The bravery and sacrifice of Dundee men who fought at Delville Wood were remembered at the Endumeni Isandlwana MOTH Shellhole during a recent remembrance parade.

The Battle of Delville Wood, fought from 15 to 20 July 1916, became one of the most devastating episodes in South African military history.

The 1st South African Infantry Brigade was ordered to hold the wood “at all costs”. Some 121 officers and 3,032 other ranks went into the battle, with the brigade suffering catastrophic casualties during six days of fighting.

By the time the South Africans were relieved on 20 July, only a small remnant remained. Historical accounts record 18 officers and 702 other ranks among those left after the fighting, while later roll calls produced different figures as scattered survivors regrouped.

Dundee’s Delville Wood hero

Among those who survived was Dundee-born Captain Garnet George Green, a former Dundee High School pupil.

Green, who was born in Dundee in 1889, served with the South African Infantry and was wounded during the battle. He became known as the last man to leave the trenches at Delville Wood when relief finally arrived on 20 July.

His courage earned him the Military Cross. He was later awarded a Bar to the decoration for his bravery at Arras in 1917.

Green continued serving on the Western Front and was promoted to captain in January 1918. He was killed in action at Gauche Wood on 22 March 1918 while commanding his company against a German advance.

Dundee High School also paid a heavy price during the Great War, losing 20 former pupils and three members of staff.

Letters reveal the horror

The personal cost of Delville Wood was also highlighted through extracts from letters written by Dundee soldiers to their families.

Fred Jones, the son of Dundee residents Norman Frederick and Hannah Jones, survived the battle. In a letter to his sister, he described the relentless shelling, lack of sleep and the loss of comrades.

“I am one of 93 of our Regiment to return from Delville Wood unhurt,” he wrote, describing the experience as almost impossible to put into words.

He added that he had lost practically all his friends and that the casualties in his regiment had been enormous.

The letters provided a deeply personal reminder of the suffering endured by the soldiers who fought in the shattered wood.

The remembrance parade, hosted by the Endumeni Isandlwana MOTH Shellhole, also coincided with the rededication of the Shellhole’s Wall of Remembrance.

MOTH members from Harrismith, Ladysmith and Newcastle joined local members and military representatives to lay wreaths in honour of those who had served and died.

The MOTH organisation has a long-standing connection with Dundee, with the Endumeni Shellhole forming part of the town’s military heritage. The local War Memorial Hall and MOTH Museum houses military memorabilia spanning conflicts from the Anglo-Zulu War to more recent campaigns.

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