Deville Wood was a tract of woodland on the western edge of Longueval. It was taken by a Scottish Division and South African Brigade in 1916 and cleared of Germans. The wood was held until April 1918 when it was lost to the Germans but retaken within 4 months.
Before reaching the memorial there is an alleyway of trees that leads you to the reverent and peaceful spot.
This memorial serves as the National monument to all of the South African Overseas Expeditionary Forces that died in WWI and was unveiled in 1926.
In one of the numerous archways I found these words………
Their ideal is our legacy.
Their Sacrifice our inspiration.
A total of 220,000 officers and men served in the forces of South Africa. A total of 5523 burials are here with 3593 considered unknown.
The high percentage of unknown probably reflects the lengthy period which elapsed before the bodies were removed from the battlefield.
Almost all causalities within this cemetery were from July – September in 1916.
In 1952 a Stone of Remembrance was added to honor those from WWII and the Korean War.
While not planned, this post is going out on Memorial Day – a fitting tribute to those that made the ultimate sacrifice for us.
Darden Travels 