Somme Battlefield Tour - Exploring Delville Wood - WW1 Tour
Vložit
- čas přidán 7. 09. 2024
- A place that saw tremendous fighting in The Battle of The Somme
Become a Patreon of my channel: / historyinyourhand
Instagram: @historyinyourhand
Twitter: @history_hand
TikTok: @historyinyourhand
Facebook: HistoryInYourHand
The gear I use to shoot my videos:
DJI Osmo Action: geni.us/05Ei
Canon R6: geni.us/4QT5Lh
Microphone: geni.us/UTdQ
My New backpack: geni.us/1kY4Axq
Camera Strap: geni.us/P6YUdBn
Some of the links in the description are affiliate links meaning that if you do make a purchase, I could make a small commission which goes back into supporting the channel - Thank you!
My great grandfather fought in Delville Wood. My Ouma (gran) passed down some of the limited information he shared with her as he suffered from PTSD and any conversation about the war deeply affected him. However years later, one of the things he did mention was that at some point they had to retreat and the only way to do that safely was to pile bodies of his dead comrades as a barrier and crawl back to the new lines. He also spoke about the intense bombardment from 3 sides. Seeing this video made me quite emotional as the reality of what they went through strikes home.
Thank you for sharing his story
My 2x Great Grandfather, Alexander George Watt (who previously emigrated from Scotland to SA in the 1890's) was wounded at Delville Wood and later died of his wounds at a military hospital in London. Leaving a wife and 5 children. I appreciate you pointing out how the ground is still uneven. The old photo showing how the wood was completely destroyed made me very emotional. I hope to visit the site one day. Thank you
Thank you for sharing his story
My grandfather also fought in this battle, he never spoke about it but he was a Sargent F H Gerber and was shot in the mouth and left knee.
The trees that were replanted there were brought from South Africa to replace the trees destroyed during the shelling. The seeds for those trees originally came from France to South Africa in 1688.
As South Africans, my wife and I were truly affected walking through the woods - there is a strange eeriness that seems to permeate the place… What struck me was the lack of bird noise…
It also set our mood for the following day when we attended the Paris air show where arms manufacturers had on display all their weaponry, measuring their efficacy in terms of ‘kill rate’ - disturbing!
The cruelty of man seems to know no bounds!
And yet birds can clearly be heard on this.
My great grandfather enlisted at the age of 16 and was one of the south african soldiers that came home from this battle... I still have his helmet...😢
Wow that's incredible
A great cousin from Oldham from Manchester PALS was killed at Delville Wood in November 1916 but stone is in Cambria for some reason. Didn’t realise it was mainly SA actually at Delville Wood. Bless all
From a reliable source, there where two crosses made from the trees that was destroyed during the battle. One is in the museum there, the other one in South Africa. Apparently every year around the date of the horrible war incident both crosses form wood glue or gum against all natural believe. People say it's the tears from the wooden crosses for the fallen soldiers.
I was just going to write about that cross in the church , is it in Pietermaritzburg? The legend is when the last survivor dies, it will stop bleeding.
Great video.
My grandfather fought here. He was in The King's Royal Rifle Corps and was wounded here on the 23rd August 2016 in the legs. He was shipped back and spent the remainder of the war in the labour corps in a local munitions factory.
I have all his records but always wanted to find out more where in the woods the KRRC was located.
The "streets" were predominantly named after Scottish city streets. Both Buchanan and Rotten Row are in Glasgow. Princes Street is Edinburgh. The HLI 52nd Machine Gun regiment were joined by the South Africans after their numbers were decimated.
As a Boer thanks you for covering this
That’s so cool that they kept that ONE tree
Great video, Rob! I cannot imagine how confusing and scary it was for the soldiers. The death toll is staggering. It saddened me to see how long the walls are (the walls with the names of South African soldiers who were killed during the battle).
It amazes me how long the tree survived. Also incredible how it regrew. Nature is amazing and there is so much to learn about it also.
Powerful video. Informative and excellent work. Thank you for all of your hard work in showing us battlefields (as well as other historical sites) and teaching us about the world wars. Have a nice Thursday.
Thanks mate 👊
@@historyinyourhand1787 Anytime, Rob! Have a wonderful day :).
My great grandfather was part of the South African force at this battle. He got captured and ended up in a POW camp in Germany. Attempted to escape multiple times until they threatened to execute him. He made one last attempt and busted out successfully, then fled to through the Continent and made it to Scotland.
Very powerful place. The empty lanes, with markes all quiet now. The museum inside is also very good and powerful, especially the mural.
Yes that was really interesting
Thank you for another interesting and informative video. I have been to Delville Wood a few times and find it very moving every time.
My Grandfather was killed in Delville wood 7th August 1916 with the 7th Border regiment. He has no known grave but some have who died with him in the cemetery. I visited in 2020 and hope to go back to find the rough spot of devils trench where they attacked the Germans in inner trench on the Northern edge. The trenches were only 70 yards apart. It is a very eary thoughtful place.
Thank you for sharing your Grandfather's story 🙏
Great video as always and some good historical info too...Thanks...God Bless Them All
Glad you enjoyed it
@@historyinyourhand1787 I’m not a heat lover so I will be going back over in my van during the winter months… perfect
🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼❤️🇿🇦Thank you.
I was there the same day I saw you filming
Ah wow cool
WOW, thank you very much for your posting of this video. I can just imagine the spirits of the soldiers wondering around there in the bush... Very sad though.. Many things, from Capetown South Africa...
My great uncle was one of 7 survivors of his company to emerge from Delville Wood. Not sure of the size of his company, but it would likely have been between 150 to 250 men.
@@fieldpictures1306 Oh wow
No foxholes or trenches? must have been hell on earth
Absolutely
Another great one! With added bonus of a witness tree!!! Can't be too many of them around I would bet.
Thank you 👊
I remember going Delville Wood with my school a long time ago.
A fascinating place
@@historyinyourhand1787 it was indeed, so much so I recognised it instantly, 30+ years later. Thank you.
Fantastic episode! Id love to walk and explore a place like that.
It's a really fascinating spot
Really enjoyed this, Rob, one of the best you’ve done mate.
Thank you Paul, I really appreciate it
South Africa needed those men to keep their country free.
Yet to this day we are not free
Are you aware of a cross made from trees from Delville wood that weeps sap to this day each year at the time of the battle. It is at the memorial in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Yes I believe there's a few crosses in SA made of Delville Wood. That one is the 'Weeping Cross', lots of rumours and myths as to why it weeps whilst the others don't
My Great grandad fought at Delville wood
Ah wow - do you know which regiment?
why could they not go around it rather than fight over the wood or have i missed something
They were trying to advance all along the line
Great Folly repeated time after time at great cost its only an edge of a wood that has value to deffence go into it and fight in it is a nightmare the same here is thay took it and were pushed back which underlines my point its hard to fight in woods very sad
@@historyinyourhand1787
If they bypassed it, it would have created a salient deep into their front.