There was 1 poppy for every British and commonwealth life lost to the great war and it was done for the 100th anniversary. Probably one of the single greatest honours ever placed on a person, the soldier was literally buried amongst every king and queen of our country.
A grieving mother, wife, sister or child could file past the tomb of the warrior and in their hearts he might just be their loved one. This was the idea that inside the coffin could be your loved one, so he represented every grieving family.
@@meridianx9020 well that assumption disregards the millions of men who lost sons brothers fathers.. and possibly their wives and children in the blitz. Imagine surviving war and coming home to find your family is gone. This is the trouble with society nowadays. People just completely disregard the suffering men go thru
@@liamb8638 The Blitz was a different war. It is of course true that there would have been fathers grieving the loss of their sons following WW1, but a. there would have been a lot more women in mourning as the vast majority of those who died in the war were men and b. in 1920 it wasn't really the done thing for British men to show grief in public.
the idea was discussed in unison, afterwards the french done the same under l'arc de triumph, the idea being, if needs be a wife can claim their husband to be there in order to touch a pension
The French and Belgian people still respect the British and Empire (commonwealth) soldiers who gave their lives during the first World War. I can remember the uproar in France when some hooligan defaced one of the first world war cemeteries. and every night traffic is stopped and the last post is sounded at the Menim gate in Belgium. Covid did not stop the ceremony, it was reduced to a single bugler. Only German occupation stopped
The poppies at the end were placed in 2014 and were on display from 17th July to 11th November. The date picked was to commemorate 100 years from the first full day of Britain being in World War One, There were 888,246 of them. They were ceramic and each one represented the death of a British serviceman during WW1. Each night during the display, 180 names of the fallen were read out aloud. The names being picked by members of the public. The poppies were later sold, raising millions of pounds, which was then split between military service charities.
It is tradition for every Royal Bride to lay her bridal bouquet on top of the Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier, this started with Queen Consort Elizabeth, The Queen Mother laying her bouquet on the tomb in memory of her brother who died in the war and every Royal bride has honoured and kept that tradition since.
@jonathon goll. Also buried in the abbey are our great scientists (Sir Isaac Newton) and poets. There's a statue to William Wilberforce who, together with William Pitt (the youngest PM ever to serve in the UK), fought tirelessly his whole life to rid the world of the scourge of slavery.
Unlike in other countries that done the same and created a tomb of the unknown, only the British is Unknown Warrior instead of Soldier. This is because those 4 battlefields also contained the fallen from the Royal Flying Corps (the RAF) and from the Royal Naval Division, which was surplus sailors from the Royal Navy formed into Infantry Divisions for the trenches. So there is every chance that instead of the buried being a soldier, it could also be an airman or sailor hence warrior. Obviously the numbers are in the favour of it being a soldier but its another nice touch.
Both Canada and New Zealand call their 'Unknown' a warrior, rather than a soldier, for that very reason. Of course those two countries interred their Unknown Warrior at their respective national cenotaphs much more recently and so perhaps borrowed from the British experience. . Corporal Nathan Cirrilo, from the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders of Canada, was stabbed to death in 2014 by a cowardly terrorist whilst guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Ottawa.
In 2004 a WW1 New Zealander soldier was returned home for a state burial in our Tomb of the Unknown Warrior. I was one of thousands who filed past his coffin at at the lying in state. I am an ordinary Kiwi citizen, but ten years later, had the honour of publicly reciting the Prayer of the Oath of Honour at his tomb. It was the 100th anniversary of the death of my great uncle in France. For me, the man in that tomb was that uncle. It was a very emotional moment.
For as much shit we give the French, they really are our brothers. We thank you for allowing us this honour, and for treating them as one of your own, with the respect and dignity such circumstance deserves. The British do pomp and circumstance like no other, but the French gave us this with their hearts, we forever appreciate that.
Some of the most poignant words I read was during an incident when Queen Mary (George V's wife) was visiting the families of fallen soldiers at the end of the Great War. The families were chosen because they had lost five sons. Queen Mary spoke to Amy Beechy who had lost five of her eight sons that went to war. Queen Mary thanked her for immense sacrifice. Amy Beechy simply replied “It was no sacrifice, ma’am. I did not give them willingly.” The Late Queen's mother, when she got married just after WW1 stopped at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior and laid her wedding bouquet on it. It has been a tradition since then that every Royal bride has done the same
To understand the impact that the First World War had on the British population you just need to look at the war memorials that are in almost every town and village in the country. Out of the 43,551 towns and villages in the UK only 56 villages do not have war memorials, these are known as the "Thankful Villages" as they were the only ones who had all their young return alive.
I used to live in a town where they have a 'PALS' memorial. So many Pals died together in these Regiments, wiping out a generation of young men and devastated the town and their families. Such a terrible waste of life.
@@deeboneham2738 There are a few including an old movie of her story here for free on YT There is a statue close to Trafalgar Square to the side of the National Gallery and St Martins in the Fields Church
Chaplains in the Imperial armies during the Great War did, in fact, serve in the trenches. So this chaplain probably had had personal experience at the front. In fact 180 British chaplains died during that war.
My great -grandfather was a military chaplain in WWI and was at the Front. He used to run into No Man’s Land to save both British and German, and was at the Somme. He was also Royal Chaplain to King George V.
I tend to hold in despite anyone who wilfully and knowingly walks on anyone's grave, no matter the station - high or low - of the one buried. One day we all will be in the grave. For that alone, I treat all graveyards and cemeteries with utmost respect. The grave is the ultimate leveller. Only One has ever conquered it.
I thought I'd share this with you as I find it incredibly moving. The King placed a card atop the coffin before its journey to Westminster. The card read the following: 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
Fantastic. Lest we forget. Kudos to the British and the way they create tradition, pomp, pageantry (and festivity), and the thought and detail and wording that goes into every aspect of what they do. It's brilliant, poignant and so meaningful. God Bless those who fought for the world freedom that we enjoy the proceeds of today. Hopefully we don't lose it due to the tragedy and insanity of the current woke leadership that seems to exist in a superabundance in the West. God keep us safe. 🙏🙏🙏
@Nedra Sellayah. I think the current situation can be placed at the door of Russia's Vladimir Putin and his mad war-mongering which has escalated the price of Ukraine's wheat exports and caused huge fluctuations on the world oil and gas markets. It has caused the NATO countries to come together and provide billions worth of armaments to help Ukraine. This has come at the end of a Covid Pandemic which has slammed the world's population and its economies. Our government paid billions for the development of the vaccines and the distribution. The government paid people to stay home and not spread the virus. The cost to the NHS is astronomical.
I can tell by your response that you have no idea what the term "woke" is referring to. The right wing (MAGA) can't use the words "African America" so as not to appear racist. They substituted the word "woke" in order to deny the history of slavery and it's lasting legacy and further their racist policies while giving license to their followers to treat minorities as "less than equal". That is what that term really means. Just listen to the Republicans and their use of the word and the policies they are trying to enact and you'll understand this as well.
15:54.....there is no better piece of music for this nation, than that of Edward Elgar's Nimrod. When we pause, and remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. To me, there is no other piece of music that sounds so quintessentially British in its form, and so utterly perfect in remembering those who gave their lives in service past!
I have one of those poppies. I treasure it. When I visited the Shot At Dawn memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum (please visit if you can- it is a heart breaking, uplifting and beautiful place), I found a broken nameplate on the ground. I held it in my hand until I could give it to someone who could take care of it. Knowing that my poppy represented a soldier who died, I connected the name I carried to the poppy at home. William Hunter is always a guest at my table now. I don't know what he looked like, just that he was 19 years old. A terrified kid, traumatised from the horrors he'd seen, executed for 'desertion'.
In WW1 the British lost 6% of all adult men, but that wasn't the full story, we lost over 20% of our 16-25 year olds...that's one in five, so it was felt very keenly in the population, nearly every second family had someone killed in action.
Very moving video. If you’re ever in London, go to Westminster Abbey and visit the Tomb, it has a presence and power all of its own. As a side point, the US government awarded the unknown soldier the Congressional Medal of Honour, and in return, the U.K. government awarded the Victoria Cross to the US unknown soldier.
Anders Frederik Emil Victor Schau Lassen, VC, MC & Two Bars (22 September 1920 - 9 April 1945) was a highly decorated Danish soldier, who was the only non-Commonwealth recipient of the British Victoria Cross in the Second World War.
My great grandfather went over the top, 1st July 1916 at the Somme (one of six times he did that). He made it to the German lines and he and his mates were merciless to the enemy for what they went through getting there. His perspective was less sombre and tragic than what you tend to hear, he hated the Germans and was furious when the war ended with an armistice. It felt like a betrayal, they wanted to make the Kaiser and his people pay dearly. During the Blitz he didn't bother going to air-raid shelters, he just sat in his living room with a steel helmet. "The bastards didn't get me in the 14-18 war and they're not getting me now!" He used to say. Tough man, resilient as hell, hardened by the hardest of war experiences. That's a true reflection of how many WW1 veterans felt, they wanted to march into Berlin itself for revenge.
