Dan Snow's History Hit The Battle of Passchendaele
Nov 10, 2025
Jen Baldwin, a genealogist and research specialist for Findmypast, joins to explore the haunting realities of the Battle of Passchendaele. She shares chilling accounts from soldier diaries, detailing the grim conditions and relentless strategies that defined this infamous conflict. Stories of Private James Morby and Captain Edwin Vaughan reveal personal tragedies amidst the chaos. The discussion also highlights the lasting impact of mustard gas and the emotional toll on medical crews, urging listeners to uncover their own family war stories through archival records.
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Landscape Became A Weapon
- Passchendaele turned a drained Belgian landscape back into a deadly swamp through sustained bombardment and smashed drainage.
- The terrain itself became as lethal as the Germans, swallowing men, horses and equipment in mud and shell-holes.
Gunner's Harrowing Account
- An anonymous gunner vividly recounted living amid constant shelling while 18-pounder guns sat 2,000 yards behind the front.
- He described weeks in line without relief and called the time in front of Passchendaele "sheer, unmitigated hell."
A Family's Double Tragedy
- Private James Morby, 19, pushed forward on Pilckem Ridge, was wounded on 31 July and died days later, leaving no known grave.
- His family had already lost and had a brother amputated, showing repeated familial sacrifice.
