Walking the Battle of Passchendaele with Mat McLachlan

#passchendaele #ww1
In October 1917, British, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian and German forces fought in one of the First World War's most bloody battles, the Battle of Passchendaele. Join me, historian Mat McLachlan, on a walk across the old battlefield. What remains from the fighting, and can we bring the stories of the men who fought and died here to life?
Places visited:
Tyne Cot Cemetery
Frank Hurley's Railway Cutting
Canadian Memorial, Passchendaele
Brooding Soldier Memorial (where poison gas was first used in the war)
Trenches and tunnels at the Passchendaele 1917 Museum
Langemarck German Cemetery
To walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs, join us on a battlefield tour of Gallipoli, the Western Front, Vietnam, Thailand or other famous battlefields around the world. Visit www.battlefields.com.au for more information!

[@pieterjouretz663]

As a Belgian civilian, we visited the Ypres salient a couple of weeks back (it was my third time). We visited Commonwealth and German cemeteries. It's important to look back at the sad history and learn from it. What gets me is that there are always foreign people visiting our small country to pay respect to their fallen familymembers that they have never known ... That is, for me, a very big sign of respect that we all can learn from. Never forget all the fallen humans from this horrible war ❤

[@if6was985]

I visited the Menine Gate a few years ago, amazing, a wet and miserable October evening and there's about 500 people paying their respects, I asked my brother if this was normal, he's ex military and a fairly regular visitor, quite normal, he replied, the Belgium people always show up for Last Post. The Belgium people have my utmost respect. My great great uncle is buried in a field cemetery not far from the German cemetery, he was killed in one of the first gas attacks of that war, aged 19.

[@woodenseagull1899]

​@@if6was985Germany intrinsically is identified in its harshness, death , destruction and its lack of Empathy to humanity; other then its own.!

[@bangbangninergang7573]

I just visited Belgium, overall a beautiful country with great people. My wife and I were in Ypres, it was surreal to step into a ww1 trench. We paid our respects.

[@Hermod1995]

@@woodenseagull1899 propaganda still works! 🤣

[@rokerman]

I will be visiting in May 25 with my young son. It's very important that he (and I) visit your country, absorb the history, and pay our respects. Never ever forget. RIP Sapper Septimus Noble 1917.

[@tonyshortland8812]

I went to Tyne Cot commonwealth war cemetery, this year, along with two of my old RAF palls. We're in our late 60's the first grave I looked at was of an unknown soldier, a young lad, killed here, and doesn't even have his name on his headstone, 'known unto God'. Along with thousands of others. It was a lovely bright sunny day, and we three, had enjoyed a ride here on our motorbikes, and I thought, how many days like this, had this youngster sacrificed, and all the thousands, and thousands of others. Thank you.. RIP...

[@Magibiodoc]

"In a foreign field he lay Lonely soldier, unknown grave On his dying words he prays Tell the world of Passchendaele"

[@thedinobeaver]

My favorite Maiden song.

[@floody8242]

​@@thedinobeaver111111

[@Stormbringer50]

Great song. Very thrilling lyrics. My favorite part: "Crucified as if on a cross Allied troops they mourn their loss German war propaganda machine Such before has never been seen Swear I heard the angels cry Pray to god no more may die So that people know the truth Tell the tale of Paschendale" Greets from the ol' enemy from Germany 🇩🇪.

[@fus149hammer5]

​@@Stormbringer50Enemy then again later but friends now.😊🫡 Our only rivalry is on the field of sport and that's how it should be.

[@stephengreen8206]

Amen

[@kevinn1158]

The Australians, Canadians and New Zealanders.... Forever together. We study this battle extensively in Canada.

[@stevef9530]

My grandfather was a machine gunner at Passchendaele. I never got close to him, and he died when I was 11, I remember him as a remote figure. It’s hard to say how much the battle caused that but many men came back from the western front damaged even if they were physically intact. Never forget them.

[@gordoncochrane6325]

My dad was in this battle )the Gordons) He told me some stories of the horror that soldiers went through and the slaughter fields (For what?)

[@paulthomas-hh2kv]

My 2 great grandfathers were there, thankfully survived, but as with most people they never spoke of it. Even my father never knew about it

[@genwoolfe]

My granddad was a Kitchener volunteer and was injured here while serving with 11th bn Essex Regt at the age of 19. He survived the War and signed up for the Home Guard in WW2. He died in 1992 at the age of 94.

[@mamunmadrid25]

😢😮

[@TheCaptain64]

My Great grandad was injured at 3rd Ypres, him n 3 mates they were right under the blast of the shell but all survived, and grt grandad bought part of the shell home which apparently was still warm when he picked it up. Grt grandad was invalided out home due to wounds received and thank God he was, as I believe The Devonshire's were wiped out in a battle not long after . Thanks for posting this . Have been to the Western Front over 20 times will be going again later this year .

[@alisonrandall3039]

My great grandfather was there he was in the Royal Engineers. He kept a diary. He writes about heavy fighting and shelling. He served the whole of the Ww1 from start to finish.

