Delville Wood

In July 1916 Delville Wood became an objective for the allied army, trying to dislodge the Germans from the village of Longueval, as part of the battle of the Somme.

The wood formed an area of 156 acres of trees, with dense undergrowth, and seamed grassy rides running through it. Its western border laid on a ridge, on the edge of the village.

At 5am on 15th July, 3153 officers and men of the 1st South African Infantry Brigade penetrated the wood, and secured a bridgehead, forming most of the wood. The soldiers named the grassy rides and bridleways running through the wood after well known streets in London, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Thus, Princes Street, Regent Street, Rotten Row, to name but a few.

For four days they fought heroically to hold the wood, whilst under heavy artillery bombardment, and fought off many German counter attacks. However on 20th July they had to withdraw from the wood. Only 780 men were present for roll call that day. The wood had been completely destroyed, and laid in splinters. Only one of the original trees, a hornbeam survived the devastation, and lives to this day.

Today the whole wood has been replanted. It was purchased by the South African Government in 1920, and now acts as a monument, museum, and final resting place for thousands of soldiers whose bodies were never recovered. It is a beautiful, though moving, place to visit.



Following a personal visit to Delville Wood, early one morning, a few years ago, I wrote this song as a tribute.