Dan Snow’s History Hit — The Battle of Passchendaele
Release Date: November 10, 2025
Host: Dan Snow
Guest: Jen Baldwin, Genealogist & Research Specialist at Findmypast
Episode Overview
This episode takes listeners through the harrowing story of the Battle of Passchendaele (Third Battle of Ypres, July–November 1917). Dan Snow and genealogist Jen Baldwin explore not only the military tactics and conditions of the infamous Western Front battle, but also bring listeners face-to-face with the deeply personal stories of men who fought and died. Through first-person diaries, letters, military records, and anonymous testimonies, the episode reveals Passchendaele as a byword for futility, endurance, and industrial-scale slaughter, while highlighting the importance of piecing together family history to ensure the sacrifices are not forgotten.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
Setting the Scene: The Horror and Purpose of Passchendaele
- [00:00] Dan Snow details the dreadful conditions in Ypres: “The ground had reverted into a swamp, a sea of mud punctuated by mounds of barbed wire and grotesque limbs of the unburied dead from previous assaults.”
- The intention behind the assault was to crack the German defensive lines, threaten U-boat bases, and wear down dwindling German manpower.
- Casualty figures are staggering—hundreds of thousands of dead, wounded, and missing on both sides, for the gain of less than five miles of ground.
The Cost of “Success” and the Shadow of Hindsight
- [05:00] Dan references how, in 1934, former Prime Minister David Lloyd George condemned Passchendaele as a disaster in his memoirs:
“Passchendaele was indeed one of the greatest disasters of the war... most gigantic, tenacious, grim, futile, and bloody fights ever waged in the history of war.”
(David Lloyd George, quoted at [06:23]) - At the time, neither the public nor Parliament knew the scale of the horror; reports focused on “progress and heroism.”
First-Person Testimonies: The Human Experience
Anonymous Gunner (read by Martin Esposito):
- [07:50]
"It happened to be my misfortune to be in the salient on the day we took Passchendaele... days such as I wish no man to see again... sheer, unmitigated hell.”
- Conditions included mud, constant shellfire, exhaustion, filth, lack of clean water, and lingering wounds.
- [14:57]
"We made our wagon lines in what had presumably once been a field but was now quagmire... shells began to pour into the camp. We could do nothing but crouch close to the ground and hope the next one wouldn't reach us."
- [14:57]
Stories from the Archives: Private James Morby and Family Loss
- [12:38] Jen Baldwin recounts Morby’s background: a 19-year-old from Buckinghamshire; his family story traced through census and military records, revealing the war’s impact across siblings and generations.
- [13:30] Two of James’ brothers had already been killed or maimed at Ypres. James, wounded in the initial attack (July 31, 1917), died days later and has no known grave—his name is on the Menin Gate memorial.
- [15:38] Jen reflects on the incomprehensible loss for the family.
The Ordinary Becomes Extraordinary: Private Stanley Toyer
- [17:16] Toyer, 27, from Luton, comes from a family in the straw hat trade. Wounded by a shell on the first day, lingers for three days before dying—his story “ordinary” but representative of so many.
- Letters, pension records, and newspaper mentions bring human context to otherwise anonymous records.
August Stalemate and Ongoing Suffering
- [18:52] Heavy rains and mud stalled progress more than German resistance:
"Our bodies moved automatically. We became dead to our fear and our suffering. Every feeling was submerged in the dull misery of those awful days."
(Anonymous Gunner, [19:17])
Diaries of Captain Edwin Vaughan: Firsthand Horror
- [22:29] Jen introduces Vaughan’s diary, an “unforgettable” record:
"From other shell holes, from the darkness on all sides, came the groans and wails of wounded men... they were slowly drowning... helpless to aid them."
(Vaughan diary, [23:19]) - Vaughan describes the terror of gas attacks—mustard gas as an inescapable torment (burning skin, blinding, incapacitation, psychological trauma).
"If you see [a shell] marked with a yellow cross, you know what's coming..." (Jen, [24:54]) "The psychological toll must have been absolutely immense." (Jen, [26:01])
Changing Tactics and the Logistics of Modern War
- [28:37] General Plumer’s “bite and hold” approach sees smaller, more deliberate advances (Polygon Wood, Menin Road Ridge, Broodseinde), involving engineers, medics, machine gunners, runners, and even pigeons for communication.