[@fus149hammer5]

I've walked that lonely windswept hill to the memorial on the summit. It had been raining and the ground was heavy with mud. It weighed me down as if I were wearing those old fashioned deep sea divers lead boots. I didn't mind. It was just a taste of what those young men had to face. No bullets aimed in my direction, no shells, no gas. No shell holes to fall into and drown. I was going home at the end of my trip back to my family, back to my local and back to my mates. I walked through the fields of blood and bone and I felt the chill of sadness that echoed through the decades. I'm glad my generation never faced this we had The Falklands and Northern Ireland where I did wonder 'Will I get through this?' We never saw anything like the Somme or Passchendaele and for that I'm truly grateful.

[@laurensdegrote4333]

I don't understand why this has not million's of views! Very well made So I say Thank you

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Thanks!

[@jamesguest4308]

when i was 16 and in basic training with the british army i was in ypres platoon, we visited all the locations shown in your video. Even at that young age it was a sobering experience for many of us interested in the great war. The last post being played every evening at the menning gate is very emotional. I would love to go back i'm 36 now

[@MrRugbylane]

36? You are only a kid! In 1987 I was in Ypres on a school tour. A tour bus turned up with a couple of dozen veterans of the Somme 1916 and Passchendale 1917. I got to speak to several of the gentlemen.

[@doctor_alfa]

you were 16 and already in the army..?

[@jamesguest4308]

@@doctor_alfa you can enlist at 15 in the british army,then start training at 16

[@jva4120]

The Menin Gate is being renovated so best to postpone it a bit.

[@DarthTrader707]

What a great job you did, making this video. As a Canadian, I appreciate the time you spent signaling out Canada's role in this battle. Passchendaele has a special place in the hearts of Canadians. I also found the mention of Hitler's visit very interesting. Hitler actually spent an entire day visiting almost all the large memorials, and was said to have displayed an almost reverence for the allied memorials. The fact that he would order Jewish commemorations destroyed isn't at all surprising, but he never considered destroying the allied memorials, even though they were memorials coinciding with the defeat of Germany...a defeat that disgusted Hitler.

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Thanks Sebastian. I always have time for our Canadian brothers in arms.

[@marblackCanada]

The monument called the Brooding Solider was never replicated at any of the other Canadian cemeteries.

[@jonmce1]

Hitler actually went as far as placing guards on the Canadian memorial at Vimy to prevent any vandalism.

[@alinherts5414]

The battle started on 31 July 1917. My great grandad, Alfred Jefferies, was killed on this day after going over the top with 1st Herts in the fighting near St Julian (not the local spelling). He is buried in Tyne Cot but the body recovery maps show he was originally buried near where he fell. The adhoc graves you refer to in Tyne Cot, I believe (could be wrong), were of soldiers that died whilst being treated at an aid post located within a block house that stood under what is now the cross of remembrance that is seen just behind you as you are talking about them.

[@jefftodd621]

Any movement in the Ypres salient attracted artillery fire, so the poor souls were buried in the dark, hence the haphazard graves. A very moving place to visit. My great uncle fell during the campaign; his only marker is a name on one of the wall panels.

[@logotrikes]

I feel for you dude. My paternal grandfather Jeffrey George Arnold was there. He endured the entire war, made it safely back home, and lived till 1974. He could so easily have been a casualty, but got through ok. He never talked much about the war, and I wish he had, I could have learned so much. My dad was born in 1914 while his dad was in France...

[@TheParkerThirteen]

Your great grandad's sacrifice will never be forgotten, as its why we are all here today. He is, was and will always be a true hero. "At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them." Vale Alfred Jefferies

[@andreballon7362]

Hi @AlinHerts it is quite interesting. Your grandad's name derives from the Norwegian, Swedish words fred... ,and german Frieden. Fred, Frieden in english mean Peace. In Norwegian RIP is Hvile i fred. Hvile i fred Alfred !!!

[@alanmockford9308]

My uncle,was killed at piekhelm ridge aged 18 on 31july 1917,though he was taken to Duhallows ADS,he was one of lowthers lambs,in the11th Royal Sussex Regt

[@Stanb662000]

My great uncle was one of the last Australian casualties in this battle. Like many, he put his age up and enlisted at the beginning of 1917. In late October , he was posted to 2 Bn 1st Anzac Div. On the 5th November 1917, 1 Anzac Corp went into the line to protect the Canadian right flank, with 2 Bn linking up with the Canadians. When the ultimately successful Canadian attack began, German SOS fire fell heavily on both the Canadian and Australian lines, inflicting 30 KIA on 2 Bn. He is one of the many with no known grave.

[@fus149hammer5]

​@@CrashAndBurnProductionsit's entirely possible that their bodies were recovered and given proper burials but the cemeteries often just behind the lines were shelled into oblivion along with the graves.

[@2008nursey]

What was his name? So sad, such destruction.

