DELVILLE WOOD

LONGUEVAL - SOMME - FRANCE

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Visit of Delville Wood

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COMMEMORATIONS

104th COMMEMORATION OF THE BATTLE OF DELVILLE WOOD

5th JULY 2020

WREATH LAYING CEREMONY AT ARQUES-LA-BATAILLE

A wreath laying ceremony at Arques-la-Bataille Cemetery and Town Memorial was held on the 3rd July 2020.

103rd COMMEMORATION OF THE BATTLE OF DELVILLE WOOD

7th JULY 2019

VISIT OF Mr Kgalema MOTLANTHE, FORMER PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA

14th SEPTEMBER 2018

102nd COMMEMORATION OF THE BATTLE OF DELVILLE WOOD

8th JULY 2018

WREATH LAYING CEREMONY AT ARQUES-LA-BATAILLE

A wreath laying ceremony at Arques-la-Bataille Cemetery and Town Memorial was held on the 6th July 2018.

101st COMMEMORATION OF THE BATTLE OF DELVILLE WOOD

9th JULY 2017 2017

100th COMMEMORATION OF THE BATTLE OF DELVILLE WOOD

12th JULY 2016

WREATH LAYING CEREMONY AT ARQUES-LA-BATAILLE

A wreath laying ceremony at Arques-la-Bataille Cemetery and Town Memorial was held on the 8th July 2016.

99th COMMEMORATION OF THE BATTLE OF DELVILLE WOOD

5th JULY 2015

WREATH LAYING CEREMONY AT ARQUES-LA-BATAILLE

A wreath laying ceremony at Arques-la-Bataille Cemetery and Town Memorial was held on the 3rd July 2015.

98th COMMEMORATION OF THE BATTLE OF DELVILLE WOOD and REBURIAL OF PRIVATE BELEZA MYENGWA

6th JULY 2014

WREATH LAYING CEREMONY AT ARQUES-LA-BATAILLE

A wreath laying ceremony at Arques-la-Bataille Cemetery and Town Memorial was held on the 4th July 2014.

TRIBUTE TO NELSON MANDELA

14th DECEMBER 2013

REBURIAL OF THREE SOUTH AFRICAN SOLDIERS

Three unknown South African soldiers, fallen in 1917, were re-interred during a ceremony at Tyne Coy Cemetery on the 9th July 2013.

97th COMMEMORATION OF THE BATTLE OF DELVILLE WOOD

The 97th Commemoration of the Battle of Delville Wood was held on the 7th July 2013.

WREATH LAYING CEREMONY AT ARQUES-LA-BATAILLE

A wreath laying ceremony at Arques-la-Bataille Cemetery and Town Memorial was held on the 5th July 2013.

96th COMMEMORATION OF THE BATTLE OF DELVILLE WOOD

The 96th Commemoration of the Battle of Delville Wood was held on the 8th July 2012.

WREATH LAYING CEREMONY AT ARQUES-LA-BATAILLE

A wreath laying ceremony at Arques-la-Bataille Cemetery and Town Memorial was held on the 6th July 2012.

95th COMMEMORATION OF THE BATTLE OF DELVILLE WOOD

The 95th Commemoration of the Battle of Delville Wood was held on the 10th July 2011.

WREATH LAYING CEREMONY AT ARQUES-LA-BATAILLE

A wreath laying ceremony at Arques-la-Bataille Cemetery and Town Memorial was held on the 8th July 2011.

PAUL ROOS GYMNESIUM VISITS DELVILLE WOOD

A group of 22 pupils together with 2 teachers from Paul Roos Gymnesium in Stellenbosch, Western Cape Province, South Africa on an exchange programme with a French secondary school in Lille, Institution Libre de Marq visited Delville Wood with their French counterparts on Sunday, 12 April 2009.

The visit was accompanied by a wreath laying ceremony in remembrance of South Africans who paid the supreme sacrifice during WW1 and WW2. Four of the soldiers who were killed in France during WW1 came from Paul Roos.

Mr Thapedi Masanabo conducted the guided visit of the site to the pupils and officiated the ceremony which was graced by the Deputy Defence Attache in France, Captain Kesaval Naidoo from the South African Navy, the Mayor of  Longueval village Mr J. Fournier and the South African Honoray Consul General in Lille. The ceremony was followed by the visit of the museum and ended by a wreathing laying at the Longueval village Memorial.

Paul Roos pupils posing with Captain K. Naidoo (SAN), DDA

Mr Thapedi Masanabo, Manager & Curator presenting Delville Wood to the delegation.

Mr Masanabo leads the delegation to the Memorial

Pupils posing together with teachers in front of the Memorial.

92ND COMMEMORATION OF THE BATTLE OF DELVILLE WOOD

The 92nd Commemoration of the Battle of Delville Wood was held on the 20th July 2008.

The second Commemoration was held at Arques-la-Bataille for the African members of the Labour Corps commonly called South African Native Labour Corps (SANLC) at the time.

The event was attended by the French local authorities, the French military representatives, Military Attachés from the Commonwealth countries,  the Military Attaché from the German government as well as representatives from the U.S.A. Government.

The South African Delegation was led by the SANDF Chief of Human Resources and Management, Lieutenant General DM. MGWEBI, the Chairman of Delville Wood Trust, Major General RC. ANDERSEN, Chaplain General, the Reverend M. CORNELISSEN, Colonel JT. RAKAU, two Sergeant-Majors, D. CLOETE and RP. NARAIN.

Present were also two Delville Wood Trustees, Major General (ret) P. PRETORIUS and Colonel (ret) I. RIMMER.

Plenipotentiary Minister, Mr S. CASSOO, represented the South African Ambassador to France, H.E. N.M. SIBANDA-THUSI.

Members of the Veterans Organisations, more than 200 members of the public attended the Ceremony at Delville Wood.

Officials also laid wreaths on the grave of the Mayor of Longueval, Mr Jean BLONDEL, who passed away on the 1st July 2008. Mr BLONDEL was a great friend of South Africa.