On November 7th, 1920, in strictest secrecy, four unidentified British bodies were exhumed from temporary battlefield cemeteries at Ypres, Arras, the Asine and the Somme.
None of the soldiers who did the digging were told why.
The bodies were taken by field ambulance to GHQ at St-Pol-Sur-Ter Noise. Once there, the bodies were draped with the union flag.
Sentries were posted and Brigadier-General Wyatt and a Colonel Gell selected one body at random. The other three were reburied.
A French Honour Guard was selected and stood by the coffin overnight of the chosen soldier.
On the morning of the 8th November, a specially designed coffin made of oak from the grounds of Hampton Court arrived and the Unknown Warrior was placed inside.
On top was placed a crusaders sword and a shield on which was inscribed:
"A British Warrior who fell in the GREAT WAR 1914-1918 for King and Country".
On the 9th of November, the Unknown Warrior was taken by horse-drawn carriage through Guards of Honour and the sound of tolling bells and bugle calls to the quayside.
There, he 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 Warrior was met with a nineteen gun salute - something that was normally only reserved for Field Marshals.
A special train had been arranged and he was then conveyed to Victoria Station, London.
He remained there overnight, and, on the morning of the 11th of November, he was finally taken to Westminster Abbey.
The idea of the unknown warrior 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 Warrior 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, on the 11th of November, we remember the Unknown Warrior.
Let's hope we don't need to honor any new boys and girls who pay the ultimate price.
Plenty from our pasts that were wasted in meatgrinder of wars.
Syl said
Oct 27 1:03 AM, 2021
Maddog wrote:
Let's hope we don't need to honor any new boys and girls who pay the ultimate price.
Plenty from our pasts that were wasted in meatgrinder of wars.
Sadly I think that's wishful thinking.
Do many people wear a remembrance poppy in the US.
Maddog said
Oct 27 1:37 AM, 2021
Syl wrote:
Maddog wrote:
Let's hope we don't need to honor any new boys and girls who pay the ultimate price.
Plenty from our pasts that were wasted in meatgrinder of wars.
Sadly I think that's wishful thinking.
Do many people wear a remembrance poppy in the US.
Nah. That's a British thing.
We do veterans day on the 11th.
We honor our war dead on the last Monday of May.
John Doe said
Oct 27 3:01 AM, 2021
The thing is if you asked any about stuff to WW2 veterans in my family (and only if you badgered them, my Grandad and Grandma refused to say anything and they were fighting from the age of 18) that they hardly talked at all about such things - ever.
I truly wish now all my grandparents would have shared more when they could because it haunts me but I know it was far too painful for them to repeat and I only found about the above later.
God bless them all and the last surviving veterans. XXX
-- Edited by John Doe on Wednesday 27th of October 2021 03:02:13 AM
Vita said
Oct 27 7:49 AM, 2021
Poppies are a rather contentious issue where i live but i always wear mine with pride.
100 years of the Poppy this year and Poppy Scotland have a lot of nice ones on sale and i bought two (Rangers one and a general Poppy one) and i bought Daze a Poppy Collar.
Let's hope we don't need to honor any new boys and girls who pay the ultimate price.
Plenty from our pasts that were wasted in meatgrinder of wars.
Sadly I think that's wishful thinking.
Do many people wear a remembrance poppy in the US.
Nah. That's a British thing.
We do veterans day on the 11th.
We honor our war dead on the last Monday of May.
Yeah I thought it was just a Brit thing, though there are many Brits abroad, I imagine they still wear the poppy wherever they are.
Syl said
Oct 27 7:33 PM, 2021
John Doe wrote:
The thing is if you asked any about stuff to WW2 veterans in my family (and only if you badgered them, my Grandad and Grandma refused to say anything and they were fighting from the age of 18) that they hardly talked at all about such things - ever.
I truly wish now all my grandparents would have shared more when they could because it haunts me but I know it was far too painful for them to repeat and I only found about the above later.
God bless them all and the last surviving veterans. XXX
-- Edited by John Doe on Wednesday 27th of October 2021 03:02:13 AM
It was of it's time that people didn't talk about their bravery...the stiff upper lip and all that.
My grandad and dad fought in the 2 world wars. I know my dad had medals for bravery, but when he left he took them, so I never found out the history behind them.
John Doe said
Oct 27 7:40 PM, 2021
Syl wrote:
John Doe wrote:
The thing is if you asked any about stuff to WW2 veterans in my family (and only if you badgered them, my Grandad and Grandma refused to say anything and they were fighting from the age of 18) that they hardly talked at all about such things - ever.
I truly wish now all my grandparents would have shared more when they could because it haunts me but I know it was far too painful for them to repeat and I only found about the above later.
God bless them all and the last surviving veterans. XXX
-- Edited by John Doe on Wednesday 27th of October 2021 03:02:13 AM
It was of it's time that people didn't talk about their bravery...the stiff upper lip and all that.
