Third Battle of Ypres or Passchendaele.

My Grandads battalion were certainly in the thick of the action during World War One. They were at Neuve Chapelle  in 1915, on the Somme in 1916 and now at 3rd Ypres, better known as Passchendaele
in 1917. 
The following is from an article I had published in 'Medal News' about my Grandads army service and what happened around Passchendaele.

The diary states that July was spent in preparing & training for ‘forthcoming offensive ops including individual instruction in musketry, bombing, rifle bombing, Lewis gun, map reading, signalling etc as well as actual rehearsals of the attack over ground specially laid out with spitlocked & flagged trenches.’(Spitlocked trenches are marked out but not dug)

In actions that were to become known as the 3^rd Battle of Ypres the Battalion was once more in the thick of it from the end of July & into August. The 8^th Division was at this date part of II Corps, Lieut General Sir Hubert Gough’s 5^th Army.

Zero Hour on the 31^st July was 3.50am when the artillery barrage opened up. By 5am the 2/Middx had reached their first objective point, the Germans retreating on both flanks & in front. The battalion passed through other regiments who had captured Bellewarde Ridge & onto Westhoek Ridge which they captured. The diary states the enemy had ‘stopped running away & was opening fire with machine guns,’ snipers also coming up to do their worst. Tanks were due but the diary states that there was disappointment with their late arrival. Though the enemy counter attacked they were beaten off. There was also enemy aircraft overhead that dropped what is described as a ‘White light.’ This was followed by heavy shelling, and deterioration in the weather which changed from drizzle to heavy rain. They were at last relieved by the 8/South Lancs & the 11/Cheshires late on 1^st August. Losses were 4 Officers & 28 Other Ranks killed 8 Officers & 201 OR’s wounded & 38 missing. Better progress had been made further north of 8^th Div but there wasn’t the breakthrough that Gen Gough was pressing for.