South Africa’s sacrifice and heroism during the World War One battle of Delville Wood in France have been commemorated at the annual memorial at Burgers Park in Park.
Military veterans as well as a handful of serving members of the South African National Deference Force and several military attaches braved the chilly weather to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in what was the costliest fighting the South African Infantry Brigade saw on the Western Front.
In July 1916, the Brigade – which was attached to the British 9th Scottish Division – was given the task of capturing the wood near the small village of Longueval in northern France, which was a key German defensive position. On the 20th of July, the Brigade was finally relieved after six days and five nights of fierce fighting. Only 750 soldiers of the Brigade’s over three-thousand remained, the rest had either been killed or wounded.
Speaking at the memorial, Marina Valentine of the Memorable Order of Tin Hats (MOTHS) provided the stark details of the South African losses. She said out of 121 officers and 3 032 other ranks that formed the brigade on the morning of 14 July, only 29 officers and 751 other ranks were present at roll call some days after the battle. The heroic resistance of the SA Brigade had saved the southern part of the British line. But the wood would remain the scene of bitter fighting for more than a month.
Stressing the importance of remembrance, Chaplain Marius van Rooyen noted that what we are doing today was perhaps one of the most important aspects of our lives. He said remembrance is to help us to move forward, to remember past victories and to remember glorious moments and people who can inspire us.
The traditional melancholy strains of the Last Post, two minutes silence – the first minute to give thanks for those who survived and that second minute to remember those who died – followed by the rousing Reveille, preceded the wreath laying ceremony. Wreathes were laid and crosses planted on behalf of the Chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Surgeon General as well as by several veterans’ organisations such as the South African Legion and the Armour Association and the military attaches of France, Kenya and Canada.
November this year marks the centenary of the Armistice that ended the First World War.
It was not only a service where the dead were remembered as Valentine also reminded the gathering about another significant anniversary this month – the 105th birthday of the Pretoria Regiment. The reserve force armoured regiment provided the sentries for the service. During the First World War, the regiment saw service in then German South West Africa.
The regiment was awarded the Freedom of the City of Pretoria on 1 July 1963, its 50th anniversary. It has exercised its right to march through the city streets with banners unfurled and bayonets drawn on its 90th and 100th anniversaries