My grandad and dad fought in the 2 world wars. I know my dad had medals for bravery, but when he left he took them, so I never found out the history behind them.
Yes Syl, it would be interesting to hear all the stories but as you say that generation kept their experiences to themselves.
Maddog said
Oct 27 8:49 PM, 2021
Syl wrote:
Maddog wrote:
Syl wrote:
Maddog wrote:
Let's hope we don't need to honor any new boys and girls who pay the ultimate price.
Plenty from our pasts that were wasted in meatgrinder of wars.
Sadly I think that's wishful thinking.
Do many people wear a remembrance poppy in the US.
Nah. That's a British thing.
We do veterans day on the 11th.
We honor our war dead on the last Monday of May.
Yeah I thought it was just a Brit thing, though there are many Brits abroad, I imagine they still wear the poppy wherever they are.
I think the Canadiens do it. But I only know one of them and haven't seen her in awhile.
Syl said
Oct 28 12:02 AM, 2021
I dont know any Canadians, so I cant comment.
Magica said
Nov 5 9:04 PM, 2021
I always watch the service at the Cenataph. No men should die in a war.
I always remember them and I'm struck so much by the 1st world war. Such a pointless war, not that any war has a point, but that war all because Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated, a man who thousands never heard of, men and boys were sent off to France to fight in the trenches.
Thousands slaughtered at the Somme and Ypres. Why? For what. They should never be forgotten, ever.
Up-to-date,, men and women who fought in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, anywhere in the world, must always be remembered aswell.
On November 7th, 1920, in strictest secrecy, four unidentified British bodies were exhumed from temporary battlefield cemeteries at Ypres, Arras, the Asine and the Somme.
None of the soldiers who did the digging were told why.
The bodies were taken by field ambulance to GHQ at St-Pol-Sur-Ter Noise. Once there, the bodies were draped with the union flag.
Sentries were posted and Brigadier-General Wyatt and a Colonel Gell selected one body at random. The other three were reburied.
A French Honour Guard was selected and stood by the coffin overnight of the chosen soldier.
On the morning of the 8th November, a specially designed coffin made of oak from the grounds of Hampton Court arrived and the Unknown Warrior was placed inside.
On top was placed a crusaders sword and a shield on which was inscribed:
"A British Warrior who fell in the GREAT WAR 1914-1918 for King and Country".
On the 9th of November, the Unknown Warrior was taken by horse-drawn carriage through Guards of Honour and the sound of tolling bells and bugle calls to the quayside.
There, he 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 Warrior was met with a nineteen gun salute - something that was normally only reserved for Field Marshals.
A special train had been arranged and he was then conveyed to Victoria Station, London.
He remained there overnight, and, on the morning of the 11th of November, he was finally taken to Westminster Abbey.
The idea of the unknown warrior 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 Warrior 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, on the 11th of November, we remember the Unknown Warrior.
imdb.me/philipettington
-- Edited by Digger on Tuesday 26th of October 2021 06:53:48 PM
Plenty from our pasts that were wasted in meatgrinder of wars.
Sadly I think that's wishful thinking.
Do many people wear a remembrance poppy in the US.
Nah. That's a British thing.
We do veterans day on the 11th.
We honor our war dead on the last Monday of May.
The thing is if you asked any about stuff to WW2 veterans in my family (and only if you badgered them, my Grandad and Grandma refused to say anything and they were fighting from the age of 18) that they hardly talked at all about such things - ever.
I truly wish now all my grandparents would have shared more when they could because it haunts me but I know it was far too painful for them to repeat and I only found about the above later.
God bless them all and the last surviving veterans. XXX
-- Edited by John Doe on Wednesday 27th of October 2021 03:02:13 AM
Poppies are a rather contentious issue where i live but i always wear mine with pride.
100 years of the Poppy this year and Poppy Scotland have a lot of nice ones on sale and i bought two (Rangers one and a general Poppy one) and i bought Daze a Poppy Collar.
The Poppy collars sold out very quickly.
Yeah I thought it was just a Brit thing, though there are many Brits abroad, I imagine they still wear the poppy wherever they are.
It was of it's time that people didn't talk about their bravery...the stiff upper lip and all that.
My grandad and dad fought in the 2 world wars. I know my dad had medals for bravery, but when he left he took them, so I never found out the history behind them.
Yes Syl, it would be interesting to hear all the stories but as you say that generation kept their experiences to themselves.
I think the Canadiens do it. But I only know one of them and haven't seen her in awhile.
I always remember them and I'm struck so much by the 1st world war. Such a pointless war, not that any war has a point, but that war all because Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated, a man who thousands never heard of, men and boys were sent off to France to fight in the trenches.
Thousands slaughtered at the Somme and Ypres. Why? For what. They should never be forgotten, ever.
Up-to-date,, men and women who fought in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, anywhere in the world, must always be remembered aswell.