This photograph shows the particularly bad conditions at the Battle of Passchendaele in November 1917. Shellfire and muddy conditions at the front could delay medical treatment of the wounded for hours or, in the worst cases, days. Clearing the battlefield quickly ensured that wounded soldiers did not die from shock or blood loss before they received medical attention.
George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 19930013-517
Canada and the First World War
