The unknown soldier's journey from trench to tomb - BBC News BBC News The unknown soldier's journey from trench to tomb By Mario Cacciottolo BBC News 11 November 2010 Close share panel Image caption The tomb, in London's Westminster Abbey The unknown warrior was carried from a French battlefield 90 years ago, to be laid to rest among kings and statesmen in Westminster Abbey. But how did this symbol of the sacrifice of war come to be chosen? In 1916, a Church of England clergyman serving at the Western Front in World War I spotted an inscription on an anonymous war grave which gave him an idea. That moment of inspiration would blossom into a worldwide ceremony that is still being replicated in the 21st Century - the grave of an unknown warrior, symbolising those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. The Reverend David Railton caught sight of the grave in a back garden at Armentieres in France in 1916, with a rough cross upon which was pencilled the words "An Unknown British Soldier". Image caption The coffin of the unknown warrior was carried from the citadel in Boulogne and left for England.

Soldiers salute as the coffin leaves France Who came up with the idea? In August 1920 Mr Railton wrote to the Dean of Westminster, Herbert Ryle, to suggest having a nationally recognised grave for an unknown soldier. The idea - which had also been mooted by the Daily Express newspaper the year before - was presented to the government and quickly taken up. Memories of the war, in which a million British people had died, were still raw and the thousands of bodies that lay unidentified were a blight on Britain's conscience. "Those parents and wives who had lost men to war didn't have anything tangible to grieve at, so the unknown warrior represented their loss," says Terry Charman, a historian at the Imperial War Museum. But there was a procedure in choosing a single corpse to represent the many unnamed dead. The unknown warrior's body was chosen from a number of British servicemen exhumed from four battle areas - the Aisne, the Somme, Arras and Ypres. These remains were brought to the chapel at St Pol on the night of 7 November 1920, where the officer in charge of troops in France and Flanders, Brig Gen L J Wyatt, went with a Col Gell.

Neither had any idea where the bodies, laid on stretchers and covered by union jacks, were from. Clues to his identity "[He was] probably a regular army soldier of the original 'contemptible' British expeditionary force, and therefore a young unmarried man in his 20s or possibly an older married reservist recalled from civilian life to the colours. "He might have been a Territorial, since the London Scottish and other Territorial units were at the Western Front from September 1914. He was not navy or air force, a 'new army' volunteer, conscript, or dominion soldier." By National Biography's Roger T Stearn Unknown Warrior on Oxford Dictionary of National Biography "The point was that it literally could have been anybody," says Mr Charman. "It could have been an earl or a duke's son, or a labourer from South Africa. "The idea really caught the public mood, as it was a very democratic thing that it could have been someone from any rank." Gen Wyatt selected one body - it has been suggested he may have been blindfolded while making his choice - and the two officers placed it in a plain coffin and sealed it. The other bodies were reburied.

The next day the dead soldier began the journey to his final resting place. The coffin was taken to Boulogne and placed inside another coffin, made of oak from Hampton Court and sent over from England. Its plate bore the inscription: "A British Warrior who fell in the Great War 1914-1918 for King and Country". This second coffin had a 16th Century sword, taken from King George V's private collection, fixed on top. The body was then transported to Dover via the destroyer HMS Verdun and taken by train to London. To have its own unknown warrior, for a country that sent troops to WWI, is part of its own national identity Terry Charman , Imperial War Museum On the morning of 11 November 1920 - two years to the day after the war had ended, the body of the unknown warrior was drawn in a procession through London to the Cenotaph. This new war memorial on Whitehall was then unveiled by George V. At 1100 there was a two-minute silence, and the body was then taken to nearby Westminster Abbey where it was buried, passing through a guard of honour of 100 holders of the Victoria Cross.

In a particularly poignant gesture, the grave was filled with earth from the main French battlefields, and the black marble stone was Belgian. And at the exact time Britain was interring its unknown warrior, France was doing the same - burying its Soldat Inconnu at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. But while the coffin in London had been laid with great ceremony, no-one was exactly sure how the public would respond to this new memorial. In the event, they flocked to it. An estimated 1,250,000 people visited the Abbey to see the grave in only the first week. Ninety years on, the dead soldier continues to be honoured, by the public and royalty alike. What's more, the symbolism of the act has been mirrored by many other countries around the world. Iraq, the United States, Germany, Lithuania and Poland are just some of those which have created their own memorials. On 17 October 1921, Britain's unknown soldier was given the US Medal of Honor, America's highest award for bravery, which hangs on a pillar near his grave. On 11 November 1921, the US unknown soldier was reciprocally awarded the Victoria Cross.

