Exhibit commemorates Delville Wood
An exhibition at KwaMuhle Museum was opened to commemorate the centenary of the battle of Delville Wood, and Durban High School's 150th anniversary.
PEOPLE walking down Bram Fisher Road recently would have seen an old German Field Gun fronting the KwaMuhle Museum.
It was there to highlight a new exhibition opened to mark the centenary of Delville Wood and 150th anniversary of DHS. The opening was a high profile and colourful affair with more than 150 in attendance. There were members from the Defence Force and military associations, many in full dress, DHS and several history groups including the SA National Society which had researched the exhibition with the local history museums.
At the opening, Major Mark Levin gave a very moving address in which he discussed the horrors of the Somme, of which Delville Wood was just one terrible part; the dreadful and often long-term affects not just on those in the frontline but families and loved ones; and those who returned from battle sometimes suffered for the rest of their lives. He mentioned how the realisation of these horrors slowly dawned on those back home and how this started to affect recruitment of men from all backgrounds and all races black or white remembering that every South African was a volunteer in WW1.
Twelve DHS Old Boys died at Delville Wood while many others were wounded or taken prisoner. Headmaster Leon Erasmus spoke of the role DHS boys had played in this and many other conflicts. A wreath with 12 poppies representing the 12 DHS Old Boys stood in front of the podium.
Hardy Wilson, on behalf of the SA National Society, painted a brief background to the exhibition and thanked Sinothi Thabethe, director of the Local History Museums for making the exhibition possible. Following the official opening by Mark Levin, Wilson went on the discuss some of the displays to many of the guests.
The 1 Medical Pipe Mini Band played in the courtyard before and after the official ceremonies.
Durban in WW1 is an exhibition at the Old Courthouse Museum which opened last year. The Delville Wood 100th and DHS 150th Exhibition is now open at KwaMuhle, and people are encouraged to visit both exhibitions which will run in parallel until 2018. At each exhibition there is a free supporting brochure that provides a story worth reading and keeping.