I'm from a small town in the north of England and in the high school I went to they have a memorial with the names every single person who served in WW1 who either was a student or worked at the school, out of the 92 men named on that memorial only 3 returned, every year on remembrance day the names of all 92 was read out and a poppy wreath was laid down.
So once selected at random, the soldier was: 1) watched over by a French legion; 2) were piped aboard HMS Verdun using an Admiral's salute 3) were piped aboard HMS Verdun using an Admiral's salute 4) taken with an escort of 6 battleships (that's A LOT of firepower) across the Channel 5) taken to Westminster Abbey past thousands of people 6) past the Cenotaph, a memorial to 1.1 million dead, killed during WW1 7) honoured with a wreath laid by the King 8) received by 100 recipients of the VC - only 1358 people have EVER received this medal 9) met by 100 widows from the Great War 10) respected by a 7 MILE queue of mourners This was, in all probability, a volunteer - just a person of no import who sacrificed his life, and was so honoured that to this day no-one EVER steps upon his tomb. Thankyou for covering this.
HMS Verdun was chosen as it was named after a French victory, after a very hard battle, in WWI. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission, who look after the graves of fallen British military no matter where in the world they are, have a special department that tries to identify the bodies of unknown soldiers. If they are able to do this they attempt to contact descendants of the deceased so that they can be present at the re burial. Even for those who died in WWI. The poppy display was put in the moat for the 100 anniversary of the end of WWI. Just an additional fact regarding the Victoria Cross, each one is made out of bronze cannons captured during in the Crimea War (1846-1856)
Thank you for doing this video. I'm English and knew the story of the Unknown Warrior but not the small details. My grandfather was gassed in WW1. His lungs were badly damaged and I remember as a small child how he suffered terrible coughing fits. Such a kind man, never spoke of his experiences. My grandmother survived the Spanish Flu, it left her with white hair! That generation were so stoic. It's very humbling.
The poppies in the moat of the tower of London was the 100 yr anniversary. There were 888,246 handmade ceramic poppies, 1 for each fallen soldier in WW1. I am lucky enough to have one of the poppies, still covered in the dust and soil from the tower, as they were sold for charity. I would recommend you watch a video of our Remembrance Day at the Cenotaph which since the war commemorates all those who have fallen - Sunday nearest to the 11th November (I always cry). There are a few around. #LestWeForget
My great great grandfather disappered at Verdun. He was German, so I know that he isn't this unknown soldier. - But I understand the purpose of helping to give closure to all of those who could now tell themselves that this could be their father/son/brother, and he was honored and resting in peace.
You know that it doesn't matter what nation the soldiers were fighting for anyone who has been in a battle (let alone WAR) has earned respect n honour. So I hope you know he was still a HERO
@@Moody0013 I do appreciate what you are saying. But he was a milk man and amateur musician from Berlin, who made it less than 6 weeks from leaving basic training. He did what he could and gave his all. But I have a hard time imaging him as a hero. In my mind he is a tragic figure.
The rememberence ceremonies in the UK always ensure that we are remembering all who fell in war regardless of nationality. Your Great Grandfather fell for his country and that is sad and heroic. I hope that one day we will not have to remember anyone from the current generation.
@@hildajensen6263 please try to think of it more like it was his COUNTRY and his COMMANDING OFFICERS who failed HIM. Try to imagine the utter HORROR he (all of them from whatever country)must have had to overcome to even make it to the first reserve trenches with the sound of artillery alone and the smells is something that nobody ever seems to think of but you had bodies and body parts animal carcasses dead and rotting and then back then the person giving him the orders was miles away living it up. He faced a fear that people don't think about. Hey and also on a lighter note I wish we still had milkmen like it used to be!! (Shit I just turned into my dad again)🤦♂️
I find your reverence , respect and most importantly your warrior’s understanding of the nature and gravity of the Unknown Soldier and its importance to the whole country and all other countries similar tributes ,to be absolutely moving .I salute you sir , you have made me proud to be British again and I thank you for that . 👍🏴
If you ever visit the UK you will find in all towns and villages a war memorial listing the names of the dead from those places. More often than not you will see the same surnames crop up. The sheer number of names on those memorials is chilling beyond belief when you consider the size of the places and the likely populations at the time. On my mothers side those men who did manage to return were in no fit state to work again, my great grandfather had been gassed and his brothers either shot to pieces or blown up. That war was as horrifying as anything I can imagine and god forbid it ever happened again. This country has never recovered from either of those wars properly. The memorials in the streets or in the churches give you a real sense of just how barbaric the world wars were. Although I appreciate there are times when it is necessary to fight in order to maintain freedom and decency and I certainly have the utmost respect for those who fight to preserve our way of life, it is a sad indictment of human nature that these things happen.
It's not just the towns and villages. Go into so many of the older, larger shops, (companies like the Co-op) or the railway stations and you can find plaques naming men from 'this store' or 'this station' who gave their lives in the 'Great War' with underneath added those of WW11. This was personal, affecting everyone.
My school had a big board that covered a wall with hundreds of names on it. It seems that several forms worth of pupils were wiped out entirely. I used to wonder what they were like they had sat in the same desks as me and then been killed most were only 18-19.
There are a few who don't - known as thankful.villagea as everyone who left came home. My grandfathers father is from one - Woolley - they do have two plaques instead in the church - one celebrating the 13 who went to fight in WW1 and one the 15 in WW2 as they are one of the 15 doubly thankful villages
As a Brit in my early 50s, although I knew of the Cenotaph and of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Westminster Abbey I knew nothing of the story behind it. You live you learn and this was so moving.
My grandfather fought in the Boer War and in the First World War in which he was decorated for bravery in the trenches and ended the war as a Company Sergeant-Major (WO2). His youngest sibling Frank, eleven years his junior, who emigrated to Canada in 1911 to join some others of his brothers and sisters there, joined the Central Ontario Regiment quite voluntarily in 1914, was shipped back over the Atlantic, called in briefly for a reunion with his parents, and early in 1915 was killed in action. He lies under a maple leaf marker in a military cemetery near Ypres. My grandfather escaped with a machine gun bullet through his arm with the loss of the use of two fingers. My late mother, who was born three years after her uncle died, was brought up with memories of ‘Uncle Frank’. The fact that I knew my grandfather in some way links me with that dreadful war in more ways than just reading about it, but thank God I never experienced in my life what one writer called his memories of the trenches: decomposing flesh and chloride of lime.
@@Jordy120 Very poignant mate isn't it. Especially when the narrator mentioned about the 100 Women who had lost their Husbands and all their Sons. Imagine that, how would you go on with life. Very sad and very grateful for their sacrifices.
I am a patriotic American and know my history of our tomb of the unknown soldier. The was an eye opener for me especially since I love history. I was very moved by this video and cried at the end.
The stone which made the Cenotaph came from a quarry on Portland, Dorset. The quarry was opened to mine the stone, and then shut again. No more stone shall come from it.
The original Cenotaph was made from wood and plaster. Designed by Lutyens it was meant to be a temporary structure. But it found its place in the heart of the nation. It was then produced, as you say, in Portland stone.
They are ceramic Poppies 17:22 when they were first made the Poppies did a tour of the U.K. I saw them at Carlisle Castle!! I have also been to the Tomb of the unknown Warrior. I cried coming from a military family! I am crying now!!
The poppies were for a 100 years since the war. I went to see it as live an hour away. One of the most amazing sights I’ve ever seen. So proud of my country and how we show respect to our forces x
Once again Sir, your humility and respect shine through. The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior has huge significance. With so many of the dead having no known grave, this tomb gave mourning relatives a place to go where they could believe, due to him being unknown, that it was the final resting place of their loved one. May he continue to rest peacefully amongst the kings, and may those who never made it home rest peacefully beneath the lands they fought to free for eternity.
UK - I had never seen this film before and it was a pleasure to watch it with you as we followed it in respectful awe. I shed tears too. The poppies were ceramic and quite large 5-6" across for the flower and 18" high approx
I took a trip to Belgium with my father to see the war graves from the first world war there. We went to the menin gate in Ypres. The whole inside of this huge structure is covered in names of soldiers whos bodies were never found. It was mind blowing. So many boys who were never properly put to rest. I think of them when I see the tomb of the unknown soldier.
My granddad's name is on that gate. He left a wife and three children. My grandma also lost both her brothers.They lived in a little village in Mid Wales. Her loss was not uncommon and her story was that of families in many countries. She never got to visit Ypres , because at that time for people like her it would have been like visiting the moon.I still have his garden spades and some tools he had made himself.
