During the Battle of Passchendaele, Crest Farm, forms the key to the shattered village. The former farmstead is slightly higher than Passchendaele and the Germans build a fortified position there. Several machine guns guard the access roads.
Canadian troops attack the position on 30 October 1917. Artillery and machine guns cover the advance. Some units advance through rolling drumfire, hoping to outpace the Germans. Despite fierce resistance, the Canadians capture, Crest Farm. Passchendaele follows a few days later.
Monument as memorial
A monument marks the site of Crest Farm and commemorates the Canadian capture of the ridge. A large block of Canadian granite in a grove of maple trees surrounded by a hedge of holly bears the inscription: The Canadian Corps in Oct – Nov 1917 advanced across this valley – then a treacherous morass – captured and held the Passchendaele ridge.
Practical info
- Can be guided
- Free