And the commemorations have continued - Australia's unknown soldier was buried at Canberra in 1993 and a Canadian equivalent interred in Ottawa in 2000. Six years ago, New Zealand exhumed remains from the Somme in France and buried its own unknown warrior. Mr Charman says the diminishing significance of the Commonwealth may have added to the need for individual nations, which were once part of the British Empire, to create their own memorials. "Nowadays, the concept of Commonwealth is much diminished. It doesn't mean anything in the same way it did years ago. "To have its own unknown warrior, for a country that sent troops to WWI, is part of its own national identity." Tomb of the Unknown Soldier – Westminster Abbey Home » Lifestyle » Tomb of the Unknown Soldier – Westminster Abbey Tomb of the Unknown Soldier – Westminster Abbey Posted by William Wallace on Jan 9, 2011 in Lifestyle | 4 comments The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier can be found at Westminster Abbey in London. The famous tomb contains the remains of an unidentified British soldier killed during the first World War. A reminder of the ultimate sacrifice made by many! Throughout history men and guess some woman as well have died fighting in wars with their remains never identified.

The idea for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier war first conceived by David Railton an army Chaplin who served on the Western Front during World War I. After the war was over Railton mentioned the idea to the Dean of Westminster, who thought it was a great idea and shortly afterwards, he got the backing of the Prime Minster, the King and Military Chiefs who ensured it become a reality. A lot of effort and diligence went into ensuring the soldier chosen to be laid to rest in Westminster Abbey was in fact British and totally unknown. One body was exhumed from each of the battlefields at Aisne, Arras, Cambrai, Somme, the Marine and Ypres. The bodies were then placed in an army hut at St Pol, where Brigadier-General Wyatt, then entered the hut blindfolded and touched one of the coffins, which would become the Unknown Soldier. On the 11 of November 1920, which was the second anniversary of the armistice, the unknown warrior was laid to rest. On the same day in France La tombe du soldat inconnu was placed in the Arc de Triomphe. A reminder of the futility of war.

You would have thought that mankind would have learned something from history… The Unknown Soldier was the last person to be buried at Westminster Abbey, but he sure wasn’t the last unknown warrior to be sacrificed because of man’s never ending desire to create havoc! The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier can be found through the west door and is marked by a black marble slab surrounded by red poppies… Related posts: 10 of London’s World War I memorials – 10. Grave of the Unknown Warrior, Westminster Abbey… | Exploring London A blog about London and its history… 10 of London’s World War I memorials – 10. Grave of the Unknown Warrior, Westminster Abbey… October 15, 2014 In this, the final in our series looking at London’s World War I memorials, we’re taking a look at one of the city’s most visited monuments – the grave of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey.

Located at the west end of the minster nave (pictured is the west front of the abbey inside of which lies the grave), the grave is that of a British soldier whose body was brought back from France and buried on the site on 11th November, 1920. The grave, which also contains soil brought from France, is covered by a slab of black marble from Belgium. The slab bears an inscription written by Herbert Ryle, then dean of the abbey, which commemorates the “many multitudes” who died during World War I. “They buried him among the kings because he had done good toward God and toward his house”. It is believed the idea for the memorial was that of a chaplain at the front during the war – Rev David Railton – who in 1916 saw a grave in northern France which featured a cross upon which was written, “An Unknown British Soldier”. He wrote to Ryle about what he’d seen and the idea for the new memorial slowly took shape – albeit with the initial misgivings of some including King George V.

Representing servicemen from the army, navy or air force from anywhere within Britain and its dominions who died in the war and have no other memorial or known grave, the unidentified body which lies in the grave is believed to have been selected at random from among a number bodies of soldiers who died early in the war – accounts suggest they numbered either four or six – and which were exhumed from battle areas at the Aisne, the Somme, Arras and Ypres. Covered with Union flags, the bodies were taken to a chapel at St Pol on 7th November, 1920, and one selected by Brigadier General LJ Wyatt, commander of troops in France and Flanders. The three remaining bodies were reburied while the selected remains were placed in two coffins, the outer one made of oak harvested from a tree which had grown at Hampton Court Palace.

A 16th century crusader’s sword taken from the Tower of London’s collection was placed in the wrought iron bands of the coffin and it was then covered with a flag which Rev Railton had used as an altar cloth during the war (known as the Ypres or Padre’s Flag, it now hangs nearby in St George’s Chapel at the abbey). The coffin was then transported on the destroyer HMS Verdun to Dover and then taken by train to Victoria Station before, on the morning of 11th November, it was placed on a gun carriage drawn by six black horses and transported through massive but silent crowds which lined the streets.