[@Stanb662000]

@@2008nursey he was Edward Bunt, of Sutton Forrest NSW

[@MrButtonpresser]

My Great Grandfather was killed in the 2nd Battle for Ypres, near St Julien on 26 April 1915. (Sint Juliaan). Order received for the Northumberland Infantry Brigade to attack St Julien in cooperation with the Lahore Division. Orders issued for attack. By 1:50pm the Battalions were on the move, the 4th attacking the Wieltje-St Julien with their left on the road." He is now mentioned on the Menin Gate. Thank you for a sensitive and well presented video. I was lucky enough to visit the area in 2007.

[@Rocky-xx2zg]

Well Done. Sadly, many today have little interest in what occurred in the 1914 - 1918 time.

[@orwellboy1958]

And those are the people destined to make the same mistakes.

[@Rocky-xx2zg]

@@orwellboy1958 They already have .

[@nextube_owner]

Yeah, I see that in my own country Look, in my country everyone talks about Holocaust and 40-45 when Germany occupied us So I started to read about D-day, Stalingrad, Market Garden, but I then remembered there was a war before that, even though we were neutral. Now I’ve been to Ieper and I’ve never been as much interested in something as this

[@allanspindler7927]

I do, my grandfather was there with the AIF.

[@daywalkersarkis3983]

But there’s many of us who care what happened during the Great War! As a Armenian I must know it’s my peoples history sadly. Grandma Grandpa told me stories about those days and how your neighbors started changing into monsters!

[@Schweini_1983]

My great great grandfather was killed at Paschendaele after he and his Canadian comrades releived the Australians and New Zealanders. He was killed on October 26 1917 and his body was never found. His name is on Menin Gate. He served with Robert Shankland who was awarded a Victoria Cross for his actions on that same day. Pvt Frederick William Ware. 43rd Highlanders. Manitoba regiment.

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Lest we forget.

[@MNnytrorider]

My great grandfather Canadian from Thunder Bay celebrated his birthday on the front line that day. In his diary he notes they took 6 pill boxes and took 260 prisoners on October 26 1917.

[@alisterbennett]

I visited Tyne Cot Cemetery and the Passchendaele Canadian Memorial by bicycle in 2014 - Marking the end of 3 weeks visiting commonwealth cemeteries and battle sites in France (Normandy & Somme), Italy and Belgium). It was almost overwhelming that day. I later discovered that my great uncle was buried in a cemetery just north of Ypres. Two weeks later we found his name is on a memorial plaque in the Parish Church of St Mary - Flint, Wales, where we also found my grandfather's name on the role of honour. My Grandfather emigrated to New Zealand in the 1920s.

[@DouglasBrown-y6b]

My Grandfather was killed on the 31st July 1917 at Passchendaele. Pvt John Brown 4th Battalion Middlesex Regiment. His name is on the Mennin gate Memorial 🎶🪕

[@kfc3693]

I have watched hundreds and hundreds of WW1 videos..and..have never commented on those..1st time I am writing..GREAT job on this info and the video presentation Mate..thanks..I learned more of this history from you..keep up the great work..both you and your crew..cheers.

[@kfc3693]

Oh..by the way…I did mean..Mate..as on Brother..thanks..Mat!

[@philippemmoisan3835]

Great production all around Mat! Congrats & thanks to yourself & your team...

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Much appreciated!

[@stuartbridger5177]

I walked much the same routes on a tour a few years back, you did an excellent job and brought back memories. With the help of the tour guide, we located the grave of a relative of mine. The experience was sobering and poignant enough, seeing my family name on a grave stone was very emotional

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

A special experience.

[@douglasparker577]

Incredible documentary. Thank you. My great uncle private Hugh Archibald Davidson Parker, of the 55th Australian Infantry Regiment, died at Passchendael on 26 Sept 1917. He had a daughter born out of wedlock before he left for France. I wonder whether he knew about her birth? I do hope so. With a heavy heart I think about him from time to time, just a young 23yo man who saw Hell on Earth B4 he died. I'm so proud I know you story great uncle Hugh. Love Douglas Norman Parker.

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Thanks Douglas. Lest we forget.

[@Conn30Mtenor]

Canadian expat, living in Australia. I'm a descendant of a man who fought there- John Burnham, 29th Battalion (Vancouver). He was wounded at Pash, was sniped while laying wire. As the stretcher bearers were taking him back, the Germans started shelling the area. They would run a few yards, then flop and drop him. This went on for who knows how long and when he was finally brought to the aid station a doctor triaged him and said to forget him, that he wouldn't make it. He lay there until the next morning and as they were clearing out the corpses they discovered him alive. Another doctor, quite upset that Grandad wasn't being helped operated on him and sent him to a hospital. He survived, fought at the 100 Days campaign, moved to Vancouver and raised a family. His two eldest sons fought in WW2, one of whom was my father. Until his death in 1960, he attended all the regimental reunions and it was clear to his family that his identity was wrapped up in the Great War. It was the greatest period of his life, he loved being a soldier and his legacy lives on within our family.

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Sounds like a great man. Thanks for sharing.