@@sinbin001 It is so important that we keep their memory and stories alive .I think that is why I keep my grandad's old garden tools.He made some of them himself and I think of the plans he had to use them, the garden that he planted to feed his young family ,but never returned to. I am an old lady myself now and will be passing them on and hope that they will continue to be treasured .Simple things of no monetary value, but a little window into the plans he had for his daily life, that were so cruelly cut short. He went through it all ,so close to making it home, but killed in February 1918.
@@twpsy634 I take my children to remembrance Sunday every year 12 year old twin boys and 8 year old daughter. I want them to understand and show respect and remember the sacrifices our brave soldiers who were killed or injured in combat. My daughter is in sea cadets and today she is of to visit where the poppies are made .
One of the newer traditions started by the queen mother in memory of her brother who was Kia in ww1 is the bridal bouquet from royal weddings is placed on the tomb, the losses for the UK (and Germany and France) were horrific, 12.5 % of those who served in the British military died, among officers the death rate was higher, Eton had a death rate of 20%, the UK population in 1913 was 19 million, 880,000 men were KIA, it would be like if the USA had a war today and had 17 million KIA in four years, those of us who are getting on in age all had one or two Great aunts who never married because there were no men for them to marry, the census n 1921 recorded 109 females for every 100 men
All those nations who fought in the two world wars, no matter the side, lost so many of the best, brightest, and bravest of their sons. No wonder our nations are in the state they are today. If none of that had happened, how much better would our moral state be now, I wonder. Maybe I'm being to generous. Or maybe I'm on the money. All the same: it was all such a bloody waste of life. I'm not saying that they shouldn't have gone to fight - especially in regards to the Second World War. I'm saying that I simply wish the REASON hadn't been there in the first place. God rest them. And we shall remember them.
I'm from New Zealand, my Grandfather signed up in 1914 when he was 16, he'd signed up with 2 older brothers and a cousin and Uncle, they were all shipped off to Gallipoli, of the 5 only my Grandfather survived the Campaign, 1916 he along with the rest of the New Zealand Division were sent to France where he fought on the Somme, 1917 he fought at Messine and took part in both of New Zealands attacks for Passchendale, including the disastrous attack of 12th October 1917, in which he was wounded, it's still the blackest day in New Zealands history. He recovered from his wounds and took part in the effort to stop the German Spring Offensive of 1918, where he lost another brother. My Grandfather survived the War, of my Great Grandmother's 4 sons, my Grandfather was the only one to survive. Out of 6 members of the family including the cousin and Uncle, my Grandfather was the lone surviver. I lost another relative on my Father's side killed at Gallipoli. New Zealand with a population of 1.1 million in 1914, suffered nearly 19 thousand killed plus nearly 42 thousand killed out of 100 thousand that served. It was an horrific war. The Countries populations still hadn't recovered by the time WWII came around.
Don't forget the "Pals Battalions", made up of the whole fighting age young men of some towns. Mike Harding made a song called "The Accrington Pals", which highlights this.
@@ronstreet6706 I was just pointing out that where 12.5% of British servicemen were killed, it was 19% of New Zealand servicemen, in total 60% of New Zealand servicemen were killed or wounded.
@@bevanfletcher6563 I was posting a comment to the original poster. I have great respect for the ANZACS, and meant no offence. God bless New Zealand and Australia for the sacrifices of so many of their men, in both world wars.
As an Englishman I didn't know that a Medieval Crsuaders Sword was placed on top of the coffin. I found the whole video including the reaction very moving. Bought a lump to my throat. Thank you for showing so much respect and understanding.
TY Mate for this reaction, he was also awarded The Victoria Cross, The French Légion d'honneur & Croix de Guerre and later with The Congressional Medal of Honour. It is also nice to know that every royal bride places her bouquet on the tomb after her wedding in Westminster Abbey. Keep Safe Keep Strong 🦘🦘🦘🦘❤❤
I am from England and i didn't know the history BEHIND the tomb, I understood the representation. I had never seen that footage either. So thank you for showing it
This is so moving it would make a glass eye cry. Having been to the abbey and stood in front of the warriors tomb i can say it is humbling RIP. known unto god.
Pre pandemic I traveled to france to visit the graves of my grandmothers brothers. One died on the first day of the somme after surviving Gallipoli. Another died a week before the end of the war at the age of 18 years after surviving being gassed twice. The war grave commission do a great job keeping the graves and keeping records. thank you.
I had the honour of visiting the Tomb of the Uknown Warrior at Arlington. Let me tell you, even the most cynical remains silent. As a serving member of the RAF I sat awed by the perfection of the soldiers who paraded. They were step perfect. I hope one day someone, for some reason will be as respectful for me or my family.
It's kind of unbelievable nowadays to hear how many of the French took part, the narrator casually mentions a thousand school children leading a march of a French division, which I believe was around 16,000 men, as an honour guard. Although it's far more understandable given how they had shared the losses and pain of losing loved ones and not knowing where they lay due to the Great War.
It is such a strange feeling knowing that the images we've just seen are just shy of a hundred two years old. As a Brit I knew about this but not the things I've learned today, so thank you for sharing this. My grandmother was 17yrs old at that time. She lost a cousin who is buried in France, and a brother who was a motorcycle messenger that one day never arrived with his message. His name is on the memorial wall in Jerusalem. I'm 51 and I still get chocked up when I think about all the lives that were lost on both sides, and for what? The world is a mess!
In 2016 I, with my mum, sister and brother in law, went to Northern France, we stayed in Arras, and visited, among many sites and museums, the Thiepval memorial, where 100 years later, there were daily services marking the battle of the Somme. The Thiepval memorial records the names of over 72,000 British and Commonwealth men, who have "no known grave" (One of my great uncles being one of them) it is just one of many such memorials. On arrival at the car park, there where many sculptured mounds of earth, each had many thousands of small wooden crossed with a poppy in the centre, as I walked around them, the vista was astounding, every square metre of ground was covered in hundreds of them, it was a littoral sea of crosses and poppies. Tears flooded my eyes and a choke ruined my voice, such that I had to hide my embarrassment from my family for several minutes before I could speak. I have not seen the tomb of the unknown soldier, but I know if I did, it would invoke the same emotions I had that day!
I never knew either of my grandfathers. Both of them volunteered and joined up in November 1914, both were gassed on the Somme, and after a period in hospital, both were sent back to serve throughout the rest of the war. They were eventually demobbed in 1920 and lived the remainder of their lives with damaged lungs. My maternal grandfather died aged 50 in 1940, my paternal grandfather died aged 36 in 1931, and the name of one of his friends from the same village is among the more than 72,000 names engraved on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme. The memorial also records the names of four lads who lived in the street where I now live, and I have an anonymous photograph of several unnamed soldiers standing in front of my house - perhaps those same lads, though there were no doubt others who returned here from the war either with damaged bodies or mental scars.
Hi, from a UK Veteran, thank you for such a splendid reaction. There is another, quite similar video, about the unknown warrior that you, as an ex marine might like, from the Mountbatten Festival of Music at the Royal Albert Hall which is superbly accompanied by the best military band in the world, namely the band of H.M. Royal Marines. Their music just adds another level to the story. There is also a video all about the poppy display at the Tower of London which is also well worth watching. UK Vet 🫡
The Unknown Warrior was awarded the US Medal of Honor. The medal was personally handed over by General Pershing and is mounted on a pillar near the tomb in Westminster Abbey.
@CK George1989 that is correct. There has only been five US medal of honors awarded to military personnel that were not US military personnel and that was five unknown Warriors from World War I from the five countries who fought alongside the US. Each of those countries gave the Unknown Soldier from the US the highest military honor from their countries as well.
Following every Royal wedding it has become the tradition that the royal bride leaves her bridal bouquet at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which began with the Queen Mother and takes place the day after the wedding. The Queen Mother laid hers there in 1923 after her wedding to the Duke of York, who later became King George VI. Every Royal bride since has continued this tradition as a mark of respect to those who have sacrificed their lives in war.
Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother had Four Brothers who served in the Black Watch, Fergus was killed at Loo's 1915, the eldest, Lord Glamis, was invalided out and a younger, Michael, was a PoW. The ancestral home Glamis Castle was a convalescence home for wounded where the young Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon served.
When I visit France, I try to stop off at a small Graveyard at Monchy Le Preux where a Great Uncle that I never knew is buried. In my home village there were several men who bore the visible scars of that terrible war. It was a war that affected the UK in a way that US citizens can only imagine, with its scale of loss. The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior meant so much to my mothers and grandparents generation.
The poppy display at the Tower of London was truly amazing and so moving, I ‘bought’ two poppies from the display, monies going to the Royal British Legion.
My great-grandfather was wounded three times on the Somme. His brothers body is one of over 20,000 never found. The idea of the unknown soldier is he is everyone's son. Grans-dad served in both wars too.
