Lives of the First World War
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South Africans at Delville Wood, Somme, July 1916
South Africans at Delville Wood, Somme, July 1916
The South African National Memorial is at Delville Wood because it was the site of the gallant action of the 1st South African Infantry Brigade from 15th-21st July 1916, where despite losses of two-thirds, it captured and then held the wood against determined German artillery and counter-attacks. "The six days and five nights on which the South Africans held the most difficult post on the British front, a corner of death on which the enemy fire was concentrated at all hours from all sides... constitute an epoch of terror and glory scarcely equaled in the campaign." John Buchan - The South African forces in France. The South African Brigade in France had other hard battles - at the Butte de Warlencourt on 12th October 1916, Arras and the Fampoux debacle in April 1917, and the last stand against the German Spring Offensive at Marrieres Wood on 23rd March 1918 - but for sheer doggedness, Delville Wood is the battle that is revered. (The CWGC remembers 11,352 South African First World War casualties.) There is an excellent website at delvillewood.com which lists all the men present at the rollcall on 14th July, and the equally impressive southafricawargraves.org gives much more information, usually including an image of each soldiers record card. (I've also included British soldiers from 64th Field Company R.E. and 28th Brigade Machine Gun Company, who fought alongside the South African Brigade.)
Created by: , Guy74824
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Died 1916
South African Services 5745 Lance Corporal 3rd South African Infantry
More about Ernest Wood -
Born 1866
Died 1916
South African Services 3180 Private 2nd South African Infantry
More about John Martin Slattery -
South African Services 4116 Corporal 1st South African Infantry Fought at Delville Wood
More about Alexander Joshua Wright -
Died 1917
South African Services 6694 Sergeant 3rd South African Infantry Wounded at Delville Wood as a Private
More about Pieter Adriaan Van Zyl -
Born 1897
Died 1916
South African Services 6495 Corporal 1st South African Infantry Fought at Delville Wood as a Private in 2nd SAI
More about Charles Loxton -
Born 1876
Died 1916
South African Services 143 Private 4th South African Infantry
More about James Gradon Middlemas Or Middlemiss -
Born 1871
Died 1956
South African Services Lieutenant Colonel South African Infantry 3rd Regiment.
More about Edward Frank Thackeray -
Born 1891
Died 1916
South African Services 3564 Corporal 4th South African Infantry Fought at Delville Wood
More about Ernest Mark Greenwood -
Born 1899
Died 1916
South African Services 5469 Private 4th South African Infantry Fought at Delville Wood
More about John Robert White -
Died 1916
South African Services 1693 Private 1st South African Infantry
More about Thomas Parkes -
Died 1916
South African Services 5435 Private 4th South African Infantry Fought at Delville Wood
More about Albert Thomas Goring -
Born 1891
Died 1916
South African Services 3999 Private 3rd South African Infantry
More about Albert Edward Keys -
Born 1879
Died 1916
South African Services 2nd Kimberley Regiment German South West Africa
South African Services 4051 Private 1st South African Infantry France
More about George Swanepoel -
Born 1895
Died 1916
South African Services 2174 Private 4th South African Infantry
More about James D Pilbrow -
Born 1891
Died 1916
South African Services 3474 Private 2nd South African Infantry
More about Wilfred C R Theobald -
Born 1881
Died 1916
South African Services 874 Private 4th South African Infantry
More about Alexander Duncan Innes -
South African Services 4398 Private 1st South African Infantry Wounded at Delville Wood
More about H Speed -
Born 1884
Died 1916
South African Services 6969 Private 1st South African Infantry
More about Reginald Chadwick Lloyd -
Born 1880
Died 1916
South African Services 4993 Private 1st South African Infantry
More about William Arthur Mckenzie -
Born 1889
Died 1916
South African Services 7298 Private 3rd South African Infantry Wounded at Delville Wood
More about Martin Marais