[@martingardener90]

Thank you for a great video. My Great uncle Eli Gardener was killed during the attack of Raquete Farm on 17th October 1917, hit by an artillery shell so there was no body to recover and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot wall. I understand from a fantastic tour of the battlefields and cemeteries a few years ago that the land for the commonwealth cemeteries is leased forever free by the Belgian and French governments however the German governments has to renew their leases and pay for it.

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Thanks Martin. The land was given to the Commonwealth countries ‘in perpetuity’. It’s not the case with the German cemeteries.

[@Shadooe]

Fantastic video once again sir. I got to visit all the places mentioned, in 2016, on a tour from Newfoundland. Really brings back memories. Keep up the good work.

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Thanks!

[@bernadettelanders7306]

My grandmother’s brother was killed on 4th Oct 1917 at Passchendael. He belonged to 21st Battn. A.I.F. (I’m reading one of the typed reports the family have). It has eye witness reports of how he died, his physical description. The reality of his passing is very real to my family as it says, “A shell about 6 feet above our heads killed him instantly.” Even though I never met my great uncle Valentine, seeing photos of him in his uniform, old newspapers articles from where he lived in Vic Australia. I feel I know him and it’s heartbreaking as if I really did know him. My grandmother named her first son after him. He’s buried over there. I’ve only seen a photo of him in his uniform, but I feel him in my soul. He makes me sad, but sometimes I smile when I think of him as the old newspaper article said the locals didn’t want him to go as he was doing so much for the families of men who did go. But sadly he went 💞

[@pavlovshouse77]

Went to all of these places in April 2017. They do a wonderful job looking after our boys. 🍁

[@sugarkane4830]

Indeed they do.

[@iBoyNZ]

Thank you Mat for a stunning doco

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@ghendar]

I've been waiting a long time for this. So happy battle walks in person are back!

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Cheers Landru! It’s good to be back!

[@matthewskinner1637]

My great great uncle John Wallace 1st New Zealand division fought from 22nd June- Sunday 6th October where he was gassed at Spree farm. He was sent back to England to recover. I recently found my great aunts writing of some of his experiences, so it has mention of the dates his mates were wounded and when he first went over the top at. Lest we forget.

[@TonyEdwards-un7rc]

Thank you for such a wonderful virtual tour capturing the sense of awfulness and valour. Great to see so many other family recollections. As a Brit I never cease to be amazed by the reach of the the Anzac /Canadian/Indian and other Imperial forces. Extraordinary commitment and bravery from so many. My great uncle Capt Trevor died in Paschendale on the 26th Oct 1917. With his parents papers was a letter of thanks from a follow officer who was due to lead the unit but was persuaded by Trevor to swap his home leave so that he could see his wife and child. Had he not done this he would not be the very first name of on the Tyne Cot memorial (Panel 1). As a Capt in the 'senior' service he has the honour to the first of so many fellow combatants. God bless them all. I hope you record a tour of Gallipoli. My great uncle Patrick was a captain with the RNVR and with his brother Trevor ,were some of the last 300 soldiers to leave the beaches . That is the last time they saw one another. Patrick's unpublished memoirs make chilling reading with day to day accounts of the trials and tribulations of those on the front line there and in the Somme. He survived which is amazing, not least in that he served in all three services , lost an eye and part of his leg but still volunteered to see out his time fighting with the white Russians. A true warrior, since on the declaration of war he was a successful lawyer and tried to sign up, however at 38 rejected by the recruitment office on for being too old so shaved off his moustache and 'shed ten years '. DSO and bar Croix de Guerre the order of Valdimir and the Order of St Anne and four time mentioned in despatches.

[@Spiderwebsider]

Given the state of Europe and the world today, I'd like to go back in time and tell all those brave young men, on both sides, not to bother.

[@aussiedownunder4186]

Wake up to yourself! A stupid comment! Have some Respect!

[@williamkennedy5492]

At 7 minutes 20 second i was overwhelmed by the shear volume of death, It surely does stagger the imagination, there are no words that can describe the actual horror of what these brave men went through. My Great uncle was killed in 1915 aged 19 he lays in France, a 19 year old boy , i have his medals and soon it will be remembrance day, the medal ribbons are worn through with pin holes where his mother my great grandma wore them on remembrance day , looking back it is so pointless and all politicians have a great deal to answer for, curse them to hell for they still play with peoples lives. Thank you for the video it is so moving and of course so thought provoking. Cheshire UK.

[@davidhunt3808]

There is Canadian movie called Passchendaele and it depicted the savagery and the terrible conditions the Canadians had to endure !! Your documentary here tells that story so well !!

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Thank you!

[@mufflejoy]

I have visited Ypres several times, including Tyne Cot and the German Langemark location. The latter amazes by each stone not being individual persons but rather "mass graves" which obscures the extent of the losses. All of it, the sheer amount of cemetaries around Ypres, Verdun etc never ceases to amaze and horrify by the sheer distruction that was WW1 - a must do visit for anyone just slightly curious about the social dynamics of humanity.

[@mamavswild]

It’s sad that those young men were buried without their names

[@garybroad4092]

Superb video Mat, thanks. God bless the Aussies the Kiwis and the Canucks... and never forget the Indians, Saffas and Gurkhas too. Heroes to this day, every bloody one of 'em!