That is the same gun carriage that was used for Queen Elizabeth's funeral. Yes, the poppy display was part of the centenary commemoration .. one handmade ceramic poppy for every soldier who fell in the Great War. I am old enough that WWI veterans were reasonably numerous until I was in my late twenties. I was in the forces, both my parents served in WWII and all four of my grandparents were in the thick of it in WWI - my grandmothers as nurses in field hospitals and my grandfathers in the trenches with the British and Canadian expeditionary forces respectively. The thing that always struck me about the veterans of WWI is how reluctant they almost invariably were to talk about it - a trait I have never encountered in veterans of subsequent campaigns/wars (the one exception to that being the survivors of the Japanese POW camps of WWII). I am not even capable of imagining the mental scars they lived with.
Not long now until our remembrance day , the service in the royal Albert Hall is very moving especially when the war widows walk in gets me so emotional every time .
Yes, they were handmade poppies. All slightly different and each unique, which is symbolic in itself. I bought one and proudly have it here at my home, in the uk.
Oh and it's Trafalgar Day today!! 21st October!! Do a video on that. There's more to life than the infantry and on a warship, there are no slit trenches to hide in x
My grandfather was an Old Contemptible - he joined right that the beginning served in Europe to the end. He was a Blacksmith and Farrier and kept the horses going. Knowing his love of horses it must have been a heartbreaking job.
When there’s a Royal wedding the Royal bride after the ceremony and on their way out of Westminster Abbey the bride leaves her bouquet on the tomb of the unknown soldier.
Your description of this as remarkable is spot on. I had no idea this huge amount of respect was paid at the time. I knew it was important, but this is incredible.
The Poppy display at the Tower of London was to mark 100 years since the start of WW1. Each Poppy represented 1 British military fatality during the war (888 246)
The Victoria Cross is the equivalent to the Medal of Honor. 16:24 Each poppy you see represents a soldier killed during WW1. 888,246 poppies. I watched a tv program Inside the Tower of London and we got to see them place the poppies in the moat. The queen placed the last poppy in the ground.
I’m 61 and in the UK my father a WWII Marine and brother a Special Services Marine and didn’t know this history! I was deeply moved by the dedication, respect and ceremony afforded this unknown soldier on behalf of all who served in this horrific conflict. Thanks for enlighten me.
The world, time and time again owes so much to those poor yet brave nameless people that stood so tall and gave their lives. Names we may never know or ever appreciate.. This is the time to reflect, the time to take a moment in our busy lives to, for one brief second to remember that the only reason we are actually able to do this one small thing is because of all those brave nameless people……. Respect. Honour. And our true thanks.
An important aspect to consider in the meaning behind the tomb is the nature of warfare having changed in WWI. The advent of trench warfare and the advancement in the use of artillery meant that for the first time in history there were hundred of thousands if not millions of relatives who had no closure, no body to burry, no funeral with military honours. Just an explosion and an empty chair at the dinner table. This represented a focal point they could visit to say goodbye.
The gravestone is right inside the main door so even princes and monarchs have walk around it. There are many graves of royals in there which are walked on by anyone.
@classicmoviesandmore yup it's why for example during the queen's funeral the coffin did a bit of a side step to avoid walking over the tomb of the unknown soldier
Even the monuments throughout the World,should never be stepped on.I have told people,who were actually sitting on the steps,of a monument,in Manchester,to get off,and show respect.
The thing is, if you lost somebody in this war, it MIGHT be the unknown warrior, that's another subtle point about this, it could be YOUR great grandfather's or uncle's grave that you're visiting and paying respects to, nobody will ever know, but you can have hope and faith that it is.
Their was a Scottish woman who lost 5 sons, 3 in combat and 2 after the war finished through guilt of not fighting, she used to go down to the train station every day and sit and wait, the station master asked why she sat there every day, she said I'm waiting for my boys to come home. Truly heartbreaking and I cry just writing this
My great grandparents took my Nan to see the burial of the Unknown Warrior as they believed it could’ve been one of the 2 sons they lost in the Great War. The sad thing is that, after researching the records, I found my Gt Grandad knew that the body of his 2nd son to be killed had been found but kept up the pretence he was ‘just’ missing as my Gt Nan’s mental state couldn’t cope with knowing she’d lost both her sons. I’ve managed to visit both my Gt Uncles graves (1 in Ypres & 1 in Holnon) but I’ve still got another 9 family military graves to visit.
Thanks for reacting to my recommendation, of a video about the "Tomb of the Unknown Warrior", you requested a while back. I watched several, but this was by far the best.
I have no direct ties to WW1 other than my Great Grandfather fought, yet upon seeing the tomb of the unknown warrior in person, I felt a wave of emotion come over me. Good video & done respectfully.
Excellent. I was aware of how the body was chosen but the details after that were new to me and it certainly gives me a much greater appreciation of the significance of the Tomb.
Thank you for sharing this video! It was very informative. I'm an American and did not know the background or significance. I'm awed by the planning, the documentation, the honor and respect paid by those in attendance. And well deserved. Thank you!
Your channel is great and I so appreciate the work that you put into these videos. You'll find it interesting to know, in addition to all of the symbolism that went into the design of The Tomb of The Unknown Warrior, that the actual location of the tomb is directly in the center of the main entrance to Westminster Abbey. If you watch any videos of services at the Abbey, from Services of Thanksgiving to Royal Weddings, you'll notice that there is no way to come through the main entrance of the Abbey without walking around the Tomb, serving as a constant reminder to those, be them Kings, Queens, Clergy or laypeople, of the importance of the Unknown Warrior. Keep up the good work, and God Save The King!
The Unknown Warrior was bestowed the Congressional Medal of Honor in an act of reciprocation after the British bestowed the Victoria Cross on the US Unknown Soldier. During the royal wedding of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother which took place in Westminster Abbey she laid her bridal bouquet on the tomb. Since then after each royal wedding the brides bouquet has been placed on the tomb. The Queen Mother lost her brother in the Battle of Loos in 1915.
There was 1 poppy for every British and commonwealth life lost to the great war and it was done for the 100th anniversary.
Probably one of the single greatest honours ever placed on a person, the soldier was literally buried amongst every king and queen of our country.
The unknown soldier is everyone's father , son , brother , uncle , cousin , grandad , great grandad .
God bless em all , lest we forget.
A grieving mother, wife, sister or child could file past the tomb of the warrior and in their hearts he might just be their loved one. This was the idea that inside the coffin could be your loved one, so he represented every grieving family.
And of course for the male relative like fathers and brothers also grieving
@@liamb8638 I think for this war, the assumption may have been the male relatives died too.
@@meridianx9020 well that assumption disregards the millions of men who lost sons brothers fathers.. and possibly their wives and children in the blitz. Imagine surviving war and coming home to find your family is gone. This is the trouble with society nowadays. People just completely disregard the suffering men go thru
@@liamb8638 The Blitz was a different war. It is of course true that there would have been fathers grieving the loss of their sons following WW1, but a. there would have been a lot more women in mourning as the vast majority of those who died in the war were men and b. in 1920 it wasn't really the done thing for British men to show grief in public.
@@imbethondion4572 actually. He is a representation of unknown soldiers in ALL conflicts
The French gave full Respect to a British Fallen Soldier. Respect from a English man.
Agreed. o7
Their not so bad after all , immense respect to them .
Through gritted teeth I completely agree.
the idea was discussed in unison, afterwards the french done the same under l'arc de triumph, the idea being, if needs be a wife can claim their husband to be there in order to touch a pension
The French and Belgian people still respect the British and Empire (commonwealth) soldiers who gave their lives during the first World War. I can remember the uproar in France when some hooligan defaced one of the first world war cemeteries. and every night traffic is stopped and the last post is sounded at the Menim gate in Belgium. Covid did not stop the ceremony, it was reduced to a single bugler. Only German occupation stopped
As you watched the video of the Queen's funeral. Even her coffin went around the tomb. That is the respect in which it is held.
The poppies at the end were placed in 2014 and were on display from 17th July to 11th November. The date picked was to commemorate 100 years from the first full day of Britain being in World War One, There were 888,246 of them. They were ceramic and each one represented the death of a British serviceman during WW1. Each night during the display, 180 names of the fallen were read out aloud. The names being picked by members of the public. The poppies were later sold, raising millions of pounds, which was then split between military service charities.
That's fantastic! Thanks for that info
i went to see the display, it was bloody impressive
@@CombatArmsChannel I have one of those actual poppies in my front garden lit-up at night by two spotlights.
I have one of those poppies in my lounge
I've attended one such evening in 2014 during the invictus games.
It was immensely impressive.
