Inter-War, Europe,Unknown Warrior, 1920
1920Coffin of the Unknown Warrior
Westminster Abbey holds the grave of an unidentified soldier who was interred in 1920 as a way of honouring the unknown fallen of the First World War. The selection of this Unknown Warrior was a seminal event in the history of the commemoration of war. It saw the creation of a global figure of mythical status who would be at the heart of the process of mourning and remembrance that followed in the wake of the terrible losses of the recent conflict.
In 1916, Chaplain David Railton conceived the original idea for an Unknown Warrior following a moving encounter with a wooden cross on the Western Front, inscribed 'An Unknown British Soldier'. In August 1920, Railton wrote to Herbert Ryle, Dean of Westminster, to propose the idea. Ryle was inspired and approached both King George V and the Prime Minister, David Lloyd-George. The King was sceptical but Lloyd-George was enthusiastic and succeeded in winning him over. In mid-October a government committee was formed to plan the scheme and orders were issued to the Army commander in France to select a body for return to the United Kingdom for burial on Armistice day, just three weeks later.
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Australian Army Museum of Western Australia
Australian Army Museum of Western Australia
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