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 overnight.
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.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.
🤩 @bbcstrictly will soon be back on our screens, so it's the perfect time to introduce you to Strictly LOROS. 🤩
Are you ready to put your dancing shoes on? Find out more about this exciting dancing event at https://t.co/Of4UcNqcTz. 👏
We're recruiting a Director for our Centre for Excellence. This is a brilliant opportunity to elevate the standing of LOROS as an academic and clinical centre of innovation and excellence.
Join us! Find out more 👇https://t.co/N4j2Z2t7O4 Closing date : Mon 2 Oct
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If there was s one question post Wales v Fiji, I'd love to understand why Wales got so may warnings after repeated infringements and Fiji had 1 infringement and an imidiate yellow.?
@davidflatman@TomShanklin
Thoughts?
Sunshine, beer gardens, pub news, music news, theatre news, family fun, rugby, football, pizza, Indian BBQ, Thai food, and more.
Yes, it's your pre-weekend update in the shape of our Cool As Leicester newsletter.
Have a little read.
➡️ https://t.co/xTAEhSQdVM
#leicester
Our hospital discharge grant is available to eligible unpaid carers aged 18+ looking after someone who is over 18 and has been discharged from hospital in the last 4 weeks. Find out more at https://t.co/GUCzXn5md8 or call VASL on 01858 468543; email [email protected]
Bring Back "Yes,Minister"
Forget Penny Mordaunt thinking we're living in the 1950s...
This ⏬️ is worth a few minutes of your time.
Sir Humphrey and a brilliant piece of comedy (close to the bone) on For and Against National Service ⏬️
😉👍🏼 https://t.co/qZpZdogb9U
In our supposedly cradle-to-grave NHS, only 25% of hospice care for children & only 33% for adults is government funded.
Imagine maternity, paediatric or ICU beds having to rely on car boot sales & charity fun runs.
Thank you @Chrisitv for highlighting.
https://t.co/73zM6uu1u1
My close friend has just sent me this… pls take a moment to read.
This is the effect the @Lionesses are having on our nation! Proud of the team ❤️🏴
#FIFAWWC
Remember we told you about Freemen’s Common Antiques Centre?
This treasure trove of vintage finds is closing down! They’ve been served notice so their last day will be 30 September. Make sure you pay them a visit as many of the stallholders have sales of up to 50% off.
📍 LE2
⏳Register your interest by noon TOMORROW (16 August) if you’d like to run a holiday club in Leicestershire this Winter.
We are awarding funding to organisations to offer a range of activities across Leicestershire for children
Find out more and apply👉https://t.co/8vhp9Ghzee
We’re looking for someone who will travel around America and regularly produce human-interest stories on politics, culture and society. Interested? Apply by September 3rd https://t.co/Jju0XlhPnZ
📣 We’re hiring! With the general election just around the corner, this is a rare opportunity to join The Guardian’s stellar (and very friendly) Westminster team. Join us! https://t.co/yTqVqChur6
*JOB ALERT* I'm looking for talented sports news editors to join the ESPN team in London. Must have previous experience working on a busy news desk and an extensive football knowledge. A second language would be a huge bonus. Email your CV to [email protected]
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