This is the village of Passendale in the province of West Flanders in Belgium. In the Great War, it was known as Passchendaele. It was completely devastated by the end of the 1917 battles that bore its name, and everything seen here has been built since then.
Between October 1914 and October 1917, Passchendaele was behind German lines and could only be observed from the air. Knowing what was there was vital, and gradually and at great cost excellent maps and intelligence were produced. They played a part in enabling the capture of the village.
One of the many ways of disseminating the intelligence was through publications such as this. Produced by Second Army in March 1917, it gives detailed information about the many enemy roads, railways, canals, aerodromes, headquarters, hospitals, depots, stores, garrisons, factories and much more. This copy is held at the National Archives under reference WO287/30.
“Country in the rear of the enemy’s lines” also includes many photographs. This one, of Passchendale, is clearly from some time before it was levelled in the major battles of 1917.
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The copy shown above can be consulted in person at the National Archives.
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