Throughout World War I, the death over the fields of Flanders was on an horrendous scale with the majority of bodies never identified or retrieved. On 11th November 1920, simultaneously ceremonies took place in both London and Paris to unveil tombs of unknown soldiers.
The tomb of the unknown soldier came to depict the loss suffered by the families of soldiers who perished and whose bodies were never identified or recovered. The unknown French soldier lies in the Arc de Triomphe in Paris while the unknown British soldier lies buried in Westminster Abbey amongst nobleman and statesmen.
The idea was first of all contemplated by a clergyman named Reverend David Railton. In 1916 in France, he had noticed a cross with the words "An Unknown British Soldier" written on it. 4 years later in 1920, Railton approached the Dean of Westminster implying that it would be acceptable to create a nationally recognised grave for an unidentified soldier.
4 British servicemen were exhumed from Aisne, the Somme, Arras and Ypres and transported to a chapel at St Pol, near Arras. Each body was covered in a Union flag then one was selected by Brigadier General L J Wyatt. Wyatt had no idea from where the men had been removed from or their rank. The point was that the unknown soldier could have been anyone from a Private right up to a Colonel, a colonial labourer to the child of an Earl.
The soldiers casket was sent to London and was delivered to Westminster Abbey in a horse drawn gun carriage. The cortege was accompanied by King George V and members of the Royal family. At Westminster Abbey, it was flanked by a guard of 100 winners of the Victoria Cross.
The coffin was positioned and covered with soil taken from the battlefields of The First World War. It was capped with a slab of black marble from Belgium and it is the only tombstone in Westminster Abbey which it is forbidden to walk.
Since then, quite a few other nations have dedicated very similar tombs including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Russia, Ukraine and the United States.
The tomb of the unknown soldier came to depict the loss suffered by the families of soldiers who perished and whose bodies were never identified or recovered. The unknown French soldier lies in the Arc de Triomphe in Paris while the unknown British soldier lies buried in Westminster Abbey amongst nobleman and statesmen.
The idea was first of all contemplated by a clergyman named Reverend David Railton. In 1916 in France, he had noticed a cross with the words "An Unknown British Soldier" written on it. 4 years later in 1920, Railton approached the Dean of Westminster implying that it would be acceptable to create a nationally recognised grave for an unidentified soldier.
4 British servicemen were exhumed from Aisne, the Somme, Arras and Ypres and transported to a chapel at St Pol, near Arras. Each body was covered in a Union flag then one was selected by Brigadier General L J Wyatt. Wyatt had no idea from where the men had been removed from or their rank. The point was that the unknown soldier could have been anyone from a Private right up to a Colonel, a colonial labourer to the child of an Earl.
The soldiers casket was sent to London and was delivered to Westminster Abbey in a horse drawn gun carriage. The cortege was accompanied by King George V and members of the Royal family. At Westminster Abbey, it was flanked by a guard of 100 winners of the Victoria Cross.
The coffin was positioned and covered with soil taken from the battlefields of The First World War. It was capped with a slab of black marble from Belgium and it is the only tombstone in Westminster Abbey which it is forbidden to walk.
Since then, quite a few other nations have dedicated very similar tombs including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Russia, Ukraine and the United States.
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World War I resulted in a deadly stalemate that saw so many lives wasted. Hardly any families in Britain remained unaffected.. Free reprint available from: World War I - The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.