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Glad you enjoyed it! And well said.

[@thomasbraden8242]

Fascinating. Very well done.

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Many thanks!

[@OfficialSituation]

The beauty of these places can't be overstated unless u go there for real. Such heavy emotion in these places and the locals are all so so so kind and welcoming

[@Goffas_and_gumpys]

GREAT presentation of information, editing and transitioning of now and then. Absolutely great. This is a bucket list item for me to pay my respects to all who were caught up in the madness of The Great War. Time is racing away from me, so probably won't get to do it, BUT, I am glad people make Living History presentations like this. Well done mate, top shelf. Lest We Forget

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Thanks!

[@keepcalm5026]

Never too late. I always stop at a cemetery or two when travelling through France and reflect that these men were cut off in their prime and such a waste.

[@fredwood1490]

How can a man walk this green parkland without tears streaming from his eyes, blinding him? How can a man pass by these white stones without touching them, trying to comfort them? To be comforted by them with their solidity, in this place of nightmare? How can a man read the names, read the names, read the names until he curses his own eyes for seeing too much? How can he not feel the earth move with the impacts of mighty guns, even a century on? Can he hear the bullets whine on the breeze, the cries on the breeze, the curses, the death rattles? Why is this place not the only one? Why does it exist at all? Does the answer lie in yesterday, tomorrow, deep in our genes or deep in our spirits? The white stones are silent, the walls block the sun, only the broken bunkers speak about a moment in time, about savagery beyond Human comprehension, done with Human hands to Human things for some Human purpose. God had nothing to do with it. God wept and could do nothing but gather the dead and lay them to sleep, dreamless, until the day of rising. Would courage and honor be enough to make up for the sins of destruction? They may know, bye n bye, bye n bye. We can but walk and weep and ponder.

[@nallekarhu7994]

Very beautifully and poignantly written, I feel better that people remember still the wasteful suffering of gallant young men Sent to murder other gallant young men for the invisible honor of men far too clever and cowardly to ever face the same call to arms and nightmarish horror. These horror of this regimented industrial slaughter still echo through time forever till this universe rips itself apart.

[@davidbrown4140]

Summarised brilliantly, those two comments, I could of not put it better myself...."lest we forget "...

[@calkinsb0713]

Absolutely beautiful post Very well done

[@jasonnicholasschwarz7788]

You can feel them walk right through your heart, your soul. They're not gone. They're here. And some of us are over there.

[@Andrew-m8t5]

Great documentary. Loved the tours as well. Keep up the great work

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Cheers, glad you enjoyed it!

[@MaritaBird]

Awesome video Mat, thank you. 😊🙏❤ R.I.P. Lt. James Donald OLIVER KIA 4th October 1917 In the Battle of Broodseinde Ridge (part of Battle of Passchendaele), Belgium 10th Light Trench Mortar Battery It was his second enlistment, having been among the very first wave of enlisted soldiers in August 1914, who embarked with the 5th Battalion on 21 October 1914 aboard the HMAT Orvieto. Unfortunately he contracted a case of Pneumonia shortly after reaching Egypt and was returned home in Feb 1915, and discharged medically unfit on 29 April 1915. He recuperated at home and re-enlisted on 15 December 1915. He is buried in Tyne Cot cemetery, Passchendaele, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium Also listed on Panel 20 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Thanks Marita. Lest we forget.

[@davidsweeney4021]

A bit off from this video's subject, but my Dad's Dad fought at Gallipoli in a Irish Regiment of the British Army. He was a sergeant and ordered to take a squad of about 5 into No-Mans land to capture a "Johnnie Turk" and bring him back for interrogation. They were issued with pistols and grenades and went out. While crawling around out there they heard foreign voices. My grandfather told my Dad he sh1t himself but only a little bit then told his men we're going back. Luckily he survived Gallipoli and became Garrison Sergeant Major at Barry Island Fort in South Wales. My Mom's Dad fought in Burma in the Royal Artillery in WWII. He never told anyone anything

[@christophh.6744]

Just a few days ago, we have been visiting these sites with our teenage sons, who are at the same age as the youngest soldiers buried in Flanders. I hope that the boys have become sensitive of how precious peace is and at the same time how difficult it is to maintain peace.

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Well said.

[@mycustomyoutubechannel2539]

Just as I got back into WW1 documentaries this video comes out. What a great timing.

[@mrbojangles7577]

My grandfather (South Wales Borderers Regiment) fought and was killed at the battle of Passchendaele in 1917. His name is now on the Menin Gate in Belgium.

[@passchendaelemuseum]

Hello Mat, very interesting video! Thank you for visiting and mentioning our museum. If you don't mind, we will share your video on our social media channels in the coming days. Kind regards, the Passchendaele Museum

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Please do!

[@christinewesson2046]

My grandad called it Wipers. There were a pair of china ornaments either side of nans and grandads fireplace that grandad had taken off a wall, that was all that was left of a house in Wipers and squirrelled away to bring home as a souvenir.