Each one of those poppies planted in the Tower of London for the centenary of WW1, represents 1 life lost in the great war. 1 poppy=1 fallen hero
Therefore over 600,000 poppies
It is tradition for every Royal Bride to lay her bridal bouquet on top of the Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier, this started with Queen Consort Elizabeth, The Queen Mother laying her bouquet on the tomb in memory of her brother who died in the war and every Royal bride has honoured and kept that tradition since.
Remember that more of our Kings and Queens are buried in Westminster Abbey than anywhere else, so the Unknwon Warrior was indeed laid among Kings.
@jonathon goll. Also buried in the abbey are our great scientists (Sir Isaac Newton) and poets. There's a statue to William Wilberforce who, together with William Pitt (the youngest PM ever to serve in the UK), fought tirelessly his whole life to rid the world of the scourge of slavery.
Unlike in other countries that done the same and created a tomb of the unknown, only the British is Unknown Warrior instead of Soldier. This is because those 4 battlefields also contained the fallen from the Royal Flying Corps (the RAF) and from the Royal Naval Division, which was surplus sailors from the Royal Navy formed into Infantry Divisions for the trenches. So there is every chance that instead of the buried being a soldier, it could also be an airman or sailor hence warrior. Obviously the numbers are in the favour of it being a soldier but its another nice touch.
Both Canada and New Zealand call their 'Unknown' a warrior, rather than a soldier, for that very reason. Of course those two countries interred their Unknown Warrior at their respective national cenotaphs much more recently and so perhaps borrowed from the British experience. . Corporal Nathan Cirrilo, from the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders of Canada, was stabbed to death in 2014 by a cowardly terrorist whilst guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Ottawa.
British soldier here - this is essence for us. Really emotional watching this.
In 2004 a WW1 New Zealander soldier was returned home for a state burial in our Tomb of the Unknown Warrior. I was one of thousands who filed past his coffin at at the lying in state. I am an ordinary Kiwi citizen, but ten years later, had the honour of publicly reciting the Prayer of the Oath of Honour at his tomb. It was the 100th anniversary of the death of my great uncle in France. For me, the man in that tomb was that uncle. It was a very emotional moment.
For as much shit we give the French, they really are our brothers.
We thank you for allowing us this honour, and for treating them as one of your own, with the respect and dignity such circumstance deserves.
The British do pomp and circumstance like no other, but the French gave us this with their hearts, we forever appreciate that.
Thats crap we have saved the French in 2 woekd wars thay dont give a toss. Thay send every one over in rubber dinghies and dont keep tgem in France
But respect for the unknown soldier
A couple of years ago,her late majesty, turned up alone in a mask to lay a wreath at the tomb. It was classic E2R, understated and with great aplomb.
Some of the most poignant words I read was during an incident when Queen Mary (George V's wife) was visiting the families of fallen soldiers at the end of the Great War. The families were chosen because they had lost five sons.
Queen Mary spoke to Amy Beechy who had lost five of her eight sons that went to war. Queen Mary thanked her for immense sacrifice. Amy Beechy simply replied “It was no sacrifice, ma’am. I did not give them willingly.”
The Late Queen's mother, when she got married just after WW1 stopped at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior and laid her wedding bouquet on it. It has been a tradition since then that every Royal bride has done the same
The Queen Mother laid her wedding flowers there in memory of her brother David who was killed in the war.
@@Diamondmine212 Fergus, not David. He was killed at the Battle of Loos in 1915. David died in 1961.
To understand the impact that the First World War had on the British population you just need to look at the war memorials that are in almost every town and village in the country. Out of the 43,551 towns and villages in the UK only 56 villages do not have war memorials, these are known as the "Thankful Villages" as they were the only ones who had all their young return alive.
I used to live in a town where they have a 'PALS' memorial. So many Pals died together in these Regiments, wiping out a generation of young men and devastated the town and their families. Such a terrible waste of life.
@@beccabbea2511 It is the reason there were no 'Pals Battalions' in WW11. At least one lesson was learnt.
All commonwealth countries have similar memorials
Edith Cavell is a story also never to be forgotten. We owe so much to these generations.
Yes there must be a video about her.
@@deeboneham2738 There are a few including an old movie of her story here for free on YT There is a statue close to Trafalgar Square to the side of the National Gallery and St Martins in the Fields Church
I'm from Norwich where Edith is feom my kids go to Edith cavell school
There is a Mount Edith Cavell in Alberta, Canada, just south of the town of Jasper in the Rocky Mountains.
Chaplains in the Imperial armies during the Great War did, in fact, serve in the trenches. So this chaplain probably had had personal experience at the front. In fact 180 British chaplains died during that war.
My great -grandfather was a military chaplain in WWI and was at the Front. He used to run into No Man’s Land to save both British and German, and was at the Somme. He was also Royal Chaplain to King George V.
One of the most poignant moments of Queen Elizabeth's funeral was how the coffin and procession walked around the tomb rather than over it.
Nobody walks over it
Yes no matter who you are, dead or alive you have to go around it
There was nothing poignant about it. It's called respect.
I tend to hold in despite anyone who wilfully and knowingly walks on anyone's grave, no matter the station - high or low - of the one buried. One day we all will be in the grave. For that alone, I treat all graveyards and cemeteries with utmost respect. The grave is the ultimate leveller. Only One has ever conquered it.
@@Iluvantir Westminster Abbey has a LOT of graves in it - hence you have to walk on them, except this one. It makes it unique / special
I thought I'd share this with you as I find it incredibly moving. The King placed a card atop the coffin before its journey to Westminster.
The card read the following:
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
Wow. Where did you find that nugget of info?
Whoever he was or might have been before, he was treated quite literally, like a king. With the utmost, complete respect.
Fantastic. Lest we forget. Kudos to the British and the way they create tradition, pomp, pageantry (and festivity), and the thought and detail and wording that goes into every aspect of what they do. It's brilliant, poignant and so meaningful. God Bless those who fought for the world freedom that we enjoy the proceeds of today. Hopefully we don't lose it due to the tragedy and insanity of the current woke leadership that seems to exist in a superabundance in the West.
God keep us safe. 🙏🙏🙏
Great comment 👍
Your prayer emoji are ukranian flag colours.. ironic.
@Nedra Sellayah. I think the current situation can be placed at the door of Russia's Vladimir Putin and his mad war-mongering which has escalated the price of Ukraine's wheat exports and caused huge fluctuations on the world oil and gas markets. It has caused the NATO countries to come together and provide billions worth of armaments to help Ukraine. This has come at the end of a Covid Pandemic which has slammed the world's population and its economies. Our government paid billions for the development of the vaccines and the distribution. The government paid people to stay home and not spread the virus. The cost to the NHS is astronomical.
I can tell by your response that you have no idea what the term "woke" is referring to. The right wing (MAGA) can't use the words "African America" so as not to appear racist. They substituted the word "woke" in order to deny the history of slavery and it's lasting legacy and further their racist policies while giving license to their followers to treat minorities as "less than equal". That is what that term really means. Just listen to the Republicans and their use of the word and the policies they are trying to enact and you'll understand this as well.
15:54.....there is no better piece of music for this nation, than that of Edward Elgar's Nimrod. When we pause, and remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. To me, there is no other piece of music that sounds so quintessentially British in its form, and so utterly perfect in remembering those who gave their lives in service past!
Just hearing Nimrod always brings on tears. It just does, ok?
Me too.
I have one of those poppies. I treasure it.
When I visited the Shot At Dawn memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum (please visit if you can- it is a heart breaking, uplifting and beautiful place), I found a broken nameplate on the ground. I held it in my hand until I could give it to someone who could take care of it. Knowing that my poppy represented a soldier who died, I connected the name I carried to the poppy at home. William Hunter is always a guest at my table now. I don't know what he looked like, just that he was 19 years old. A terrified kid, traumatised from the horrors he'd seen, executed for 'desertion'.
❤️
In WW1 the British lost 6% of all adult men, but that wasn't the full story, we lost over 20% of our 16-25 year olds...that's one in five, so it was felt very keenly in the population, nearly every second family had someone killed in action.
Very moving video. If you’re ever in London, go to Westminster Abbey and visit the Tomb, it has a presence and power all of its own. As a side point, the US government awarded the unknown soldier the Congressional Medal of Honour, and in return, the U.K. government awarded the Victoria Cross to the US unknown soldier.
The VC to the US unknown soldier is the only VC ever awarded without a formal gazette of the citation, and the only VC given to a foreign recipient.
Wow didn't know that Thanks..
I was there two weeks ago and saw the Congressional Medal of Honor on display feet from the Unknown Warrior
Anders Frederik Emil Victor Schau Lassen, VC, MC & Two Bars (22 September 1920 - 9 April 1945) was a highly decorated Danish soldier, who was the only non-Commonwealth recipient of the British Victoria Cross in the Second World War.
I can only imagine, that the feeling is similar to our Tomb of the Unknowns in DC. I visited in summers 2001. Was humbled beyond words. Former USAF.
