[Illustration: DELVILLE WOOD.] _Beyond Flers, G.C. 197--which forms the continuation of G.C. 10--although in bad condition, is passable with careful driving._ It crosses a devastated, shell-torn region, in which are numerous graves, shelters and gun-emplacements. _Before reaching Longueval, it skirts the western edge of =Delville Wood=_, the skeleton remains of which are to be seen on the left. [Illustration: THE DEVIL'S TRENCH, DELVILLE WOOD.] [Illustration: GERMAN CEMETERY, BETWEEN DELVILLE WOOD AND LONGUEVAL.] _Beyond the wood, before entering Longueval_, a German cemetery with 200 graves _is seen on the left, near the railway (photo above)_. Delville Wood and Longueval were the scene of desperate fighting during the latter part of July, 1916. These two positions had been brilliantly carried by the British on July 14 and 15, in spite of their powerful defences, but German counter-attacks with lachrymatory and asphyxiating gas shells, forced the British to fall back a few days later. However, the latter soon returned to the attack, and a terrible struggle began, which lasted five days and nights without intermission (July 23 to 28). One South African Brigade gave proof of marvellous courage and endurance in Delville Wood, where, attacked by nine and a half battalions, supported by an overwhelming artillery, it did not yield an inch of ground. One group of machine-gunners was reduced to one man, who continued to fire, until his gun jammed, when he coolly took it to pieces, set it right and resumed firing. Only after he had emptied all his cartridge belts did he withdraw. In another corner of the wood, Scottish units, on the point of being surrounded, charged with bayonet and grenades, and in spite of the enemy's numerical superiority, succeeded in cutting their way through, after a furious hand-to-hand struggle. On July 28, the wood was finally cleared of its last German occupants. On both sides the losses were very heavy. Three German regiments were completely annihilated. [Illustration: WHERE LONGUEVAL CHURCH USED TO STAND. _At the back_: DELVILLE WOOD] The desperate nature of the struggle is attested by the present aspect of Longueval village and Delville Wood. It is almost impossible, even with the help of a map, to locate the site of this once pleasant spot amid this chaos of stones and bricks, tree-stumps and shell-torn ground. _In Longueval, take the Contalmaison road, on the right._ _Two kilometres beyond Longueval, turn to the left towards =Bazentin-le-Grand=._ Bazentin-le-Grand was a small hamlet, belonging to a large agglomeration of houses (now razed to the ground), of which Bazentin-le-Petit was the continuation. After capturing Contalmaison and Mametz Wood in July, 1916, the British soon reached and carried Bazentin-le-Grand.