[@johnkirkby4959]

12,000 thousand graves and 8,000 of them unknown. Very well done and thorough presentation. There is another site where almost 1,000 Newfoundlanders (Newfoundland wasn't part of Canada then) were ordered over the top and attack. Most of them were killed. In Newfoundland and at that site there are statues of Mooses looking at each other from far away...such a brilliant yet tragic memorial.

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Thanks for the comments.

[@sampage4715]

Very well presented. A very brutal battle as was all of WW1.

[@lordglencoe2194]

A very respectful and insightful tour. We managed to get to Passchendaele at the time they opened up the original tunnels discovered under the church. They were only open for a few months due to the risk of flooding and now they are sealed again. Compared to the above ground replicas they were truly awful - as in, awful for the people who had to live in them. We simply cannot imagine today how those poor men endured what they did. The cramped conditions, the constant damp, the filth, the smell, the rats. Staggering that anyone survived it. The museum is also worth a visit and the room with examples of all the different types of shells fired, left a lasting impression on us - so much death and destruction all in those glass cabinets. Anyone who thinks war is glorious needs to come here (and the cemeteries in Normandy, as well as the Somme) and rethink that perspective. General George S Patton once said "the point of war is not to die for your country but to make all those other bastards die for their country". I think that point is very evident in Flanders, And yet it goes on in Ukraine today. We have learned nothing.

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Thanks for the comments.

[@gryphus64]

My Great Uncle Viktor Spork, was gassed at Passchendaele, a German Soldier, died several months later of pneumonia. His brother, my Grandfather, emigrated to Australia circa 1924.

[@JPB-wy5cl]

Mat, you did an outstanding job with this video.

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Thank you!

[@probuilder4980]

Very well made video , thank you for making it. A truly dark time in history After many years in the song Willie McBride "But here in this graveyard it's still no mans land The countless white crosses stand mute in the sand To man's blind indefference to his fellow man To a whole generation that were butchered and dammed" Makes me sad

[@johnstirling6597]

In the early 1980s I did some work for an old English guy that had emigrated to New Zealand. We got to talking and it turned out he was an old soldier who had fought and been wounded at Passchendaele, he told me a bit about his experiences. Him and some mates were sitting around when a shell exploded near to them, everyone else was killed but he survived with his eye blown out but still functioning, he had to walk , unaided to a rear medical facility to get it fixed. When asked why he emigrated his reply was, "to get as far away from that bloody place as possible".

[@phmoffett]

Very well written, edited and narrated. One of the best documentary pieces I've seen. Thank you.

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Wow, thank you!

[@janverbanck]

I live about 50 km from this spot. Each year,around November 11th we visit the cemetery and its surroundings. Also the German cemetery at Langemark. Effectively much different in style, more gray, more sombre, the opposite of comforting actually... But, I just can't help it: each time, everywhere, my eyes fill up. It's so devastating to the soul... Just FYI: TyneCot (read it as one word) is an Anglicism of the (dialect) Flemish word "t'hennekot" which simply means "the henhouse". This refers to a farm that used to be there.

[@louisavondart9178]

The name "Tyne Cot" is said to come from the Northumberland Fusiliers, seeing a resemblance between the many German concrete pill boxes on this site and typical Tyneside workers' cottages

[@janverbanck]

@@louisavondart9178 Doubtful...To my knowledge records on-site and in most expositions tell differently. There are a lot of other examples of twisting local words (which is quite logical given the difficult dialectic pronunciation of most) Other kind of example: the English pronunciation of the town IEPER [ˈipər], which is literally "Wipers" could in principle not be understood by a random contemporary Fleming who has never heard it before. This is because maps were often in French and they call it Ypres [ipʁ] . So, to the British it read "Wipers" which is quite understandable. So you see how easily words get twisted...

[@bethzolin6046]

Thank you so much for caring and visiting the graves even so long after the battle. My grandfather was there, with the 21st West Yorks,a pioneer battalion. He was badly wounded, sent home to recover, and was too badly injured to ever return. He died in his hometown in 1978, having lived long enough enough to meet his first great grandchild. A piece of shrapnel will still be in his grave, as they were unable to remove it from his shoulder. Like so many others he rarely discussed the war, despite the requests of his son and grandson, though he did mention being at Zonnebeke near Ypres, and at another place close by that I can’t recall that sounded almost the same - Zonnebeek and Zonnebeck? We know he was buried alive by a shell, and only survived due to the prompt reaction of his comrades in digging him out - it was a horror he never forgot. It was a truly horrific war, and I doubt those of us alive today can appreciate the horror it was for all involved, not just the soldiers, but all those civilians so unfortunately caught up in its melee.

[@janverbanck]

@@bethzolin6046 Hi Beth. My own paternal grandfather was in the trenches (or just behind at times as he was in the telegraph/communication corps) too. This whilst my grandmother fled to England through Milford Haven. She proceeded to live out the war years (+ 3 additional years) in Berkhamstead where my father was born in 1915. My grandfather joined her after the war and they all returned to Belgium around 1921. In 1940, my father's brother was KIA when Germany invaded Belgium.