- [30:53] Dan's personal note about his great-grandfather as a frontline doctor:
“He and his fellow doctors had to play God. They had to triage... decide within an instant who they would help.”
Medical Advances Amid Mass Casualty
- [31:25] Letter from William Eli Bacon (Royal Army Medical Corps):
“Here is a horse ambulance proceeding slowly to hospital wards. It is full of wounded prisoners... that poor devil, half sitting, half lying inside, his mouth has been blown away..."
(Bacon letter, [32:10]) - Medics helped both Allied and German wounded; triage and evacuation processes improved under fire.
Final Push: Canadian Corps and the Human Cost
- [36:54] By October, Canadians lead the final attacks—under General Currie’s cautious, “one bite at a time” approach—requiring more guns, duckboards, and carrying parties.
- [39:03] The story of Second Lieutenant Douglas St. George Pettigrew, wounded and killed while leading an assault on a pillbox—emblematic of the attrition and exhaustion experienced by officers and men alike.
Aftermath and Legacy
- [41:30] On November 6, 1917, Passchendaele village is finally taken, at tremendous cost.
- [43:06] The Gunner’s closing reflection:
“That was Passchendaele, and to me nothing can ever justify its like again.”
- [43:37] Total casualties: both sides lost about a quarter of a million men. Approximately 90,000 bodies never identified; tens of thousands never recovered.
The Importance of Remembering: Research, Records, and Family Stories
- [44:11] Jen emphasizes the power of family history to bring back the identities of “forgotten men,” even if they left no descendants.
“As we explore the history of World War I and our direct ancestors, we can think about all of those men who never came home...”
- [45:15] Free access to Findmypast’s military records (November 7–13) is promoted as a chance for personal discovery and remembrance.
Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments
-
Dan Snow ([06:23]):
“Strong words there from my great great grandfather... At the time of the battle, back in 1917, the public didn't know the Prime Minister harboured these reservations and they really didn't know much about what was going on at Passchendaele.”
-
Anonymous Gunner ([07:50]):
“The time we spent in front of Passchendaele was sheer, unmitigated hell.”
-
Jen Baldwin ([13:30]):
“You kind of wonder how much that history impacted his mental and emotional status on that day... Right. He might have been out to avenge his brother's death, he might have just been quite sad or not quite focused.”
-
Captain Edwin Vaughan via Jen ([23:19]):
“From other shell holes, from the darkness on all sides, came the groans and wails of wounded men... powerless to move, they were slowly drowning.”
-
William Eli Bacon ([32:10]):
“His mouth has been blown away. By his side is one with both legs smashed and a wound in the head... another lies on a stretcher behind my seat; his clothes and face are plastered with mud and he moans and mutters in his delirium.”
-
Dan Snow ([41:30]):
“The carnage must have been overwhelming for him and for all of them.”
-
Anonymous Gunner ([43:06]):
“That was Passchendaele, and to me nothing can ever justify its like again.”
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [00:00] — Introduction, context & landscape of Passchendaele
- [06:23] — Lloyd George’s memoir and public understanding
- [07:50] — Anonymous Gunner's first testimony
- [12:38] — Profile: Private James Morby and family
- [13:30] — Loss and emotional toll on families
- [14:57] — The front-line experience: mud, shellfire, fear
- [17:16] — Profile: Private Stanley Toyer
- [19:17] — Stalemate & gunner’s account of August suffering
- [22:29] — Captain Edwin Vaughan’s diary and the horror of mud and drowning
- [24:54] — The impact of mustard gas
- [28:37] — Evolution of tactics in September-October
- [31:25] — Medical logistics: Letter from William Eli Bacon
- [36:54] — The Canadians’ preparations and attack on Passchendaele
- [39:03] — Profile: Second Lieutenant Pettigrew and the challenge of pillboxes
- [41:30] — The final attack and its aftermath
- [43:06] — Gunner’s closing reflection; futility of battle
- [44:11] — The importance of archival research for remembrance
- [45:15] — Encouragement to explore family history
Final Thoughts
The episode brings alive both the military and deeply personal aspects of one of the Great War’s most infamous battles. Through powerful testimonies and careful historical detective work, Dan Snow and Jen Baldwin underscore the point: behind every statistic was a life, a family, and a story. Listeners are encouraged to discover and honor the legacy of those “forgotten men” through records and remembrance, ensuring Passchendaele’s lessons of endurance and sacrifice are not lost to time.