Pausing at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, King George V unveiled the monument which represent an empty tomb (see our earlier post here ) and placed a wreath on the coffin and then, followed by the king, other royal family members and dignitaries, it was taken to the abbey minster and lowered into the grave at a special service attended by the king, Queen Alexandra, the queens of Spain and Norway, and Prime Minister David Lloyd George and former Prime Minister HH (later Lord) Asquith (a recording made of some of the service – apparently conducted simultaneously with one at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris – became the first ever electrical recording to be sold to the public). Thousands of mourners paid their respects at the open grave before the grave was filled in and covered with temporary stone on 18th November. The marble stone which now stands there was unveiled at a special service on 11th November the following year. A framed US Congressional Medal of Honor, conferred by General John J Pershing on the unknown warrior on 17th October, 1921, hangs from a pillar nearby.

WHERE: Westminster Abbey, Westminster (nearest Tube station is Westminster or St James’s Park); WHEN: Generally open to tourists everyday except Sunday (times vary so check the website); COST: £18 an adult/£15 concessions/£8 schoolchildren (11-18 years), free for children aged under 11/£44 for a family (two adults, two children); WEBSITE: . Share this: First World War.com - Feature Articles - The Unknown Warrior What's New Feature Articles - The Unknown Warrior The Great War did not officially end until June 1919 with the final signing of the Treaty of Versailles . As part of the plan to mark the war's end with a victory parade, Lloyd George proposed a controversial scheme to place 'a catafalque' somewhere along the route, where the marching troops could salute the dead. Sponsored Links Sir Edwin Lutyens was given two weeks to design a non-denominational shrine, made out of wood and plaster. It was Lutyens who suggested this structure be named the Cenotaph: the empty tomb.

It was the Cenotaph which most captured the public imagination during the victory celebrations on 19 July, and after the parade many of the bereaved laid wreaths there. It was evident that a more permanent monument was required, and Lutyens was commissioned to design a stone Cenotaph for the same site, which would be unveiled by the King on Armistice Day 1920. As plans were being drawn up for a simple unveiling ceremony on November 11th 1920, there was a proposal that the body of an unknown soldier be returned to England for burial at the same time. It is generally agreed that the original idea came from the vicar of Margate, the Reverend David Railton MC (pictured right), who had served as a padre in France in 1916. Years later he wrote: I came back from the line at dusk. We had just laid to rest the mortal remains of a comrade. I went to a billet in front of Erkingham, near Armentieres. At the back of the billet was a small garden, and in the garden only six paces from the house, there was a grave.

At the head of the grave there stood a rough cross of white wood. On the cross was written in deep black-pencilled letters, "An Unknown British Soldier" and in brackets beneath, "of the Black Watch". It was dusk and no one was near, except some officers in the billet playing cards. I remember how still it was. Even the guns seemed to be resting. How that grave caused me to think. Later on I nearly wrote to Sir Douglas Haig to ask if the body of an "unknown" comrade might be sent home... In 1920 he wrote to the Dean of Westminster Abbey, Doctor Ryle, who in turned made the suggestion to the government. Despite initial misgivings, it was realised that this one symbolic burial could stand for all the hundreds of thousands missing men with no known grave.

There are a number of different versions of how the selection of the body was made, but according to the officer in charge Brigadier-General Wyatt (writing in 1939) one body, identifiable only as a British soldier, was exhumed from each of the four main battle areas, the Aisne, the Somme, Ypres and Arras, on the night of 7 November and brought to the chapel at St. Pol. Each body was covered with a Union Jack and placed on a stretcher. Those versions of the story which claim that the officer in charge was blindfolded, seem to be incorrect. Wyatt merely pointed to one of the bodies, which was placed in a coffin and the remaining three bodies were removed and reburied. The following day the body was taken to Boulogne under escort where it was placed in a coffin made of English oak, and a crusader-style sword presented by the King was fixed to the coffin. On 9th November a French military escort went with the body to Boulogne, where Marshal Foch (above) paid his own homage.