[@sugarkane4830]

@@janverbanckYou make a good point. It’s the first time I have come across this explanation. The Northumberland fusiliers being the most excepted one.

[@anthonylamb3488]

I will always be interested, I have two Great Uncles (brothers) who fell here and in France. I will be visiting them next year to pay my respects, they are my heroes.❤

[@James-zg2nl]

This is the first video I have seen by you, I am very glad it came up in my recommended list this morning. I really appreciate your filmmaking approach, especially when you took the time to commemorate the fallen of our former foe. Cheers

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Thanks James. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@brettcurtis5710]

Sobering viewing indeed - the entire British Empire and Dominion forces fought there! In memory of my friend's grandfather James McKenzie MM 1NZEF stretcher-bearer awarded the Military medal in 1917 - survived WW1 to serve as NZ's Senior Padre (Lt-Col), in Greece, Nth Africa and Italy in WW2.

[@Herman6507]

A good and respectful documentary, interestingly covering both sides for a change.

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Thank you!

[@sandinyabumcrack]

Thanks for this upload and information my plan is to visit in the next 5 years! To honour my great uncle whom I’m named after I intend to find exactly where he died and just sit with him! Although they never found him afterward he is named on Tyne cot memorial! He deserves my respect and deep thanks for the sacrifice he and his brothers blood and none blood made for without it I may never have been born! 😢 Every year I drink to him shed many tears and remember him! ❤

[@allanburt5250]

Thank you sharing with us. I visited a few times in the 90s and it was a very humble experience. You do get an understanding of the ground when walking those fields.

[@patobrien6364]

I visited your own commemorative location outside Albany WA. It stunned me. A fabulous record of those who lost so much, which we gained. Sobering stuff 😎

[@gregmichael8473]

Mat, Thanks for the video. I've visited Tyne Cot and the Ieper area 4 times now and am still moved by the sight of that Cemetery. Had a distant relative 42 Bn AIF killed on 31 July 1917 in a "stunt" near Warneton which was meant as a diversion for the main offensive. His name's on the Menin Gate.

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Cheers Greg.

[@sandywilkie564]

Again Mat, a wonderful, informative presentation.

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Thanks Sandy!

[@DCND06]

I agree. Very moving so thank you. 🇬🇧🇦🇺🇨🇦🇧🇪To all The Fallen.

[@caravaggiosaccomplice7841]

What an insightful and moving tribute and commentary. First class.

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Thanks!

[@martinkirby3100]

I'm totally thankful to all 12.000 of these soldiers who fought and died for the freedom of the world and their sacrifices will never be forgotten by me and my children

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Well said.

[@Hermod1995]

fought and died for the freedom?

[@BilltheDoughboy1996]

Great video as always mate 👏 I'll be re visiting here in February. I was lucky enough to be at Ypres, Zonnebeke and Passchendaele for the 100th Anniversary.

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Cheers mate.

[@johnwalker5366]

well made video , back in 2016 we visited Tyne Cot , to find my grandads brother on the centenary wall, being the first in the family to do so .,didnt know he had lived, until a few years ago ,having been to Tyne Cot many times back in th 80s with 1st ww solders as a helper?sadly they have all passed away , the stories they passed on made me cry...

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Thanks for the comments.

[@jasoreed]

Very close to my heart are these documentaries for I was a young 22 year old Australian cyclist living in this area and visited as many of these sites as possible by bike. The story with the picture of the Australians in the railway cutting is a picture that I viewed through an original slideshow at hill 63 museum. A few of the pronunciations of those villagers if you are English speaking - Ieper (eeper roll the rr) Pashendale(passen-dala) zonnabeke( zona-baka)

[@ColinH1973]

Excellent work, interesting and informative. I was in Ypres and Passchendaele about 15 years ago, and you have filled in a lot of the blanks for me. Thank you for this.

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@philipdee1415]

Very important work that you are doing....well done to all the crew

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Thank you!

[@jhvoojh]

Very good documentary. Thanks for your knowledge and tact.

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@michaelewert8310]

An extraordinary presentation of sacrifice and brutally of a forgotten war. What is striking about many battlefields throughout the world is how destroyed those fields were in the past compared to how beautiful those fields are today.

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Cheers Michael.

[@startupbusinesscoaching]

Thank you for sharing. From Idaho, J

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Thanks for watching!

[@kvdp1805]

Thank you for this story, well told.

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Thank you!

[@elsupremo3651]

Terrific production values. Somber and informative. Love the walking tour videos Matt.

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Thanks!

[@Dadsterful]

A very moving piece. Thanks Mat, I'll be visiting this area later this year, much better informed

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Cheers mate. It’s a special place.

[@mickdarvell5006]

Very good and informative - popping over there in December so thank you

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Zoydian]

It never fails to touch me very deeply, this mindless killing, so many lives lost. Thanks for the great video.

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

My pleasure.

[@nickspong8265]

Very good narration and presentation indeed

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Glad you liked it!

[@davewilson9738]

An amazing film, sadly Europe and the world in general appears ready to fill another field with the bodies of the young. How easily we forget.

