The Unknown Warrior
100 years on

I never knew this. Well, I suppose in some way I kind of did know some of it, but it's nice to have the full story.

On 7th September 1920, under orders which were to be carried out with the strictest secrecy, the bodies of four unidentified British Soldiers were exhumed from their temporary graves at the battlefields of Ypres, Arras, the Asine & the Somme.

Those soldiers who were tasked with the digging were never told why they were doing it. These bodies were all taken to St-Pol-Sur-ter noise.

Once there, the bodies were covered with the union flag. Sentries were posted, and Brigadier-General Wyatt selected one of the bodies at random.

Overnight A French honour guard stood by the coffin. The next day (the 8th) this unknown warrior was placed inside a specially designed coffin which had been made of oak grown in the grounds of Hampton Court.

A crusaders sword and a shield were placed on top, which was inscribed with the words "a British Warrior who fell in the GREAT WAR 1914-1918 for king and country".

On 9th November to the sound of tolling bells and through guards of honour the unknown warrior was driven by horse-drawn carriage to the quayside. When there it was saluted by Marechal Foche & loaded onto the Dover bound HMS Vernon.

Surrounded by the French honour guard and covered in wreaths, the coffin stood on the deck.

When the unknown warrior arrived at Dover, he was greeted with a 19 gun salute, which is normally only reserved for the rank of Field Marshall. He then travelled by train to London's Victoria Station.

On the morning of 11th November, he was placed in a tomb at the west end of the nave of Westminster Abbey - 100 sandbags of earth from the battlefields filled his grave.

In 1923 when the Duke of York (who was later King George VI) married Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyons, as a mark of respect, she left her wedding bouquet on the grave (she had lost a brother in the war). Since that day any royal brides who were married in Westminster Abbey have also sent their bouquets back to be laid on the grave.

The concept of the unknown soldier was attributed to a Padre named David Railton, who had been serving at the front during the great war.

The intention is that all relatives to the 517,773 combatants whose bodies were not identified could believe that the unknown warrior could be their lost husband, Father, brother or son.

The sacrifice these brave people made should never be forgotten even 100 years later! Thank you, and we shall always remember you.