My great grandfather went over the top, 1st July 1916 at the Somme (one of six times he did that). He made it to the German lines and he and his mates were merciless to the enemy for what they went through getting there. His perspective was less sombre and tragic than what you tend to hear, he hated the Germans and was furious when the war ended with an armistice. It felt like a betrayal, they wanted to make the Kaiser and his people pay dearly.
During the Blitz he didn't bother going to air-raid shelters, he just sat in his living room with a steel helmet. "The bastards didn't get me in the 14-18 war and they're not getting me now!" He used to say. Tough man, resilient as hell, hardened by the hardest of war experiences. That's a true reflection of how many WW1 veterans felt, they wanted to march into Berlin itself for revenge.
I'm from a small town in the north of England and in the high school I went to they have a memorial with the names every single person who served in WW1 who either was a student or worked at the school, out of the 92 men named on that memorial only 3 returned, every year on remembrance day the names of all 92 was read out and a poppy wreath was laid down.
So once selected at random, the soldier was:
1) watched over by a French legion;
2) were piped aboard HMS Verdun using an Admiral's salute
3) were piped aboard HMS Verdun using an Admiral's salute
4) taken with an escort of 6 battleships (that's A LOT of firepower) across the Channel
5) taken to Westminster Abbey past thousands of people
6) past the Cenotaph, a memorial to 1.1 million dead, killed during WW1
7) honoured with a wreath laid by the King
8) received by 100 recipients of the VC - only 1358 people have EVER received this medal
9) met by 100 widows from the Great War
10) respected by a 7 MILE queue of mourners
This was, in all probability, a volunteer - just a person of no import who sacrificed his life, and was so honoured that to this day no-one EVER steps upon his tomb.
Thankyou for covering this.
HMS Verdun was chosen as it was named after a French victory, after a very hard battle, in WWI. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission, who look after the graves of fallen British military no matter where in the world they are, have a special department that tries to identify the bodies of unknown soldiers. If they are able to do this they attempt to contact descendants of the deceased so that they can be present at the re burial. Even for those who died in WWI. The poppy display was put in the moat for the 100 anniversary of the end of WWI. Just an additional fact regarding the Victoria Cross, each one is made out of bronze cannons captured during in the Crimea War (1846-1856)
Thanks for the info!
Wasn't just a French victory it was also a major British victory
66⁶
The bronze for the VC is from cannon captured by the charge of the light brigade
The reburials are conducted with military honors, there was a TV series following this work and showing the burials.
Thank you for doing this video. I'm English and knew the story of the Unknown Warrior but not the small details. My grandfather was gassed in WW1. His lungs were badly damaged and I remember as a small child how he suffered terrible coughing fits. Such a kind man, never spoke of his experiences. My grandmother survived the Spanish Flu, it left her with white hair!
That generation were so stoic. It's very humbling.
The poppies in the moat of the tower of London was the 100 yr anniversary. There were 888,246 handmade ceramic poppies, 1 for each fallen soldier in WW1. I am lucky enough to have one of the poppies, still covered in the dust and soil from the tower, as they were sold for charity. I would recommend you watch a video of our Remembrance Day at the Cenotaph which since the war commemorates all those who have fallen - Sunday nearest to the 11th November (I always cry). There are a few around. #LestWeForget
My ceramic poppy sits by my bed i will never part with it.
My great great grandfather disappered at Verdun. He was German, so I know that he isn't this unknown soldier.
- But I understand the purpose of helping to give closure to all of those who could now tell themselves that this could be their father/son/brother, and he was honored and resting in peace.
You know that it doesn't matter what nation the soldiers were fighting for anyone who has been in a battle (let alone WAR) has earned respect n honour. So I hope you know he was still a HERO
@@Moody0013 I do appreciate what you are saying.
But he was a milk man and amateur musician from Berlin, who made it less than 6 weeks from leaving basic training. He did what he could and gave his all. But I have a hard time imaging him as a hero. In my mind he is a tragic figure.
My Great uncle Adam Christie, Gordon Highlanders, kia during the battle of Loos in 1915. He was never found and is remembered on the Menin Gate
The rememberence ceremonies in the UK always ensure that we are remembering all who fell in war regardless of nationality.
Your Great Grandfather fell for his country and that is sad and heroic.
I hope that one day we will not have to remember anyone from the current generation.
@@hildajensen6263 please try to think of it more like it was his COUNTRY and his COMMANDING OFFICERS who failed HIM. Try to imagine the utter HORROR he (all of them from whatever country)must have had to overcome to even make it to the first reserve trenches with the sound of artillery alone and the smells is something that nobody ever seems to think of but you had bodies and body parts animal carcasses dead and rotting and then back then the person giving him the orders was miles away living it up. He faced a fear that people don't think about.
Hey and also on a lighter note I wish we still had milkmen like it used to be!!
(Shit I just turned into my dad again)🤦♂️
I find your reverence , respect and most importantly your warrior’s understanding of the nature and gravity of the Unknown Soldier and its importance to the whole country and all other countries similar tributes ,to be absolutely moving .I salute you sir , you have made me proud to be British again and I thank you for that .
👍🏴
If you ever visit the UK you will find in all towns and villages a war memorial listing the names of the dead from those places. More often than not you will see the same surnames crop up. The sheer number of names on those memorials is chilling beyond belief when you consider the size of the places and the likely populations at the time. On my mothers side those men who did manage to return were in no fit state to work again, my great grandfather had been gassed and his brothers either shot to pieces or blown up. That war was as horrifying as anything I can imagine and god forbid it ever happened again. This country has never recovered from either of those wars properly. The memorials in the streets or in the churches give you a real sense of just how barbaric the world wars were. Although I appreciate there are times when it is necessary to fight in order to maintain freedom and decency and I certainly have the utmost respect for those who fight to preserve our way of life, it is a sad indictment of human nature that these things happen.
It's not just the towns and villages. Go into so many of the older, larger shops, (companies like the Co-op) or the railway stations and you can find plaques naming men from 'this store' or 'this station' who gave their lives in the 'Great War' with underneath added those of WW11. This was personal, affecting everyone.
@@pennyaccleton6227 yea they had one at my local Royal Mail depot, mostly teens or in their 20s. Butchery on an industrial scale
My school had a big board that covered a wall with hundreds of names on it. It seems that several forms worth of pupils were wiped out entirely. I used to wonder what they were like they had sat in the same desks as me and then been killed most were only 18-19.
we have a memorial in our crew room, railway, its basically a shrine and we all respect it
There are a few who don't - known as thankful.villagea as everyone who left came home. My grandfathers father is from one - Woolley - they do have two plaques instead in the church - one celebrating the 13 who went to fight in WW1 and one the 15 in WW2 as they are one of the 15 doubly thankful villages
As a Brit in my early 50s, although I knew of the Cenotaph and of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Westminster Abbey I knew nothing of the story behind it. You live you learn and this was so moving.
I'm a bit older than you, but I also never knew the story behind it. It was a moving video as you said.
This is the kind of thing they should be teaching in schools the story of the unknown warrior needs to be told
My grandfather fought in the Boer War and in the First World War in which he was decorated for bravery in the trenches and ended the war as a Company Sergeant-Major (WO2). His youngest sibling Frank, eleven years his junior, who emigrated to Canada in 1911 to join some others of his brothers and sisters there, joined the Central Ontario Regiment quite voluntarily in 1914, was shipped back over the Atlantic, called in briefly for a reunion with his parents, and early in 1915 was killed in action. He lies under a maple leaf marker in a military cemetery near Ypres. My grandfather escaped with a machine gun bullet through his arm with the loss of the use of two fingers.
My late mother, who was born three years after her uncle died, was brought up with memories of ‘Uncle Frank’. The fact that I knew my grandfather in some way links me with that dreadful war in more ways than just reading about it, but thank God I never experienced in my life what one writer called his memories of the trenches: decomposing flesh and chloride of lime.
Oz guy here G'day mate. Im constantly impressed at how you show your respect in all your vids.. Thank you and God bless
This genuinely made me quite emotional.
Yep..same.
@@Jordy120
Very poignant mate isn't it. Especially when the narrator mentioned about the 100 Women who had lost their Husbands and all their Sons. Imagine that, how would you go on with life. Very sad and very grateful for their sacrifices.
@@fourlamb1 That part was especially impactful. Cheers.
I am sitting here with tears in my eyes. Always knew about the tomb of the unknown warrior, but this was a wonderful film.
If it doesn't, it is likely you are devoid of human emotion.....
I am a patriotic American and know my history of our tomb of the unknown soldier. The was an eye opener for me especially since I love history. I was very moved by this video and cried at the end.
The stone which made the Cenotaph came from a quarry on Portland, Dorset. The quarry was opened to mine the stone, and then shut again. No more stone shall come from it.
