Mametz Wood was the objective of the 38th (Welsh) Division during the First Battle of the Somme , between 7th and 12th July 1916. By the 12th July the wood was effectively cleared of the enemy, but the Welsh Division had lost about 4,000 men killed or wounded.

The sculptor David Peterson designed and created the Dragon that stands and faces the woods.
On the 11th July 1987, the Memorial was dedicated to the fallen and injured.