I would have thought most people would be aware of the story regarding the 'Unknown Warrior,' especially those who have served in the forces. I was somewhat surprised to find that John Nichol, the author of this book, had never given him any thought, though he had passed the tomb on several occasions. Then on one visit he suddenly realised this was the body of a man, a single individual who fell during the Great War. Thus began a search to understand who he was, how he found his way here.
Of course this would be difficult, for a start he was intended to be 'unknown,' so finding out more is somewhat limited, however, it is possible to trace how the body came to be in this Abbey.
Beginning at High Wood on the Somme, Nichol traces the outline of the war as it was fought. Informing us of the conditions, and fighting in what remained of the wood during 1916 was not pleasant, and then he began to consider the dead and the burial of such during a conflict.
Much of the book concentrates on individuals longing for information regarding their dead relative. Wives and parents, children old enough to understand, desperate to know where he fell, how he died and where he was buried, if indeed he was buried, and whether it was possible to visit the grave. The need for a grave where individuals can be found is strong in many. Lessened no doubt by the increasing use of crematorium today but we all prefer to have a grave to visit. With some 300,000 men missing from the Great War spread over many lands a space in remembrance was created that was difficult to fill. The decision to bury the dead where they fell, a purely practical idea, caused much distress, especially to those with the money to collect their body from France. All over France and Flanders cemeteries, now run by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, tend perfectly the men out of reach of many relatives at the time. Indeed such cemeteries can be found across the globe wherever servicemen were fighting.
With the use of letters and living relatives much is gleaned re the men who died and those left behind. The emotions speak for themselves. We hear from those who were proud of their sons and indeed from one who was rejected after being 'Shot at Dawn.'
With a need for remembrance local memorials rose throughout the country. You are never far from one and all to often it is not recognised these days, it is considered something from the distant past. No doubt the actions of Putin and Trump with cause more people to consider such memorials.
One major memorial was the cenotaph, a national means of honouring the dead, and bringing the war to an end. One man however, considered something to ease the memory of those with missing husbands, fathers, sons, and that was an 'Unknown Warrior.' Army Chaplain David Railton had spent some time at the front. Here he led services, visited the wounded, and buried the dead. Much of this work was conducted at night under fire where men were brought to the rear, identified, and buried. For his work he carried a union flag which served as an altar cloth or burial cover. After this he would write if possible to the relatives informing them of the burial place, how their man died, and enclose any rings, watches or other items he could retrieve. These offered my help to those who received them, the many replies indicated just how much help, and I have read such letters, often written in pencil, from chaplains. Official, polite, caring. Whether they stuck to the actual truth is to be doubted, as the actual truth would often be too hard to tell.
David Railton concluded during the war and unknown soldier must be found as a means of closure for the widowed and hurt back home. Just weeks before the opening of the cenotaph in Whitehall he managed to convince the Dean of Westminster Abbey that this was a good idea. He agreed and pushed this through, though King George at the time was dubious of the idea, considering it would only open old wounds. I think he was still scared of Communist revolution! However, Lloyd George, a man never afraid to put his name to a bandwagon, and other influential people considered this a good idea. Therefore with just weeks before November 11th the procession was created, soldiers sailors and airmen brought in to parade, and after aa loud media campaign those who served were also added. Plus 90 or so Victoria Cross winners.
The story of the ceremony is well told, the cenotaph flags fell, with a little help, the warrior was placed in the Abbey, and thousands who crowded the streets considered this man was 'their man.' He gave them all the opportunity to see their dead relative back home. The emotion was high, the idea a success, now followed in most nations, and David Railton, the unassuming chaplain who never spoke of his war work nor his work here, not even to his family lived out his life until he died in a railway accident some years later. His union flag remains in the Abbey.
The book is well written, though at times a wee bit sentimental for me. Much research has been done and for those who have no knowledge of how the individual was selected, and it remains hidden behind many secrets, this book is well worth a look. We will never know who the 'warrior' was, warrior rather than soldier to include sailors and airmen, but many today now who he was, he was their grandfather, great uncle, and a proud family memory.