British troops then took over guard duties and the body crossed the Channel in the destroyer Verdun, receiving a Field Marshal's nineteen gun salute on arrival at Dover. Crowds gathered at every station on the way as the Unknown Warrior's train travelled north from the Kent coat to London's Victoria station. The train thundered through the dark, wet, moonless night. At the platforms by which it rushed could be seen groups of women watching and silent, many dressed in deep mourning. Many an upper window was open and against the golden square of light was silhouetted clear cut and black the head and shoulders of some faithful watcher. .... In the London suburbs there were scores of homes with back doors flung wide, light flooding out and in the garden figures of men women and children gazing at the great lighted train rushing past. from the Daily Mail 11 November 1920 On the morning of 11 November the body of the Unknown Warrior was drawn to the Cenotaph on a gun carriage pulled by six black horses, followed by twelve distinguished pallbearers, including Haig , Beatty and French . Many of those who lined the streets watching the procession pass had been waiting all night.

At eleven o'clock - "the eleventh hour" - as Big Ben began to chime, the King turned to face the Cenotaph and, by a touch on a button, released the flags veiling the monument. As the chimes died away, everyone fell silent for two minutes, and the Last Post sounded. The solemn journey continued down Whitehall to Westminster Abbey where the nave was lined by 100 soldiers who had been awarded the Victoria Cross . The Royal Family had pride of place, but the congregation was primarily composed of widows and mothers who had lost sons. There was no foreign representation. The service was brief and according to The Times , 'the most beautiful, the most touching and the most impressive this island has ever seen....' The first ever recordings made in the Abbey were taken of the ceremony by Major Lionel Guest and Captain Merriman who sold the resulting discs for seven shillings and sixpence (37p) each. The event touched the nation in a remarkable way with the Daily Mirror special edition, selling almost two million copies, a record for a single issue. It had been planned that the grave of the Unknown Warrior would be closed after allowing a pilgrimage of three days.

The organisers were taken completely by surprise by the response of the people, not only in London, but throughout Great Britain. Once the ceremony was finished the thousands of people who had lined the streets began to queue to pass the Cenotaph. Most of them had brought wreaths or bunches of flowers to place at the base of the memorial. At least 40,000 people passed through the Abbey before the doors were closed at 11pm an hour later than the scheduled closure time and thousands more passed the Cenotaph. There were still long queues at midnight, and people continued to visit the site through the night. Most impressive of all was the night scene in Whitehall. The vast sweep of the road was almost silent save for the ceaseless murmur of footsteps. Under the brilliant glare of the lamps that were softened by the foggy air the long, dark lines of people stretched from Trafalgar Square to the Cenotaph from whose base they could be seen vanishing in the distance, two narrow lines of slowly moving people separated by a wide pathway on which stood here and there vague figures of policemen on horseback.

from the Daily Mail 12 November 1920 The pilgrimage went on throughout the weekend, with Saturday bringing large numbers of pilgrims from outside London. The Daily Express told the story of two wounded soldiers who walked sixty miles to lay wreaths at the Cenotaph; they had both lost brothers in the war. There were pilgrims from Ireland, Scotland and Wales. One policeman spoke of old women who had come from remote country villages to pay homage to the dead. "One old lady came from the far north of Scotland. She carried a bunch of withered flowers, and told me with tears in her eyes that the flowers came from a little garden which her boy had planted when he was only six." from Daily Telegraph 12 November 1920 On Monday 15 November traffic began to move along Whitehall, but the great pilgrimage carried on. As buses passed the Cenotaph, the drivers slowed out of respect, and their passengers stood and removed their hats.

Up to the time the grave was closed on 18th November an estimated 1,250,000 people visited the Abbey, but the pilgrimage continued long afterwards, with the space enclosing the grave remaining filled with flowers and other tributes for almost a year. It was probably the greatest public outpouring of emotion that Britain had ever seen. Further reading on this subject: Ronald Blythe, The Age of Illusion (1963) David W.Lloyd, Battlefield Tourism (1998) Michael Gavaghan, The Story of the Unknown Warrior (1997) David Cannadine, Aspects of Aristocracy (1994) Article contributed by Mike Roden , website Aftermath . Sponsored Links Saturday, 22 August, 2009 Mike Roden 'Kitchener's Army' comprised Men recruited into the British Army a result of Lord Kitchener's appeal for volunteers. - Did you know?

Westminster Abbey » Unknown Warrior Burial Date: 11 Nov, 1920 Field: Soldier Location in the Abbey: Nave Type of memorial: Grave Type of material: Marble At the west end of the Nave of Westminster Abbey is the grave of the Unknown Warrior, whose body was brought from France to be buried here on 11 November 1920. The grave, which contains soil from France, is covered by a slab of black Belgian marble from a quarry near Namur.