The original Cenotaph was made from wood and plaster. Designed by Lutyens it was meant to be a temporary structure. But it found its place in the heart of the nation. It was then produced, as you say, in Portland stone.
Al the CWC headstones are Portland stone. Whether from the same quarry as the Cenotaph, I don't know.
They are ceramic Poppies 17:22 when they were first made the Poppies did a tour of the U.K. I saw them at Carlisle Castle!! I have also been to the Tomb of the unknown Warrior. I cried coming from a military family! I am crying now!!
The poppies were for a 100 years since the war. I went to see it as live an hour away. One of the most amazing sights I’ve ever seen. So proud of my country and how we show respect to our forces x
Once again Sir, your humility and respect shine through.
The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior has huge significance. With so many of the dead having no known grave, this tomb gave mourning relatives a place to go where they could believe, due to him being unknown, that it was the final resting place of their loved one.
May he continue to rest peacefully amongst the kings, and may those who never made it home rest peacefully beneath the lands they fought to free for eternity.
UK - I had never seen this film before and it was a pleasure to watch it with you as we followed it in respectful awe. I shed tears too. The poppies were ceramic and quite large 5-6" across for the flower and 18" high approx
I took a trip to Belgium with my father to see the war graves from the first world war there.
We went to the menin gate in Ypres. The whole inside of this huge structure is covered in names of soldiers whos bodies were never found. It was mind blowing. So many boys who were never properly put to rest. I think of them when I see the tomb of the unknown soldier.
My granddad's name is on that gate. He left a wife and three children. My grandma also lost both her brothers.They lived in a little village in Mid Wales. Her loss was not uncommon and her story was that of families in many countries. She never got to visit Ypres , because at that time for people like her it would have been like visiting the moon.I still have his garden spades and some tools he had made himself.
Been there too did tour of the fallen soldiers cemeteries. Listening to last post at Menin gate made me weep. RIP gents. Never forget.
@@sinbin001 It is so important that we keep their memory and stories alive .I think that is why I keep my grandad's old garden tools.He made some of them himself and I think of the plans he had to use them, the garden that he planted to feed his young family ,but never returned to. I am an old lady myself now and will be passing them on and hope that they will continue to be treasured .Simple things of no monetary value, but a little window into the plans he had for his daily life, that were so cruelly cut short. He went through it all ,so close to making it home, but killed in February 1918.
@@twpsy634 I take my children to remembrance Sunday every year 12 year old twin boys and 8 year old daughter. I want them to understand and show respect and remember the sacrifices our brave soldiers who were killed or injured in combat. My daughter is in sea cadets and today she is of to visit where the poppies are made .
@@sinbin001 That is wonderful to hear. Best Wishes to you and your family.
One of the newer traditions started by the queen mother in memory of her brother who was Kia in ww1 is the bridal bouquet from royal weddings is placed on the tomb, the losses for the UK (and Germany and France) were horrific, 12.5 % of those who served in the British military died, among officers the death rate was higher, Eton had a death rate of 20%, the UK population in 1913 was 19 million, 880,000 men were KIA, it would be like if the USA had a war today and had 17 million KIA in four years, those of us who are getting on in age all had one or two Great aunts who never married because there were no men for them to marry, the census n 1921 recorded 109 females for every 100 men
All those nations who fought in the two world wars, no matter the side, lost so many of the best, brightest, and bravest of their sons. No wonder our nations are in the state they are today. If none of that had happened, how much better would our moral state be now, I wonder. Maybe I'm being to generous. Or maybe I'm on the money. All the same: it was all such a bloody waste of life. I'm not saying that they shouldn't have gone to fight - especially in regards to the Second World War. I'm saying that I simply wish the REASON hadn't been there in the first place.
God rest them. And we shall remember them.
I'm from New Zealand, my Grandfather signed up in 1914 when he was 16, he'd signed up with 2 older brothers and a cousin and Uncle, they were all shipped off to Gallipoli, of the 5 only my Grandfather survived the Campaign, 1916 he along with the rest of the New Zealand Division were sent to France where he fought on the Somme, 1917 he fought at Messine and took part in both of New Zealands attacks for Passchendale, including the disastrous attack of 12th October 1917, in which he was wounded, it's still the blackest day in New Zealands history. He recovered from his wounds and took part in the effort to stop the German Spring Offensive of 1918, where he lost another brother. My Grandfather survived the War, of my Great Grandmother's 4 sons, my Grandfather was the only one to survive. Out of 6 members of the family including the cousin and Uncle, my Grandfather was the lone surviver. I lost another relative on my Father's side killed at Gallipoli. New Zealand with a population of 1.1 million in 1914, suffered nearly 19 thousand killed plus nearly 42 thousand killed out of 100 thousand that served. It was an horrific war. The Countries populations still hadn't recovered by the time WWII came around.
Don't forget the "Pals Battalions", made up of the whole fighting age young men of some towns. Mike Harding made a song called "The Accrington Pals", which highlights this.
@@ronstreet6706 I was just pointing out that where 12.5% of British servicemen were killed, it was 19% of New Zealand servicemen, in total 60% of New Zealand servicemen were killed or wounded.
@@bevanfletcher6563 I was posting a comment to the original poster. I have great respect for the ANZACS, and meant no offence. God bless New Zealand and Australia for the sacrifices of so many of their men, in both world wars.
As an Englishman I didn't know that a Medieval Crsuaders Sword was placed on top of the coffin. I found the whole video including the reaction very moving. Bought a lump to my throat. Thank you for showing so much respect and understanding.
Thank you for your service and for your appreciation of our brothers and sisters in arms. Much love and peace from England 🏴 🇺🇸🇺🇦Slava Ukrani
This was the funeral denied to so many combatants, the loss of the nation. A focus for mourning.
TY Mate for this reaction, he was also awarded The Victoria Cross, The French Légion d'honneur & Croix de Guerre and later with The Congressional Medal of Honour. It is also nice to know that every royal bride places her bouquet on the tomb after her wedding in Westminster Abbey.
Keep Safe Keep Strong 🦘🦘🦘🦘❤❤
I am from England and i didn't know the history BEHIND the tomb, I understood the representation. I had never seen that footage either. So thank you for showing it
This is so moving it would make a glass eye cry. Having been to the abbey and stood in front of the warriors tomb i can say it is humbling RIP. known unto god.
Pre pandemic I traveled to france to visit the graves of my grandmothers brothers. One died on the first day of the somme after surviving Gallipoli. Another died a week before the end of the war at the age of 18 years after surviving being gassed twice. The war grave commission do a great job keeping the graves and keeping records. thank you.
I had the honour of visiting the Tomb of the Uknown Warrior at Arlington. Let me tell you, even the most cynical remains silent. As a serving member of the RAF I sat awed by the perfection of the soldiers who paraded. They were step perfect. I hope one day someone, for some reason will be as respectful for me or my family.
It's kind of unbelievable nowadays to hear how many of the French took part, the narrator casually mentions a thousand school children leading a march of a French division, which I believe was around 16,000 men, as an honour guard.
Although it's far more understandable given how they had shared the losses and pain of losing loved ones and not knowing where they lay due to the Great War.
It is a shame how far we have drifted apart again.
@@T-1001 Yes. We should remember those days when our mutual survival depended on working together - along with all the other Allied nations.
We and France have loved and hated each other for centuries but when necessary we’ve usually watched each others back.
As a Scot I have know problem knowing that the French and Scots have an affinity still today. Please don’t tell me I am wrong.
@@dianacasey6002scottish are our older allies , it will never change ...
It is such a strange feeling knowing that the images we've just seen are just shy of a hundred two years old. As a Brit I knew about this but not the things I've learned today, so thank you for sharing this.
My grandmother was 17yrs old at that time. She lost a cousin who is buried in France, and a brother who was a motorcycle messenger that one day never arrived with his message. His name is on the memorial wall in Jerusalem. I'm 51 and I still get chocked up when I think about all the lives that were lost on both sides, and for what? The world is a mess!
In 2016 I, with my mum, sister and brother in law, went to Northern France, we stayed in Arras, and visited, among many sites and museums, the Thiepval memorial, where 100 years later, there were daily services marking the battle of the Somme. The Thiepval memorial records the names of over 72,000 British and Commonwealth men, who have "no known grave" (One of my great uncles being one of them) it is just one of many such memorials. On arrival at the car park, there where many sculptured mounds of earth, each had many thousands of small wooden crossed with a poppy in the centre, as I walked around them, the vista was astounding, every square metre of ground was covered in hundreds of them, it was a littoral sea of crosses and poppies. Tears flooded my eyes and a choke ruined my voice, such that I had to hide my embarrassment from my family for several minutes before I could speak. I have not seen the tomb of the unknown soldier, but I know if I did, it would invoke the same emotions I had that day!
