2017 Centenary of WWI Third Battle of Ypres Stamp and Medallion Cover

A key goal for allied forces in 1917 was to occupy Flanders and remove the Germans from the Belgian coastline. In an attempt to break out of the so called Ypres Salient, British forces first had to occupy the Messines Ridge at the regions southern end, which fell in a well planned offensive in early June. The Australians fought a series of actions in the following months in an offensive that became known as the Third Battle of Ypres.

Although costly in casualties, the actions fought by the Australians were highly successful in capturing the ground they set out to take.

Between July and November 1917, allied troops lost half a million men in the Third Battle of Ypres - 38,000 of them were Australians.