On it is the following inscription, composed by Herbert Ryle, Dean of Westminster: BENEATH THIS STONE RESTS THE BODY OF A BRITISH WARRIOR UNKNOWN BY NAME OR RANK BROUGHT FROM FRANCE TO LIE AMONG THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS OF THE LAND AND BURIED HERE ON ARMISTICE DAY 11 NOV: 1920, IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V HIS MINISTERS OF STATE THE CHIEFS OF HIS FORCES AND A VAST CONCOURSE OF THE NATION THUS ARE COMMEMORATED THE MANY MULTITUDES WHO DURING THE GREAT WAR OF 1914-1918 GAVE THE MOST THAT MAN CAN GIVE LIFE ITSELF FOR GOD FOR LOVED ONES HOME AND EMPIRE FOR THE SACRED CAUSE OF JUSTICE AND THE FREEDOM OF THE WORLD THEY BURIED HIM AMONG THE KINGS BECAUSE HE HAD DONE GOOD TOWARD GOD AND TOWARD HIS HOUSE Around the main inscription are four texts: (top) THE LORD KNOWETH THEM THAT ARE HIS, (sides) GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS UNKNOWN AND

 YET WELL KNOWN, DYING AND BEHOLD WE LIVE, (base) IN CHRIST SHALL ALL BE MADE ALIVE.

Selecting the Unknown Warrior. The idea of such a burial seems first to have come to a chaplain at the Front, the Reverend David Railton (1884-1955), when he noticed in 1916 in a back garden at Armentières, a grave with a rough cross on which were pencilled the words "An Unknown British Soldier". In August 1920 he wrote to the Dean of Westminster, Herbert Ryle, through whose energies this memorial was carried into effect. The body was chosen from unknown British servicemen exhumed from four battle areas, the Aisne, the Somme, Arras and Ypres. (some sources say six bodies but confirmed accounts say four). The remains were brought to the chapel at St. Pol on the night of 7 November 1920. The General Officer in charge of troops in France and Flanders, Brigadier General L.J.Wyatt, with Colonel Gell, went into the chapel alone, where the bodies on stretchers were covered by Union Flags. They had no idea from which area the bodies had come. General Wyatt selected one and the two officers placed it in a plain coffin and sealed it.

The other three bodies were reburied. General Wyatt said they were re-buried at the St Pol cemetery but Lt.(later Major General Sir) Cecil Smith says they were buried beside the Albert-Baupaume road to be be discovered there by parties searching for bodies in the area. In the morning Chaplains of the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church and Non-Conformist churches held a service in the chapel before the body was escorted to Boulogne to rest overnight. The next day the coffin was placed inside another which had been sent over specially from England made of two-inch thick oak from a tree which had grown in Hampton Court Palace garden, lined with zinc. It was covered with the flag that David Railton had used as an altar cloth during the War (known as the Ypres or Padre's Flag, which now hangs in St George's Chapel). Within the wrought iron bands of this coffin had been placed a 16th century crusader's sword from the Tower of London collection. The inner coffin shell was made by Walter Jackson of the firm of Ingall, Parsons & Clive Forward at Harrow, north London and the larger coffin was supplied by the undertakers in charge of the arrangements, Nodes & Son.

The coffin plate bore the inscription: "A British Warrior who fell in the Great War 1914-1918 for King and Country". The ironwork and coffin plate were made by D.J.Williams of the Brunswick Ironworks at Caernarfon in Wales. The destroyer HMS Verdun, whose ship's bell was presented to the Abbey and now hangs near the grave, transported the coffin to Dover and it was then taken by train to Victoria station in London where it rested overnight. The burial On the morning of 11 November the coffin was placed on a gun carriage drawn by six black horses and began its journey through the crowd-lined streets, making its first stop in Whitehall where the Cenotaph was unveiled by King George V. The King placed his wreath of red roses and bay leaves on the coffin. His card read "In proud memory of those Warriors who died unknown in the Great War. Unknown, and yet well-known; as dying, and behold they live. George R.I. November 11th 1920".

Then the carriage, with pall bearers (Admirals) Lord Beatty, Sir Hedworth Meux, Sir Henry Jackson, Sir C.E.Madden, (Field Marshals) Lord French, Lord Haig, Lord Methuen, Sir Henry Wilson, (Generals) Lord Horne, Lord Byng, Albert Farrar-Gatliff and Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Trenchard, followed by the King, members of the Royal Family and ministers of State, made its way to the north door of Westminster Abbey. Inside the Choir sang, unaccompanied, "O Valiant Hearts" (to the tune Ellers). The coffin was borne to the west end of the Nave through a guard of honour of 100 holders of the Victoria Cross, under the command of Colonel Freyburg VC. During the shortened form of the Burial Service, after the hymn "Lead kindly light", the King stepped forward and dropped a handful of French earth onto the coffin as it was lowered into the grave.

