Passchendaele horror brought to life in 360-degree WW1 videos

One of the most horrific battles of World War One has been recreated in 360-degree online videos, giving you a sense of the harrowing conditions soldiers had to endure.

The Royal British Legion has created six videos to mark the centenary of Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres. Three and a half months of fighting left an estimated 550,000 Allied and German troops killed, wounded or lost.

As the videos play you can move around them using your mouse, exploring different scenes. They contain images and footage from the battle, and audio accounts from soldiers who fought in it. Historian Dan Snow provides commentary.

In some of the most moving scenes you can watch soldiers ‘going over the top’ from trenches to attack the enemy, while listening to first-hand accounts recorded by the Imperial War Musuem.

In one video Private Bert Fearns vividly remembers the carnage: “There was a mass of our fellows had been caught by low-exploding shrapnel. And they had been absolutely slaughtered. It was the first time I had smelt human blood, fresh, and it’s the most horrible smell I’ve ever smelt. They were lying there all over the place just mutilated”.

To watch the videos on your PC visit www. snipca.com/25107. Click the square icon bottom right to watch the videos in full screen, and the CC icon to add subtitles.you’ll need to have the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Opera or Internet Explorer. You can also watch them on your phone or tablet on the Youtube app (Android: www.snipca.com/25100; IOS www.snipca.com/25101).

In addition, Royal British Legion branches can apply to receive a free Google Cardboard virtual-reality headset that can play the videos. Some will also be available at the Legion’s Pop-in Centres on high streets throughout the UK. For more details read the Legion’s FAQS: www.snipca.com/25108.