During the First World War, the British wanted to force a front breakthrough in the summer of 1917, with a view to capturing the ports of Zeebrugge and Ostend. After a hundred bloody days, the attack finally stopped on November 10 on the ridge near Passchendaele. The conquered terrain had turned into a moonscape. The Battle of Passchendaele, also called the Third Battle of Ypres, also claimed approximately 600,000 victims.
The ‘Passchendaele Ceremony’ commemoration ceremony was held at the Crest Farm Canadian Memorial in Passchendaele on Monday evening. After all, the Municipality of Zonnebeke and the Passchendaele Museum see it as their task to keep the heritage alive and to pass on the stories of the past to the generations of tomorrow. “The many monuments, relics and cemeteries remain silent witnesses of the battle that was fought here,” said Mayor Koen Meersseman.
Alderman Joachim Jonckheere also pointed out the importance of commemorating the First World War. “In a world where peace and security are under threat, it is more important than ever to repeat and pass on the message of unity and harmony to future generations,” it said in English.
The ceremony was followed by a torchlight procession through Canadalaan. It was no coincidence that the parade followed the route of the last hundreds of meters of the Canadian capture of the ruins of Passchendaele. Canadian Ambassador Nicholas Brousseau was also present at the ‘Passchendaele Ceremony’.