At the close of the service, after the hymn "Abide with me" and prayers, the congregation sang Rudyard Kipling's solemn Recessional "God of our fathers" (to the tune Melita), after which the Reveille was sounded by trumpeters. Other eminent members of the congregation were Queen Alexandra, the queens of Spain and Norway, the Duke of Connaught, politicians Lloyd George and Asquith, and Sir Douglas Dawson. The grave was then covered by a silk funeral pall, which had been presented to the Abbey by the Actors' Church Union in memory of their fallen comrades, with the Padre's flag lying over this. Servicemen kept watch while thousands of mourners filed past. Special permission had been given to make a recording of the service but only the two hymns were of good enough quality to be included on the record, the first electrical recording ever to be sold to the public.

The grave was filled in, using 100 sandbags of earth from the battlefields, on 18 November and then covered by a temporary stone with a gilded inscription on it: "A BRITISH WARRIOR WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918 FOR KING AND COUNTRY. GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS." New stone and the Congressional Medal On 11 November 1921 the present black marble stone was unveiled at a special service. The stone (size 7 feet by 4 feet 3 inches, depth 6 inches) was supplied and lettered by Mr Tomes of Acton and the brass for the inscription supplied by Nash & Hull. Benjamin Colson carried out the brass work. The Padre's Flag was also formerly dedicated at this service. General Pershing, on behalf of the United States of America, conferred the Congressional Medal of Honor on the Unknown Warrior on 17 October 1921 and this now hangs in a frame on a pillar near the grave. In October 2013 the Congressional Medal of Honor Society presented the Society's official flag to the Unknown Warrior and this is framed below the medal.

The body of the Unknown Warrior may be from any of the three services, Army, Navy or Air Force, and from any part of the British Isles, Dominions or Colonies and represents all those who died who have no other memorial or known grave. When the Duke of York (later King George VI) married Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon in the Abbey in 1923 as she left she laid her wedding bouquet on the grave as a mark of respect (she had lost a brother during the war). All royal brides married in the Abbey since then have sent back their bouquets to be laid on the grave. Padre's Flag. A bronze plaque on a pillar outside St George's chapel concerns the Padre's Flag: "This Union Jack sometimes called the Padre's Flag was used day by day on flag post on improvised altar or as a covering for the fallen on the Western Front during the Great War 1914-1918. It covered the coffin of the Unknown Warrior at his funeral on November 11th 1920.

After resting for a year on the grave it was presented to the Abbey Church of Westminster on Armistice Day 1921 by the chaplain who used it during the war and was dedicated on the High Altar "To the glory of God and in perpetual memory of all who gave their lives fighting by land and sea and air for their King, for Great Britain and Ireland and for the Dominions beyond the seas". The flag was hoisted onto the pillar above the grave at the dedication service. Company Sgt.Major Harry Evans, a soldier from the 17th London Division climbed a tall ladder to fix the flag, with the 5th brigade of the 47th London Division looking on. It remained there for many years before being moved to hang in St George's chapel in 1964. Before being presented to the Abbey the flag had been cleaned so there are no bloodstains on it. David Railton David Railton was born on 13 November 1884 at Leytonstone in London. He received the Military Cross in 1916 for saving an officer and two men under heavy fire. After the war he became Vicar of St John's church at Margate in Kent.

He was killed in an accidental fall from a train in Scotland in June 1955. H.M.S.Verdun bell The plate below the bell (which is inscribed H.M.S.Verdun 1917) reads: "The bell of H.M.S. Verdun in which the Unknown Warrior was brought from Boulogne to Dover on the eve of Armistice Day 1920. Presented by Cdr. J.D.R. Davies, M.B.E., R.N. Remembrance Sunday 1990" A postcard of the grave is available from the Abbey shop. Photographs of the pictures shown on this page can be purchased from Westminster Abbey Library. Sir Cecil Smith's account of the re-burial of the three unselected bodies is in Westminster Abbey Library. Field of Remembrance The annual Field of Remembrance outside the Abbey was started in 1928 by Major George Howson M.C., founder of the British Legion Poppy Factory. He and a few disabled ex-servicemen stood together around a battlefield cross with trays of paper poppies to sell to passers by who could then plant one beside the cross to remember the fallen.

