The Battle of Delville Wood was fought from 14 July to 3 September 1916, one of the twelve battles of the Somme in 1916. It was fought by the British and French against the army of the German Empire in the Somme River valley in northern France. The battle was the début of the 1st South African Brigade (part of the 9th (Scottish) Division) on the Western Front, which captured Delville Wood and held it from The casualties of the brigade were similar to those of many British brigades on First day on the Somme (1 July 1916).

Delville Wood is well preserved with the remains of trenches, a museum and monument to the 1st South African Brigade. After the relief of the South Africans the battle for the wood continued until the end of August, when the last German footholds were captured by the 43rd Brigade of the 14th (Light) Division on 27 August. A large German counter-attack on 31 August regained part of the north edge of the wood until British attacks from which secured the wood until the battles of 1918.

Orders of Battle

British and Dominion forces

Order of battle for actions associated with the capture of Trônes Wood: 14–15 July 1916. 14th (Light) Division 14–15 July 1916Commander: Major-General V. A. CouperInfantry: 41st Brigade7th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps8th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps7th Battalion, Rifle Brigade8th Battalion, Rifle Brigade42nd Brigade 5th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry5th Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry9th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps9th Battalion, Rifle Brigade43rd Brigade 6th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry Regiment6th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry6th Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry10th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry Regiment Engineersand Support: 11th Battalion, King's Regiment (Pioneers)

18th (Eastern) Division 14–15 July 1916Commander: Major General I. MaxseInfantry: 53rd Brigade8th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment8th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment10th Battalion, Essex Regiment6th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment54th Brigade 11th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment8th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment12th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment55th Brigade7th Battalion, Queen's Regiment7th Battalion, Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)8th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment7th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment Engineersand Support: 8th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment

Order of battle for actions associated with the capture of Longueval: 14–17 July 1916. 3rd Division Commander: Major-General J. A. Haldane then Major-General C. J. DeverellInfantry: 8th Brigade2nd Battalion, Royal Scots8th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment7th Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry1st Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers9th Brigade 1st Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers4th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers13th Battalion, King’s Regiment12th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment76th Brigade8th Battalion, The King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment10th Battalion, Royal Welsh Regiment1st Battalion, Gordon Highlanders Engineersand Support: 20th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps

9th (Scottish) DivisionCommander: Major-General W. T. FurseInfantry: 26th Brigade8th Battalion, Black Watch7th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders5th Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders10th Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders 27th Brigade 11th Battalion, Royal Scots12th Battalion, Royal Scots6th Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers9th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) South African Brigade Major-General Sir Henry Lukin KCB CMG DSO1st South African Battalion (Cape)4th South African Battalion (Scottish) Engineersand Support: 9th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders (Pioneers)

Order of battle for actions associated with the first capture of Delville Wood: 14 July – 3 September 1916 2nd Division 27 July – 4 August 1916Commander: Major General C. MonroInfantry: 99th Brigade22nd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers23rd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers1st Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment1st Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps Engineersand Support: 10th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (Pioneers)

3rd Division 17–22 July 1916Commander: Major-General J. A. Haldane then Major-General C. J. DeverellInfantry: 76th Brigade8th Battalion, The King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment10th Battalion, Royal Welsh Regiment1st Battalion, Gordon Highlanders Engineersand Support: 20th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps

9th (Scottish) Division 14–22 July 1916Commander: Major-General W. T. FurseInfantry: 26th Brigade8th Battalion, Black Watch7th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders5th Battalion, Queens Own Cameron Highlanders10th Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders 27th Brigade 11th Battalion, Royal Scots12th Battalion, Royal Scots6th Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers9th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) South African Brigade Major-General Sir Henry Timson Lukin KCB CMG DSO1st South African Battalion (Cape)2nd South African Battalion (Natal & OFS)3rd South African Battalion (Transvaal & Rhodesia)4th South African Battalion (Scottish) Engineersand Support: 9th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders (Pioneers)

17th (Northern) Division 4–11 August 1916Commander: Major-General P. R. RobertsonInfantry: 50th Brigade10th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment7th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment7th Battalion, Green Howards Regiment6th Battalion, Dorset Regiment51st Brigade 7th Battalion, Royal Lincolnshire Regiment7th Battalion, Border Regiment8th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment10th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters Regiment52nd Brigade 9th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers10th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers9th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment12th Battalion, Manchester Regiment Engineersand Support: 7th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment

20th (Light) Division 11 August – 3 September 1916Commander: Major-General W. Douglas SmithInfantry: 61st Brigade7th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry Regiment7th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry Regiment7th Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry12th Battalion, King's Regiment Engineersand Support: 11th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry Regiment

24th Division 30 August – 3 September 1916Commander: Major-General J. E. CapperInfantry: 72nd Brigade8th Battalion, Queen's Regiment9th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment8th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment1st Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment73rd Brigade 9th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment7th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment13th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment2nd Battalion, Leinster Regiment Engineersand Support: 12th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters Regiment

Order of battle for actions associated with holding Delville Wood: 4 September 1916 – April 1917 14th (Light) DivisionCommander: Major-General V. A. CouperInfantry: 41st Brigade7th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps8th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps7th Battalion, Rifle Brigade8th Battalion, Rifle Brigade42nd Brigade 5th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry5th Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry9th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps9th Battalion, Rifle Brigade43rd Brigade 6th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry Regiment6th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry6th Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry10th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry Regiment Engineersand Support: 11th Battalion, King's Regiment (Pioneers)

