Early history In the pre-Roman and Roman times the area of the town was located along the border between the
Menapii and
Morini Belgic tribes of northern
Gaul and later the border between the
bishoprics of
Tournai and
Thérouanne. The town is first recorded in 844 as Pascandale, and may be named after an individual by the name of Paulus or Pasko. In the Middle Ages, most of the region was ruled by the
Augustine abbey of Zonnebeke and the
Benedictine convent of Nonnebossen. Both the abbey and the convent were destroyed during an
iconoclasm (
Beeldenstorm) of 1580.
First World War Passchendaele Ridge gives its name in common parlance to a
battle of the First World War, officially the Third Battle of Ypres. It was a British-led offensive against the Germans, lasting from 31 July to 10 November 1917. Distinguishing features included the extensive
rain leading up to it, as well as the relative absence of French troops. The government of France faced a
massive mutiny at the time, having lost nearly four million troops to this point against the
Central Powers. In addition to British,
Canadian, Belgian,
New Zealander,
Australian and Indian troops fought on the side of the
Allies, under the command of
Field Marshal Douglas Haig. The combination of a field littered with shell hole craters and relentless rain led to a battlefield having the consistency of porridge. The holes in the earth filled with water, debris, and bodies, causing nearly everything to be coated with a slick layer of slime. Despite the rain, contamination of the water supply led to massive dehydration and sickness amongst the troops on both sides during the long months of battle. Guns sank into the earth and troops drowned in the soft mud as they tried to charge the line. Finally, after sixteen weeks of fighting in conditions which varied from rain, mud, and slime, to hot and dry weather with great clouds of dust, the initial objective of Passchendaele Ridge had been gained at a cost of 270,000 Allied casualties, including 17,000 officers. German casualties were likewise staggering, with 217,000 German casualties; the village was levelled. ==Sights==