The Legion organizes the much expanded plot each year and all proceeds go to their poppy appeal for veterans. In recent years the late Queen Mother and the Duke of Edinburgh have most often attended the opening ceremony. Prince Harry attended in 2014. The familiar words spoken at the dedication of the Field are from Laurence Binyon's poem "For the Fallen" - "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them." Candle-lit Vigil 2014 On 4 August 2014 at 10pm a service with a candle-lit vigil of prayer and reflection was held at the grave to commemorate the start of the First World War in 1914.

Service paper for A Solemn Commemoration on the Centenary of the Outbreak of the First World War (PDF, 1 MB) Vigil for the centenary of the Battle of the Somme 2016 Service paper for A Service and Vigil on the Eve of the Centenary of the Battle of the Somme (PDF, 713KB) Lighting of the Belgian Torch In November 1945 the Dean of Westminster was asked to re-kindle the Belgian Torch of Remembrance, which had been extinguished by the Nazis during the occupation, at the grave of the Unknown Warrior. This was then taken back to Brussels to the Belgian Unknown Warrior's grave. Each year since then a short ceremony has been held in the Abbey for the lighting of the torch. It is now called the British Torch of Remembrance. Further reading and service papers "The Unknown Warrior and the Field of Remembrance" by James Wilkinson (new edition 2013) is available from the Westminster Abbey shop.

The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery fire First World War guns in Parliament Square, London, to mark the end of the vigil at the grave of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey | Battle of the Somme anniversary, in pictures - News News The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery fire First World War guns in Parliament Square, London, to mark the end of the vigil at the grave of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey Credit: Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA © Telegraph Media Group Limited 2017 Your support makes a big difference In order to bring you award-winning content and investigative journalism from your favourite writers, we rely on revenue generated by advertising. Please consider supporting us by turning off your ad blocker. Just a couple of clicks will make a big difference. Thank you. Unknown Warrior of World War I (British) - Find A Grave Memorial Unknown Warrior of World War I (British) Death: unknown On November 11, 1920, the body of a World War I British unknown soldier, sailor or airman, was drawn in a procession to the Cenotaph.

In ceremonies at the war memorial on Whitehall, King George V honored the unknown warrior and the body was then taken to Westminster Abbey where it was buried at the west end of the nave. The text inscribed on the tomb: 'They buried him among the Kings, because he had done good toward God and toward his house' is from the Bible (2 Chronicles 24:16). The memorial site which an estimated 1,250,000 people view at the abbey, is now one of the most visited war graves in the world.

(bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith) Somme Vigil Is Held At The Grave Of The Unkown Warrior Photos and Images | Getty Images Somme Vigil Is Held At The Grave Of The Unkown Warrior July 01, 2016 License British Military personnel LBdr Walsh, LCpl Drury, LCpl Kinmond, Cpl Wolfe and Sgt...British Military personnel LBdr Walsh, LCpl Drury, LCpl Kinmond, Cpl Wolfe and Sgt Cohoon stand at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior during a vigil to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme at Westminster Abbey on July 1, 2016 in London, England. The overnight vigil is being held to remember those who died in the Battle of the Somme which began 100 years ago on July 1st 1916. Armies of British and French soldiers fought against the German Empire and over one million lives were lost. The Grave of the Unknown Warrior contains the body of an unidentified British solider from the First World War buried in French soil and covered with a Belgian marble slab.

LessMore Somme Vigil Is Held At The Grave Of The Unkown Warrior July 01, 2016 License A member of the military stands at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior during a vigil...A member of the military stands at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior during a vigil to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme at Westminster Abbey on July 1, 2016 in London, England. The overnight vigil is being held to remember those who died in the Battle of the Somme which began 100 years ago on July 1st 1916. Armies of British and French soldiers fought against the German Empire and over one million lives were lost. The Grave of the Unknown Warrior contains the body of an unidentified British solider from the First World War buried in French soil and covered with a Belgian marble slab.

LessMore Somme Vigil Is Held At The Grave Of The Unkown Warrior July 01, 2016 License Members of the British Navy stand at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior during a...Members of the British Navy stand at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior during a vigil to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme at Westminster Abbey on July 1, 2016 in London, England. The overnight vigil is being held to remember those who died in the Battle of the Somme which began 100 years ago on July 1st 1916. Armies of British and French soldiers fought against the German Empire and over one million lives were lost. The Grave of the Unknown Warrior contains the body of an unidentified British solider from the First World War buried in French soil and covered with a Belgian marble slab.

