Matthew Haultain-Gall on Australia's memory of Messines and Third Ypres

Abstract

<p>Matthew Haultain-Gall's <i>The Battlefield of Imperishable Memory</i> focuses our attention on the historiography and memory surrounding Australian involvement in the battle of Messines and the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele). While the two battles took place several weeks apart in mid-1917, they had starkly different outcomes. Messines commenced in June and, following the detonation of nineteen mines beneath the German front lines, resulted in an Allied victory and the capture of Messines Ridge. Third Ypres, often known as Passchendaele, commenced in late July and was plagued by range of factors, including poor weather and terrain, which resulted in a protracted campaign that saw even heavier destruction of life, for relatively little strategic gain.</p>