The Coffin of The Unknown Soldier.
Westminster Abbey, November 1920.
Illustration: FACEBOOK
On 7 November 1920, in strictest secrecy, four unidentified British Soldiers' bodies were exhumed from Temporary Battlefield Cemeteries, at Ypres, Arras, The Aisne, and The Somme, all in France.
None of the Soldiers, who did the digging,
were told why they were digging.
The bodies were taken by Field Ambulance to
General Headquarters, at St-Pol-Sur-Ternoise,
near Calais, France. Once there,
the bodies were draped with The Union Flag.
"Abide With Me".
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Sentries were posted, and Brigadier-General Wyatt,
and Colonel Gell, selected one body at random.
The other three bodies were reburied.
A French Honour Guard was selected and stood by the Coffin of the chosen Unknown Soldier overnight.
On the morning of 8 November 1920, a specially-designed Coffin, made of Oak from the grounds of Hampton Court, London, arrived, and The Unknown Soldier was placed inside.
On top of the Coffin was placed a Crusader's Sword and a Shield, on which was inscribed:
"A British Warrior,
who fell in The Great War 1914-1918,
for King and Country".
who fell in The Great War 1914-1918,
for King and Country".
On 9 November 1920,
The Unknown Soldier was taken by Horse-Drawn Carriage, through Guards of Honour and the sound of Tolling Bells and Bugle Calls, to the Quayside.
The Unknown Soldier was taken by Horse-Drawn Carriage, through Guards of Honour and the sound of Tolling Bells and Bugle Calls, to the Quayside.
There, The Unknown Soldier was Saluted by Marechal Foche, and loaded onto HMS Vernon, bound for Dover.
The Coffin stood on The Deck, covered in Wreaths, surrounded by The French Honour Guard.
Upon arrival at Dover, The Unknown Soldier was met with a Nineteen-Gun Salute - something that was normally only reserved for Field Marshals.
A Special Train had been arranged,
and The Unknown Soldier was conveyed to
Victoria Railway Station, London.
The Unknown Soldier remained there, overnight, and, on the morning of 11 November 1920, the Coffin was finally taken to Westminster Abbey, London.
The idea of The Unknown Soldier was thought of by a Padre, called David Railton, who had served on The Front Line during The Great War. The Union Flag he had used as an Altar Cloth, whilst at The Front, was the one that had been draped over the Coffin.
It was his intention that all of the relatives of the 517,773 Combatants, whose bodies had not been identified, could believe that The Unknown Soldier could very well be their lost husband, father, brother or son . . .
THIS is the reason we wear Poppies.
We do not glorify War.
We remember - with humility - the great and the ultimate sacrifices that were made, not just in this War, but in every War and Conflict where our Service Personnel have fought - to ensure the liberty and freedoms that we now take for granted.
Every year, at
The Eleventh Hour,
of The Eleventh Day,
of The Eleventh Month,
we remember The Unknown Soldier.
At The Going Down Of The Sun,
And In The Morning,
We Will Remember Them.
We Will Remember Them.
