Ypres has its own niche in the halls of infamy. So many troopers went in and were never seen again, their bodies becoming part of the landscape. OMHO, WWI was one of the most expensive wars in life and property only to yield nothing in return.
If you every see a copy of "Eye-Deep in Hell" in the old book pile, pick it up. Modern people have no idea what an abbator WWI was.
pingworthy?
1/5th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers:
August 1914 : in Walker, Newcastle. Part of Northumberland Brigade, Northumbrian Division. May 1915 :Brigade became 149th Brigade 50th Division. 15 July 1918 : reduced to cadre strength and transferred to Lines of Communication. 16 August 1918 : transferred to 118th Brigade, 39th Division. 10 November1918 : disbanded in France.
Passchendaele:
Attacks on 26th September and 4th October enabled the British forces to take possession of the ridge east of Ypres. Despite the return of heavy rain, Haig ordered further attacks towards the Passchendaele Ridge. Attacks on the 9th and 12th October were unsuccessful. As well as the heavy mud, the advancing British soldiers had to endure mustard gas attacks.
Three more attacks took place in October and on the 6th November the village of Passchendaele was finally taken by British and Canadian infantry. The offensive cost the British Expeditionary Force about 310,000 casualties. Sir Douglas Haig was severely criticised for continuing with the attacks long after the operation had lost any real strategic value.