The South African memorial - Delville Wood, and Welch VCs won

As promised I went back when the weather was (slightly) improved and I did not have as much rain to worry about! Hopefully the pictures are better anyway.

The battle here was long and complex. It started at dawn on July 15th with an artillery duel. Then came five days of hand to hand fighting. It was raining every other day and the enemy was shelling the position constantly. The landscape become surreal. After five days the South Africans had to be relieved - only 143 men out of the original 3,150 came out of the trenches. Many still remain in the woods today. In 1918 the Germans retook the wood and were finally thrown out by the 38th Welch Division on 28 the August.

Two VCs were won by Welchmen (well maybe one was English but in the Welch fusiliers - Wiki says so anyway) on July 20th 1916 at Delville wood - Cpl Joseph Davies and Private Albert Hill

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_John_Davies

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Hill_(VC)

I found this 'then and now' shot of Delville wood which gives some hint of the devastation that these medals were won in. For interest it also has 'Albert then and now'. I'm staying in Albert during this part of the trip. It ended up in German hands after the offensive of 1918 and was battered severely by both sides in the fighting.