Passendale

Belgium / West-Flandern / Zonnebeke /
 village, battlefield, First World War 1914-1918, draw only border

Passendale (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈpɑsə(n)daːlə]) or Passchendaele (obsolete spelling, retained in English) is a rural Belgian village in the Zonnebeke municipality of West Flanders province. It is close to the town of Ypres, situated on the hill ridge separating the historical wetlands of the Yser and Leie valleys. It is also commonly known as a battlefield and the name of a campaign during World War I, the Battle of Passchendaele.
The 1917 Battle of Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres or simply Third Ypres, was one of the major battles of World War I, fought by British, ANZAC and Canadian soldiers against the German army near Ypres (Ieper in Flemish) in West Flanders, northwestern Belgium over the control of the village of Passchendaele. As the village is now known as Passendale, the term Passchendaele alone is now used to refer to this battle. The label "Passchendaele" should properly apply only to the battle's later actions in October–November 1917, but has come to be applied also to the entire campaign from July 31. After three months of fierce fighting, the Canadian Corps took Passchendaele on November 6, 1917, ending the battle. Passendale today forms part of the community of Zonnebeke, Belgium.
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Coordinates:   50°54'0"N   3°1'23"E
This article was last modified 8 years ago