Delville Wood South African National Memorial serves as the national memorial to all those of the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force who died during World War I. Although the campaigns commemorated include the "East African Campaign" and other campaigns both in Europe and in Africa, the location of the memorial marks the role played by South Africans in the Battle of Delville Wood (14 July – 3 September 1916), part of the Somme Offensive. The Battle of Delville Wood was the first major engagement of South Africans in the western front. The South African 1st Infantry Brigade suffer losses of 80%, yet they manage to hold Delville Wood in a battle described as "...the bloodiest battle hell of 1916."
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