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Home / New Zealand

Film ignores NZ heroes in bloody battle

By Yvonne Tahana
NZ Herald·
5 Sep, 2008 04:00 PM3 mins to read

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Passchendaele director Paul Gross (front) appears in his own film, which plays down the efforts of other Allied forces. Photo / Supplied

Passchendaele director Paul Gross (front) appears in his own film, which plays down the efforts of other Allied forces. Photo / Supplied

KEY POINTS:

New Zealand's part in the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917 is dismissed in a new film from Canada that paints that country's soldiers as heroes.

Released this week, Passchendaele shows how the Belgian town was captured by the Canadian Corps during World War I.

The Anzacs, who fought
alongside the British, don't get a mention in the trailers, which cut straight to the punch with: "The British couldn't do it, the French couldn't do it - it was just us, the Canadian Corps."

And if that didn't make it clear enough who sorted out the mess that was the Western Front, audiences are told: "This party we call Passchendaele started three months ago. The job of breaking out falls to the only outfit in this entire circus that seems capable of getting anything done and that's us - the Canadian Corps."

With half a million men from both the Allied and German forces lost before the Canadians arrived late in the piece, it's a call too far, says NZ Returned and Services Association historian Dr Stephen Clarke.

"They are accurate in the sense that they did take Passchendaele, but in some ways there were no winners," he said. "The territory they took was very small and within three months it was lost."

Swampy terrain combined with heavy shelling and the worst rain Europe had seen in decades produced a hellish theatre of war. In the mud, men and horses drowned in craters left by shelling as soldiers around them were shot dead and impaled on wire.

And it was no great territory that was won. Over three months the Allies pushed the Germans back 8km.

On October 12, the 17,000-strong New Zealand division was tasked with taking the town, an uphill target. It remains the worst day of combat in NZ history - 845 soldiers died, 2800 were injured and 138 would die of their wounds in the following days.

New Zealand's last veteran, Bright Williams, died in 2003.

What remained of the town was captured on November 6 by a Canadian outfit that was considered "outstanding", Dr Clarke said.

With 40,000 soldiers in four divisions, the corps had built a solid reputation from brilliant successes earlier in the year.

While the movie seemed to "overplay" the Canadians' role, there was nothing wrong with them acknowledging their history, especially given the resurgence around the world of countries recognising fallen soldiers.

"I guess it comes with every nation. We all look at ourselves and play up our own contribution. We look at Aussies and think they're bolshy and confident but Canadians are very patriotic.

"There was no mention of New Zealand but we still loved the film - we knew we were there. I think subconsciously we wrote ourselves in."

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