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. The battle was fought for control of the village of Passendale (Passchendaele on maps of that time) near the Belgian town of Ypres in West Flanders. The plan was to drive a hole in the German lines and advance to the Belgian coast and capture the German submarine bases there.
Passchendaele is the name of a film project spearheaded by Canadian actor Paul Gross. The film, to be shot in Calgary, Alberta, CFB Suffield, and on location in Belgium, focuses on the experiences of Gross' grandfather, Michael Dunne, a soldier who served in the 10th Battalion, CEF in the First World War at the Battle of Passchendaele (also known as the Third Battle of Ypres). The film will tentatively be released on Remembrance Day, November 11, 2007.