Passchendaele

On July 12th the Queen, King Albert II of Belgium, and several other heads of state will attend the opening ceremony for the events at Tyne Cot Cemetery, shown at the left, commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele. Also known as the Third Battle of Ypres, it lasted from July - September, 1917. Canadians tend to think of the Battle of Vimy Ridge when WW1 is mentioned. For Europeans it is the horrific Battle of Passchendaele, with its nearly one million deaths, that most symbolizes the War.

Two years ago I had the opportunity to visit Ypres and the many battlefields in the vicinity. My great uncle, Edward Cohen, was killed on the first day of the Battle of Passchendaele, 31 July 1917. It was moving to visit the scene and find his name engraved on the Menin Gate at Ypres.

Have you checked out people with your name who died in at the Battle Use the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site for British Commonwealth folks. You can't restrict the results by battle, but can limit the results by specifying year of death. The CWGC also have a new online exhibit about the battles around the Ypres Salient.