's my wife's grandfather was 68 - he had been at Ypres and still suffered the effects of being gassed, but despite this had worked as a maintenance engineer until retirement at age 65.
The Boer war was also a large conflict involving over a quarter of a million British troops and proportionally large casualties of 22000 - I wonder how many people could name even one battle from this?
(with the exception of the obvious one)
This mattered not a jot, because we all had family who had been involved in both, in my case a Grandfather who was shot 3 times in the Great War, the last time on the Somme, shortly before reaching a German trench and captivity for the duration. All this after previously being in the Boer War...He died in the late 60's seemingly unaffected by any of it. My father was in both wars, so as you may imagine there was no shortage of information, especially when they'd had a drink....
I think my point is that people of a certain age were educated in all this stuff by family and friends who also had family in it, which was just about everybody.
At the time of my marriage in the 60's my wife's grandfather was 68 - he had been at Ypres and still suffered the effects of being gassed, but despite this had worked as a maintenance engineer until retirement at age 65.
The Boer war was also a large conflict involving over a quarter of a million British troops and proportionally large casualties of 22000 - I wonder how many people could name even one battle from this?
(with the exception of the obvious one)
Ladysmith and Mafeking - Colenso - spion kop
First two were really sieges
My gt-uncle (Fred) was killed at Ladysmith - Nov 1899 whereas two other gt uncles ( Joe and Jack) fought on the Dutch side [Boksburg Commando].
where are the usual suspects by the way?
with their side splitting one liners like
" Passion - who - lie ? - sounds like a rave-up in Easter Week Yeah! oo I luv parties - where dis one den ?" and
"I put "Passendaele" fooder Google Translator - and yeah it didnt fink narfin - narfin at all. wot dat den ?"
First two were really sieges
My gt-uncle (Fred) was killed at Ladysmith - Nov 1899 whereas two other gt uncles ( Joe and Jack) fought on the Dutch side [Boksburg Commando].
where are the usual suspects by the way?
with their side splitting one liners like
" Passion - who - lie ? - sounds like a rave-up in Easter Week Yeah! oo I luv parties - where dis one den ?" and
"I put "Passendaele" fooder Google Translator - and yeah it didnt fink narfin - narfin at all. wot dat den ?"
// I'm going to fess up. ........ Ypres, Gallipoli etc//
3rd Battle of Wipers - Really good battles go around with one or two names - Dunkirk - bataille de France, chute de France and so on.
also names change - when Churchill said -( put on churchill accent)
"Now the Battle of France is over - and the Battle of Britain has begun" - he was referring to the invasion and not the air battle over London Sep 1940
3rd Battle of Wipers - Really good battles go around with one or two names - Dunkirk - bataille de France, chute de France and so on.
also names change - when Churchill said -( put on churchill accent)
"Now the Battle of France is over - and the Battle of Britain has begun" - he was referring to the invasion and not the air battle over London Sep 1940
Latest Posts
I Am Very Confused About The Cons And...
News4 mins ago
Crosswords7 mins ago
How it Works9 mins ago
ChatterBank14 mins ago
