𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐤 𝐨𝐩 𝐝𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐢𝐣 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐞.
On July 31, 1917, the Third Battle of Ypres begins. More than 4.2 million shells are thrown at the German positions. The shelling is churning up the landscape and destroying the drainage system. Bunkers, the target of the shelling, remain standing. The rainwater can't go anywhere. A few summer downpours turn the operating site into a swamp.
After weeks of toil, New Zealanders, Australians and South Africans rejoin the exhausted British divisions. After a few successes, the attack stalls again. Stopping the offensive, however many lives it may save, is not an option. A victory, even if it is a symbolic one, is desperately needed. Field Marshal Haig's gaze falls on Passchendaele. The destroyed village on top of the West Flemish ridge has been in German hands since 1914 and has assumed mythical proportions. To win that prize, Haig turns to the Canadians.
𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐭 𝐨𝐩 𝐓𝐲𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐭 𝐂𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐯𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐣𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐧𝐚𝐚𝐫 𝐝𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐭.
The Canadian army command reluctantly accepts the assignment. She will attack in four phases. In the first two phases, on October 26 and 30, the troops must reach higher ground. Once freed from the mud, Passchendaele can be conquered. North of Passchendaele, during a final phase, a part of the ridge will be taken on November 10.
At dawn on October 26, 1917, Canadian artillery vomited its deadly charge. As the defenders retreat to their hideouts, the Canadians move forward.
The 46th Battalion (South Saskatchewan) advances at Tyne Cot Cemetery. A German counter-attack forces them to retreat. The number of missing persons rises to about one in seven.
We can locate two missing persons from the 46th in the Tyne Cot cemetery, where a total of 13 missing Canadians were initially buried. The 27-year-old Norwegian emigrant 𝐍𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐡 was buried near what is now the Cross of Sacrifice. Nearby lay the 20-year-old William farmer 𝐌𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐥. To this day, both have no known grave.