The Ypres Times.
99
Buchanan Street, but were beaten off with heavy loss by Colonel Thackeray's party.
The situation of the 3rd South African Regiment on the eastern edge of the wood had
become in the
meantime most
precarious, practi
cally cut off as
it was from the
rest of the South
African Brigade.
A number of men
had made good
their retreat to
Buchanan Street,
but the Germans
had worked round
and cut off those
in the eastern
most sector of
the wood. The
scene in the wood
during the night
was indescribable,
Germans and
South Africans
coming across each
other unexpected
ly in the shell
holes and'trenches
taking prisoners
and being taken
prisoner in turn.
The debris of the
bombardment was
appalling, and the
dead and wounded
lay scattered
throughout the
wood with little
help^of succour.
The dangerous position of the remnants of the 3rd South African Regiment became
apparent at dawn. The men were facing both wajrs in the trenches meeting the danger
from both east and west. Ammunition finally ran short, and by 9 a.m. the garrison of the
last trench, three officers and 150 other ranks, were compelled to surrender.
On the 19th the relief of the .South African Brigade commenced, but it was not until
6 p.m. on the 20th that Colonel Thackeray and his gallant men, 140 of all ranks of all four
regiments of the Brigade, were able to rejoin the rest of the Brigade in the Happy Valley
south of Montauban.
When the roll was taken on the 21st July only 29 officers and 751 other ranks answered
their names of the 121 officers and 3,032 other ranks who had gone into battle on the
15th July.
These casualties suffered by the Brigade speak for themselves. The conditions obtain
ing in Delville Wood during the battle were beyond description, and only the best troops
could have stood the strain as the .South Africans did for those five long July days.
SOUTH AFRICAN SCOTTISH TROOPS AT
TRENCHES, 1916.
[Imperial War Museum photograph
DINNER IN THE
Crown copyright.
