The Canadian War Museum is marking the 90th anniversary of one of the First World War’s most hard-fought victories with a special exhibition at the site of the battle. Bloody Victory: The Canadians at Passchendaele opens in Passchendaele/Zonnebeke, in the West Flanders region of Belgium.
The 1917 Battle of Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres, is remembered as a fierce struggle in which the 100,000-strong Canadian Corps launched four distinct assaults to wrest control of Passchendaele Ridge from the Germans.
On November 6, 1917, after many days of intense fighting, Canadian soldiers captured the prize that had eluded the rest of the British Expeditionary Force for months. They paid a terrible price of 16,000 casualties, but also earned nine Victoria Crosses for their valour.
“The Battle of Passchendaele is emblematic of Canadian soldiers’ courage, resourcefulness and determination,” says Dr. Dean Oliver, the Canadian War Museum’s Director of Research and Exhibitions. “Canadians fought valiantly in miserable conditions, through violent rainstorms, waist-deep in mud and under heavy fire from German artillery and machine-guns. But they prevailed, and Bloody Victory: The Canadians at Passchendaele honours their story.”
The exhibition uses photographs, artworks, letters, diaries and other historical records from the Canadian War Museum’s collection to recall the experience of the Canadian soldiers, examine the context of Canada’s role, and explore the battle’s personal, military, political and cultural legacy. The exhibition texts are presented in English, French and Dutch.
Bloody Victory: The Canadians at Passchendaele, on display until Nov. 15, 2007, was developed by the Canadian War Museum in partnership with the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 in Zonnebeke. It is one of many exhibitions and events planned this year to mark the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele. -- www.civilization.ca
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