96
The Ypres Times.
The ist South African Regiment, under Lieut.-Colonel F. S. Dawson, advancing in
extended order across the open slopes of the Caterpillar Valley, had reinforced the 26th
and 27th Brigades near the market place about 2 p.m. It was then ordered to clear the
northern end of the village. This order it made a most gallant attempt to carry out,
but the machine gun fire from the ruined cottages and the clever use made by the Germans
of the subterranean passages between the cellars checked the advance, and at nightfall
the battalion lay with its right on Prince's Street, a track running from the market-place
eastwards through the centre of Delville Wood, and its left on North Street (the road that
led to Flers) fifty yards north of the market place. It had lost four officers and 50 men.
The 27th Brigade was on the left of the ist South African Regiment, west of North
Street, and a battalion of the 26th Brigade came up on the right and entrenched along
Buchanan Street, a grassy ridge running at right angles to Prince's Street to the southern
edge of the wood.
The final orders for the attack of the South African Brigade were issued by General
Lukin at 9 p.m. on the 15th. The 2nd and 3rd Regiments were to move forward to
Longueval village under cover of darkness. The village, it was hoped, would be captured
before their arrival. The 4th Regiment was to be in support. The deployment was to
take place on the western edge of the wood and the advance was then to be made east
wards to the furthest edge of the wood and the perimeter held along its 1,200 yards of
length. Colonel W. E. Tanner, commanding the 2nd Regiment, was to be in command
of the attack.
The three battalions moved off about 2.30 a.m., and advancing in open order astride
the Montauban-Longueval road, reached the German trenches south of the village just
as dawn was breaking. Colonel Tanner and Colonel Thackeray, commanding the 3rd
Regiment, then went forward to find out the situation in Longueval, and ascertained that,
the northern part of the village was still in German hands and that our men only held
the south-western corner of the wood bounded by Prince's Street and Buchanan Street.
It was obvious, therefore, to Colonel Tanner that an attack on the lines originally intended
was impossible and he decided to clear the wood in sections, attacking first that part of
the wood which lay south of Prince's Street, using Buchanan Street as his starting line.
Having secured the southern portion of the wood, an attack could be delivered northwards
from Prince's Street to secure the northern and north-eastern edges of the wood.
The 3rd South African Regiment, led by a guide of the 5th Cameron Highlanders,
reached Buchanan .Street by about 6 a.m., the original German trenches and concentration
trenches affording them a good covered line of approach.
The dense undergrowth and the débris of the previous day's bombardment offered the
chief obstacles to the 3rd Regiment's advance. Little resistance was encountered and over
100 prisoners were captured along the southern edge of the wood. By 7 a.m. all the wood
south of Prince's Street had been secured. The 2nd Regiment was now directed by Colonel
Tanner to form up along Prince's Street and to continue the attack with the object of
securing the rest of the wood. By noon the whole wood except the north-west corner
was in British hands. Here a defensive flank was formed along a ridge known as The
Strand," which abutted on the northern portion of Longueval village, which was still
held by the Germans.
North of Delville Wood and between that wood and Flers lay a recently dug German
switch line, as vet only partially constructed, which afforded a line of defence from which
the 16th Bavarian Regiment to the north were able to bring a concentrated fire on the
northern edge of the wood and prevent any further advance on the part of the South
African Brigade. Similarly between Flers and Ginchy the 182nd Regiment held trenches
within easy range of the wood.
