Church bell ringers pay centenary tribute to Delville Wood’s fallen
A hauntingly beautiful sound and may be heard from 8:00 a.m around the Greyville area this Sunday, 17 July as St Mary's Church ring bells in tribute to Delville Wood before their service at 8:30 am.
THIS Sunday, 17 July, the bell ringers of St Mary’s Church in Greyville will pay an extra special centenary tribute to the fallen from 8am before the service at 8.30am.
According to Nola Mitchell, of the Durban Guild of Church Bellringers, the bell ringers of St Mary’s pay special tribute to the fallen by tolling the Delville Wood (number seven) bell each year on the Sunday closest to 15 July. “Usually the bell is tolled for every year following the battle but this year – the centenary of the battle of Delville Wood – the bellringers will ring six to eight of the tower’s 10 bells, half-muffled. Half-muffled bells ring out a hauntingly beautiful sound. The bellringers will end the tribute by tolling the Delville Wood bell 100 times to mark the centenary of the battle,” added Mitchell.
The Delville Wood bell weighs 912 lbs and is inscribed Delville Wood 15 July 1916.
St Mary’s bell tower houses a peal of 10 fine bells and the public is invited to the church for the special tribute ringing. There are only nine churches in South Africa to have bells hung for change ringing in the English manner.
