In this letter the author describes his experience of the Third Battle of Ypres, 1917 (or Passchendale). This was the first campaign of the war where tanks were deployed offensively. The battle was for control of Passchendale, a village near to Ypres. The conflict took place on boggy ground and weather conditions were bad, the summer of 1917 had been wet. The author writes that his division is holding the 'line from Hooge to Wieltje'. Ypres was a vital access route to the channel ports on the Belgian coast. If the Germans captured Ypres they would threaten the channel ports and disrupt British supply lines. The constant bombardment of the artillary broke up the ground causing the newly deployed tanks to become stuck in the mud, troops also drowned. The author describes in the letter seeing tanks stuck in the mud, he writes 'there were some grusome sights up there'. During the First World War weponised gas was used and the author writes that precautions were being made against a possible gas attack. Further on in the letter it is reported that in a recent battle 500 men were taken prisoner and the author writes 'but don't let this get to the papers!'. Heavy casualties were suffered, about 250 men were killed and wounded.