LessMore Somme Vigil Is Held At The Grave Of The Unkown Warrior July 01, 2016 License British Military personnel LBdr Walsh, LCpl Drury, LCpl Kinmond, Cpl Wolfe and Sgt...British Military personnel LBdr Walsh, LCpl Drury, LCpl Kinmond, Cpl Wolfe and Sgt Cohoon stand at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior during a vigil to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme at Westminster Abbey on July 1, 2016 in London, England. The overnight vigil is being held to remember those who died in the Battle of the Somme which began 100 years ago on July 1st 1916. Armies of British and French soldiers fought against the German Empire and over one million lives were lost. The Grave of the Unknown Warrior contains the body of an unidentified British solider from the First World War buried in French soil and covered with a Belgian marble slab.

LessMore Somme Vigil Is Held At The Grave Of The Unkown Warrior July 01, 2016 License Five members of the military and four civilians stand at the Grave of the Unknown...Five members of the military and four civilians stand at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior during a vigil to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme at Westminster Abbey on July 1, 2016 in London, England. The overnight vigil is being held to remember those who died in the Battle of the Somme which began 100 years ago on July 1st 1916. Armies of British and French soldiers fought against the German Empire and over one million lives were lost. The Grave of the Unknown Warrior contains the body of an unidentified British solider from the First World War buried in French soil and covered with a Belgian marble slab.

LessMore Somme Vigil Is Held At The Grave Of The Unkown Warrior July 01, 2016 License Members of the British Navy stand at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior during a...Members of the British Navy stand at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior during a vigil to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme at Westminster Abbey on July 1, 2016 in London, England. The overnight vigil is being held to remember those who died in the Battle of the Somme which began 100 years ago on July 1st 1916. Armies of British and French soldiers fought against the German Empire and over one million lives were lost. The Grave of the Unknown Warrior contains the body of an unidentified British solider from the First World War buried in French soil and covered with a Belgian marble slab.

LessMore Somme Vigil Is Held At The Grave Of The Unkown Warrior July 01, 2016 License A member of the public lights a candle during a vigil to commemorate the centenary...A member of the public lights a candle during a vigil to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme at Westminster Abbey on July 1, 2016 in London, England. The overnight vigil is being held to remember those who died in the Battle of the Somme which began 100 years ago on July 1st 1916. Armies of British and French soldiers fought against the German Empire and over one million lives were lost. The Grave of the Unknown Warrior contains the body of an unidentified British solider from the First World War buried in French soil and covered with a Belgian marble slab.

LessMore Somme Vigil Is Held At The Grave Of The Unkown Warrior July 01, 2016 License British Military personnel stand at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior during a vigil...British Military personnel stand at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior during a vigil to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme at Westminster Abbey on July 1, 2016 in London, England. The overnight vigil is being held to remember those who died in the Battle of the Somme which began 100 years ago on July 1st 1916. Armies of British and French soldiers fought against the German Empire and over one million lives were lost. The Grave of the Unknown Warrior contains the body of an unidentified British solider from the First World War buried in French soil and covered with a Belgian marble slab.

LessMore Somme Vigil Is Held At The Grave Of The Unkown Warrior July 01, 2016 License A member of the public lights a candle during a vigil to commemorate the centenary...A member of the public lights a candle during a vigil to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme at Westminster Abbey on July 1, 2016 in London, England. The overnight vigil is being held to remember those who died in the Battle of the Somme which began 100 years ago on July 1st 1916. Armies of British and French soldiers fought against the German Empire and over one million lives were lost. The Grave of the Unknown Warrior contains the body of an unidentified British solider from the First World War buried in French soil and covered with a Belgian marble slab.

LessMore Somme Vigil Is Held At The Grave Of The Unkown Warrior July 01, 2016 License A member of the military stands at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior during a vigil...A member of the military stands at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior during a vigil to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme at Westminster Abbey on July 1, 2016 in London, England. The overnight vigil is being held to remember those who died in the Battle of the Somme which began 100 years ago on July 1st 1916. Armies of British and French soldiers fought against the German Empire and over one million lives were lost. The Grave of the Unknown Warrior contains the body of an unidentified British solider from the First World War buried in French soil and covered with a Belgian marble slab. LessMore

Question: Where in London would you find the Grave of the Unknown Warrior?
Answer: Westminster Abbey