[@gefi9701]

My thoughts exactly. It's said we oil the jaws of the war machine and feed it with our babies.

[@Rocky-xx2zg]

Dave, Sadly, we can bet on that happening. No one will be left after those nuclear weapons are released in mass. JMO

[@mamavswild]

What are we supposed to do? Allow the Russians to invade whomever they want? Remember one thing: those without swords will forever be hunted by those with them

[@cuebj]

What has forgetting to do with Ukraine and WW1? And who is 'we'? Putin's Russian Federation will be well aware of WW1, especially their battles with Germany. They are very happy to use the tactics of meat grinding trenches, mines, artillery because they have a very low competence level of conscripts and officers. Germany lost because they were exhausted, broke, starving - that's Putin strategy for Ukraine

[@mamavswild]

@@cuebj Absolutely!

[@howardburnette9169]

Lost a great uncle there from NZ. Have visited three times, his name is on the wall. William Staub.21. Have also taken my two sons, and they have promised, when I have passed they will take my grandchildren,and explain Williams pathway to his death on the 12th of October 1917. They gave so much,and should always be remembered.

[@Nickhilton90]

superb, very moving documentary and well put together. Hope it gets the views it deserves

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Cheers Nick.

[@nnoddy8161]

My great uncle (19th Battalion AIF) was killed at Zonnebeke on 4 Nov 1917 while they were in reserves supporting the Canadians attacking Paschendaele. His battalion was withdrawn the following day and I believe from battalion diaries that he would have been one of the last Australians killed in the 3rd Battle of Ypres. He was buried not far from his dugout, but his grave was subsequently lost. The Red Cross Records (and accounts of his colleagues) provide a rough guide as to where he was killed and buried. I would love one day to trace his steps.

[@DAH55100]

Much appreciated. A useful overview of key locations that will add to the visitor experience.

[@derekstocker6661]

Absolutely amazing, what a great salute to all who were there, the heartbreak that this war caused and the dear souls, some forever lost will always be remembered. Fabulous cemetery and wonderfully kept in respect for all interred there. Thank you so much for this great video, and to think that in twenty years it was started all over again. RIP to all.

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Thanks Derek.

[@julieblundell7421]

Hello Mat, what an excellent video, I really enjoyed it, my niece and her boyfriend are coming to Ypres next week and I have told her plenty on this subject, and now have recommended her to watch this video, stay safe mate, Lee.

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Thanks Lee. 👍🏼

[@davidcunningham2074]

unnerving. it is such a calm landscape now but what horrors happened there once.

[@carlosmontero9042]

Great video, thanks for sharing!

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Thanks for watching!

[@TheSergentChaotix]

The french were also present at Passchendaelz, 6 divisions fought during the battle. They also had earlier successes that allowed them to support the ANZAC-Canadian offensives.

[@stephenbesley3177]

So many were lost just stepping off of duck boards straight into bottomless mud. This really was an awful slaughter. RIP to all of those lost and respects to their families and decendants.

[@tonysutton6559]

You mentioned a Frank Hurley taking an iconic photograph. He was already famous before going out to the trenches in WWI as he had accompanied Shackleton on his attempt to cross Antarctica. He was also an official photographer in North Africa in WWII.

[@cccenturion4480]

One of the things that struck me while I visited these sites and villages was the complete lack of old buildings.

[@koalastralia]

My Scottish 2xgreat-grandmother's younger brother, James Duncan (sn 3313) 11th Bn, Royal Scots (Midlothian) was killed at Passchendael on the 12th October 1917, and is remembered at Tyne Cot (panel 11 to 14). He enlisted on the 22nd August 1914, and later wounded twice. Their brother, John Duncan, immigrated to Sydney, Australia before the war, and enlisted in the A.I.F, 4th Battalion, 1st Brigade (sn 1234), on the 9th October 1914. Departed eleven days later on HMAT Euripides (A14), travelled to Egypt with the first convoy. John was wounded at the Battle of Lone Pine, Gallipoli, on the 6th August 1915; wounded at the Battle of Pozieres (Somme), France, on the 16th August 1916. Invalided back to Australia in 1917. John passed away in 1955, Sydney.

[@andyb.1026]

My Grandfather went about 4 years all the way thru WW1, from the Dardanelles to the Somme. He was killed a few weeks before the end. I'm the only member of the family to visit his Grave & the Mennin gate ceremony.

[@wasiuuu1]

if only politician's would go to war them self instead of people - there would be no wars, laws or poverty. great doku and narration , thanks for sharing. PEACE to ALL , we needed

[@MatMcLachlanHistory]

Glad you enjoyed it. 👍🏼

[@alvarvillalongamarch3894]

So many brave young men,lost to their familes,friends and country.So far from home,fighting in a European war they saw as theirs.So tragic,so much pain,endurance,suffering.The war to end all wars.And we learnt nothing.History is more important than chemistry and biology,because generations forget their ancestors errors and sufferings,and then go over and over the same.My respects to all fallen soldiers,on both sides,both young and brave.Best regards from Spain.