Order of battle for actions associated with the second capture of Delville Wood: 1 – 28 August 1918 38th (Welsh) DivisionCommander: Major-General I. Phillips then Major-General C. G. BlackaderInfantry: 113th Brigade13th Bn, (1st North Wales), Royal Welsh Fusiliers14th Bn, Royal Welsh Fusiliers15th Bn, (1st London Welsh), Royal Welsh Fusiliers16th Bn, Royal Welsh Fusiliers114th Brigade 10th Battalion (1st Rhondda), Royal Welsh Regiment13th Battalion (2nd Rhondda), Royal Welsh Regiment15th Battalion (Carmarthenshire), Royal Welsh Regiment14th Battalion (Swansea), Royal Welsh Regiment115th Brigade 17th Bn, (2nd North Wales), Royal Welsh Fusiliers10th Bn, (1st Gwent), South Wales Borderers11th Bn, (2nd Gwent), South Wales Borderers16th Bn, (Cardiff City), Royal Welsh Regiment Engineersand Support: 19th Battalion (Glamorgan Pioneers), Royal Welsh Regiment

South African casualties

1st South African Brigade: Casualties during the Battle of Delville Wood 14–20 July 1916Brigade / Unit Unit strength14 July KilledWoundedMissing / POWDied of woundsto October Total CasualtiesEffective unitstrength after20 July Off*OtherRanksTotalOff*OtherRanksTotalOff*OtherRanksTotalOff*OtherRanksTotalOff*OtherRanksTotalOff*OtherRanksTotalOff*OtherRanksTotal1st Battalion 3174877971081151734636327375129302755658341921962nd Battalion 28669697119510612373385092923252826585611284863rd Battalion 2984787681201281540341862252310303029778807069694th Battalion 276726994104108152933081848503232205135337159166Other 896104000202000000202696102Total 1233,0323,15530427457611,4151,476947448341161201042,4322,53619600619

Note: * = Officers

German Forces

Order of battle for forces of the German Empire for actions in Trônes Wood, Longueval and Delville Wood: 14 July – 3 September 1916 3rd Guard Division Commander: Generalmajor von LindequistInfantry: Garde–Infanterie–Brigade Nr. 6 Garde–Füsilier–Regiment Lehr Infantry Regiment Colbergsches-Grenadier-Regiment Graf Gneisenau Nr. 9 Cavalry: Garde Reserve Ulanen Regiment Artillery: Garde–Artillerie–Brigade Nr. 63Garde–Feldartillerie–Regiment Nr. 5II.Bataillon/Reserve–Fußartillerie–Regiment Nr. 6 Engineersand Support: 1. Kompanie/Pionier–Bataillon Nr. 28 Pionier–Kompanie Nr. 274Garde–Minenwerfer–Kompanie Nr. 3 3rd Guards Telephone Detachment

5th Division Commander: Generalleutnant WichuraInfantry: Infanterie–Brigade (Brandenburgisches) Nr. 10Grenadier–Regiment Nr. 8Infanterie–Regiment von Alvensleben (6. Brandenburgisches) Nr. 52Grenadier–Regiment Prinz Karl von Preußen (2. Brandenburgisches) Nr. 12Field Machine Gun Company Cavalry: 1/2" Husaren–Regiment von Zieten (Brandenburgisches) Nr. 3 Artillery: 5.Feldartillerie–Brigade (Brandenburgisches)Feldartillerie–Regiment General–Feldzeugmeister (2. Brandenburgisches) Nr. 18Neumärkisches Feldartillerie–Regiment Nr. 54 Engineersand Support: 1./Pionier–Bataillon von Rauch (1. Brandenb.) Nr. 3 3./Pionier–Bataillon von Rauch (1. Brandenburgisches) Nr. 3Minenwerfer–Kompanie (Brandenburg) Nr. 5 5th Brandenburg Telephone Detachment

5th Bavarian Division Commander: Generalleutnant EndresInfantry: 9. bayerische Infanterie–Brigade Kgl. Bayerisches 14. Infanterie–Regiment HartmannKgl. Bayerisches 21. Infanterie–Regiment Großherzog von Mecklenburg–Schwerin10. bayerische Infanterie–Brigade Kgl. Bayerisches 7. Infanterie–Regiment Prinz Leopold mentKgl. Bayerisches 19. Infanterie–Regiment König Viktor Emanuel III. von Italien Cavalry: Kgl. Bayerisches 2. Chevaulegers–Regiment (2 Sqn's) Artillery: 5. bayerische Feldartillerie–Brigade Kgl. Bayerisches 6. Feldartillerie–Regiment Prinz Ferdinand von Bourbon, Herzog von CalabKgl. Bayerisches 10. Feldartillerie–RegimentFlugabwehrkanone–Abteilung (Anti–Aircraft section) Engineersand Support: Minenwerfer–Kompanie (Bayerisches) Nr. 51 & 4.Kompanie/Kgl. Bayerisches 3. Pionier–Bataillon5th Bavarian Pont. Engineers 5th Bavarian Telephone Detachment84th Labour Battalion1st Bavarian Balloon Squadron

7th Division Commander: Generalleutnant RiedelInfantry: 13. Infanterie–BrigadeInfanterie–Regiment Fürst Leopold von Anhalt–Dessau (1. Magdeburgisches) Nr.26 Cavalry: 2.Eskadron/Magdeburgisches Husaren–Regiment Nr. 10 Artillery: Artillerie–Kommandeur 7 Feldartillerie–Regiment Prinz–Regent Luitpold von Bayern (Magdeburgisches) Nr. 4Altmärkisches Feldartillerie–Regiment Nr. 40 Engineersand Support: 1./Magdeburgisches Pionier–Bataillon Nr. 4.7 Pont Engineers7th Telephone Detachment