Delville Wood Cemetery, Longueval

Historical Information (Source: CWGC)

Delville Wood Cemetery was made after the Armistice, when graves were brought in from a few small cemeteries and isolated sites, and from the battlefields. Almost all of the burials date from July, August and September 1916.

There are now more than 5,500 burials and commemorations of the First World War in this cemetery. More than 3,590 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 27 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of three soldiers buried in Courcelette Communal Cemetery German Extension, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

 

Served with

  • United Kingdom (1780)
  • South African (87)
  • Australian (46)
  • New Zealand (14)
  • Canadian (8)

Served in

  • Army (1930)
  • Air Force (3)
  • Navy (2)
Delville Wood
PDF – 101,6 KB

VICTORIA CROSS

Serjeant Albert GILL - 2815 - 1st Bn. King's Royal Rifle Corps

Died 27 July 1916

Country of Service: United Kingdom

Awards: Victoria Cross

Gill London Gazette
PDF – 132,7 KB

Citation

An extract from "The London Gazette" dated 24th Oct., 1916, records the following :-"For most conspicuous bravery. The enemy made a very strong counter-attack on the right flank of the battalion, and rushed the bombing post after killing all the company bombers. Serjeant Gill at once rallied the remnants of his platoon, none of whom were skilled bombers, and reorganised his defences, a most difficult and dangerous task, the trench being very shallow and much damaged. Soon afterwards the enemy nearly surrounded his men by creeping up through the thick undergrowth, and commenced sniping at about twenty yards' range. Although it was almost certain death, Serjeant Gill stood boldly up in order to direct the fire of his men. He was killed almost at once, but not before he had shown his men where the enemy were, and thus enabled them to hold up their advance. By his supreme devotion to duty and self-sacrifice he saved a very dangerous situation."

Grave Reference: IV. C. 3.

(Source: Wikipedia)