DELVILLE WOOD

MENTIONNED IN DESPATCHES

4 attributions

Lieutenant Walter James HILL - 2nd SAI, B Coy

Recommended for the VC by Lieutenant-Colonel WEC Tanner but was awarded Mentioned in Despatches (at the time, besides the VC, it was the only posthumous award allowed).

In the fighting in the thick wood in the northern part of Delville Wood on 15th July 1916, Lieutenant WJ Hill, 2nd SAI, and a small party of men were surrounded by a stray party of the enemy and after a stubborn resistance (during which numbers of the party were killed or wounded) were rushed and made prisoners and despatched to the enemy end of the wood and there placed by twos and threes in different shell holes under armed guards. Lieutenant Hill, watching his opportunity suddenly attacked and overpowered the guard over his shell hole at the greatest risk to himself, for had he not succeeded in killing or rendering unconscious the guard, numbers of the enemy within easy hailing distance would have undoubtedly instantly appeared. Lieutenant Hill then led his few men, under heavy fire, back to our lines. The following day Lieutenant Hill led a party of men to reinforce the line in Strand Street where he continued to display the greatest gallantry but was unfortunately killed (while leading a bombing party). Lieutenant Hill showed most conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty troughout Delville Wood and by his actions there I consider earned the highest posthumous award.

Private Richard James HOLMES - Brigade Headquarters

Awarded Military Medal.

Sergeant D. SCHURRAY - 4th SAI

Recommended for the MM but was awarded Mentioned in Despatches.

Private Marcel Raffard SMUTS - Brigade Headquarters

Awarded Military Medal.

57 recommendations

Corporal  Louis Leonard AARONS      wounded

Corporal G.E. DUNN

Private Allan S MONTGOMERY      wounded on the 19th July 1916

Private W.J. RAVENSCROFT

Private Arnold SHARP

Sergeant STOKILL

Private W.H. WILLIAMS

Private John A. BROOK

Second Lieutenant Garnet George GREEN    awarded MC

Lance Corporal A.L. KELLY

Private D.C. RATCLIFFE

Private J.H. RUBENSON

Private C.W. ARNOT         wounded on the 15th July 1916

Private Richard BELAND

Private Frank BIRD          wounded

Private Howard Godfrey CAPEL     killed on the 19th July 1916

Drummer H. COOPER

Private Alfred Abraham DAVIS

Private William Henry FELTON

Private Cyril Rosser GILES

Private Ralph Eric HARRIS        killed on the 19th July

Private Wesley Napier Frank HUMPHREY       wounded on the 18th July 1916

Corporal Henry John HUNTER

Private Vincent John KELLY       wounded

Private Peter KNOX

Private George Truscott LOBB      wounded on the 19th July 1916

Private Charles Ernest LONG

Private W. MOLONEY

Private John Ernest Thomas NOBLE

Private Henry John NORTON

Private Denis O'KEEFE

Private Henry Edward OSMOND

Lance Corporal Robert PINNOCK      wounded on the 16th July 1916

Private William PRESTON

Second-Lieutenant A.E. SHARPE      wounded on the 20th July

Private John STARRS      wounded

Lance Corporal Gerald Constantine STRICKLAND

Private B. THOMPSON

Private Joseph Henry TREWATHA     wounded on the 15th July 1916

Private Marinus Aubrey Kay VAN HOLST

Private William WILLCOCKS

Corporal George Watkin WILLIAMS

Lieutenant Arthur Hugh BROWN       killed on the 16th July 1916

Lance Corporal T.C. BUTLER

Private Dirk J. DU TOIT

Lance Corporal John HALL

Lance Corporal Donald HOGARTH

Private Hubert Jacob MARGOLIS

Private James McPHERSON

Private Andrew F MORGAN

Private John E. NEILSON

Private John B. ROSSITER

Private W.S. SIMPSON

Private Charles Stanley SLADE

Corporal  Horace Lawrence SUMNER

Private Edward C. THOMPSON

Private William Hubert THOMPSON