I never knew either of my grandfathers. Both of them volunteered and joined up in November 1914, both were gassed on the Somme, and after a period in hospital, both were sent back to serve throughout the rest of the war. They were eventually demobbed in 1920 and lived the remainder of their lives with damaged lungs. My maternal grandfather died aged 50 in 1940, my paternal grandfather died aged 36 in 1931, and the name of one of his friends from the same village is among the more than 72,000 names engraved on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme. The memorial also records the names of four lads who lived in the street where I now live, and I have an anonymous photograph of several unnamed soldiers standing in front of my house - perhaps those same lads, though there were no doubt others who returned here from the war either with damaged bodies or mental scars.
Hi, from a UK Veteran, thank you for such a splendid reaction. There is another, quite similar video, about the unknown warrior that you, as an ex marine might like, from the Mountbatten Festival of Music at the Royal Albert Hall which is superbly accompanied by the best military band in the world, namely the band of H.M. Royal Marines. Their music just adds another level to the story. There is also a video all about the poppy display at the Tower of London which is also well worth watching. UK Vet 🫡
The Unknown Warrior was awarded the US Medal of Honor. The medal was personally handed over by General Pershing and is mounted on a pillar near the tomb in Westminster Abbey.
@CK George1989 that is correct. There has only been five US medal of honors awarded to military personnel that were not US military personnel and that was five unknown Warriors from World War I from the five countries who fought alongside the US. Each of those countries gave the Unknown Soldier from the US the highest military honor from their countries as well.
Didn't the unknown US SOLDIER get a VICTORIA CROSS from the QUEEN/BRITAN??
Very moving. I am a UK Vet. The Brits are very, very good at this sort of ceremony. Solemn and not Jingoistic.
Two of the poppies in the moat represent two of my uncles who died during WW1 and have no known grave .
Following every Royal wedding it has become the tradition that the royal bride leaves her bridal bouquet at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which began with the Queen Mother and takes place the day after the wedding. The Queen Mother laid hers there in 1923 after her wedding to the Duke of York, who later became King George VI. Every Royal bride since has continued this tradition as a mark of respect to those who have sacrificed their lives in war.
Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother had Four Brothers who served in the Black Watch, Fergus was killed at Loo's 1915, the eldest, Lord Glamis, was invalided out and a younger, Michael, was a PoW. The ancestral home Glamis Castle was a convalescence home for wounded where the young Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon served.
When I visit France, I try to stop off at a small Graveyard at Monchy Le Preux where a Great Uncle that I never knew is buried. In my home village there were several men who bore the visible scars of that terrible war. It was a war that affected the UK in a way that US citizens can only imagine, with its scale of loss.
The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior meant so much to my mothers and grandparents generation.
I have one of those poppies in front of me, now!
It was an incredibly moving sight and, afterwards, they took parts of it on a tour of Great Britain.
The poppy display at the Tower of London was truly amazing and so moving, I ‘bought’ two poppies from the display, monies going to the Royal British Legion.
Marian Birks. I also acquired two poppies! One for my wife, (now sadly deceased), and I, and one for my daughter and family.
My great-grandfather was wounded three times on the Somme. His brothers body is one of over 20,000 never found. The idea of the unknown soldier is he is everyone's son. Grans-dad served in both wars too.
Edith Cavell's story is impressive. We have quite a few memorials to her here in Norwich, Norfolk.
That is the same gun carriage that was used for Queen Elizabeth's funeral.
Yes, the poppy display was part of the centenary commemoration .. one handmade ceramic poppy for every soldier who fell in the Great War.
I am old enough that WWI veterans were reasonably numerous until I was in my late twenties. I was in the forces, both my parents served in WWII and all four of my grandparents were in the thick of it in WWI - my grandmothers as nurses in field hospitals and my grandfathers in the trenches with the British and Canadian expeditionary forces respectively.
The thing that always struck me about the veterans of WWI is how reluctant they almost invariably were to talk about it - a trait I have never encountered in veterans of subsequent campaigns/wars (the one exception to that being the survivors of the Japanese POW camps of WWII). I am not even capable of imagining the mental scars they lived with.
Not long now until our remembrance day , the service in the royal Albert Hall is very moving especially when the war widows walk in gets me so emotional every time .
Every damn time, those onion cutting ninjas have a lot to answer for.
Yes, they were handmade poppies. All slightly different and each unique, which is symbolic in itself. I bought one and proudly have it here at my home, in the uk.
Oh and it's Trafalgar Day today!! 21st October!! Do a video on that. There's more to life than the infantry and on a warship, there are no slit trenches to hide in x
My grandfather was an Old Contemptible - he joined right that the beginning served in Europe to the end. He was a Blacksmith and Farrier and kept the horses going. Knowing his love of horses it must have been a heartbreaking job.
When there’s a Royal wedding the Royal bride after the ceremony and on their way out of Westminster Abbey the bride leaves her bouquet on the tomb of the unknown soldier.
The bouquets are laid the day after
Thank you for the recognition and gratitude of this story
I knew most of this. And I went to see the poppy exhibit when it was at the tower of London. I still flipping cried all way through the video though!
Your description of this as remarkable is spot on. I had no idea this huge amount of respect was paid at the time. I knew it was important, but this is incredible.
Thank you for the respect shown in this video, it is appreciated.
The idea of the unknown soldier transcends nationality, friend or foe, and represents all those who made the ultimate sacrifice in all wars.
The Poppy display at the Tower of London was to mark 100 years since the start of WW1. Each Poppy represented 1 British military fatality during the war (888 246)
The Victoria Cross is the equivalent to the Medal of Honor.
16:24 Each poppy you see represents a soldier killed during WW1. 888,246 poppies.
I watched a tv program Inside the Tower of London and we got to see them place the poppies in the moat. The queen placed the last poppy in the ground.
I’m 61 and in the UK my father a WWII Marine and brother a Special Services Marine and didn’t know this history! I was deeply moved by the dedication, respect and ceremony afforded this unknown soldier on behalf of all who served in this horrific conflict. Thanks for enlighten me.
The world, time and time again owes so much to those poor yet brave nameless people that stood so tall and gave their lives. Names we may never know or ever appreciate.. This is the time to reflect, the time to take a moment in our busy lives to, for one brief second to remember that the only reason we are actually able to do this one small thing is because of all those brave nameless people……. Respect. Honour. And our true thanks.
An important aspect to consider in the meaning behind the tomb is the nature of warfare having changed in WWI. The advent of trench warfare and the advancement in the use of artillery meant that for the first time in history there were hundred of thousands if not millions of relatives who had no closure, no body to burry, no funeral with military honours. Just an explosion and an empty chair at the dinner table. This represented a focal point they could visit to say goodbye.
You can walk up to the tombs of kings and queens but no one may walk upon the unknown warrior
The gravestone is right inside the main door so even princes and monarchs have walk around it. There are many graves of royals in there which are walked on by anyone.
@classicmoviesandmore yup it's why for example during the queen's funeral the coffin did a bit of a side step to avoid walking over the tomb of the unknown soldier
@@Sierraomega1991 the unknown warrior the unknown Soldier is in the usa. No one is allowed to step on it not even the queen.
The US doesn't have a Queen.
Even the monuments throughout the World,should never be stepped on.I have told people,who were actually sitting on the steps,of a monument,in Manchester,to get off,and show respect.
The thing is, if you lost somebody in this war, it MIGHT be the unknown warrior, that's another subtle point about this, it could be YOUR great grandfather's or uncle's grave that you're visiting and paying respects to, nobody will ever know, but you can have hope and faith that it is.
Their was a Scottish woman who lost 5 sons, 3 in combat and 2 after the war finished through guilt of not fighting, she used to go down to the train station every day and sit and wait, the station master asked why she sat there every day, she said I'm waiting for my boys to come home. Truly heartbreaking and I cry just writing this
In tears watching this, such respect 🇬🇧💞
My great grandparents took my Nan to see the burial of the Unknown Warrior as they believed it could’ve been one of the 2 sons they lost in the Great War. The sad thing is that, after researching the records, I found my Gt Grandad knew that the body of his 2nd son to be killed had been found but kept up the pretence he was ‘just’ missing as my Gt Nan’s mental state couldn’t cope with knowing she’d lost both her sons.
I’ve managed to visit both my Gt Uncles graves (1 in Ypres & 1 in Holnon) but I’ve still got another 9 family military graves to visit.
Thanks for reacting to my recommendation, of a video about the "Tomb of the Unknown Warrior", you requested a while back. I watched several, but this was by far the best.
Edith Cavell is buried in Norwich cathedral. There is a pub named after her and a statue in tribute to her opposite.
She came from the next village to mine.
@@w0033944 really? That's awesome. I used to go past the pub and statue in Norwich a lot when I worked in the city.
I have no direct ties to WW1 other than my Great Grandfather fought, yet upon seeing the tomb of the unknown warrior in person, I felt a wave of emotion come over me.
Good video & done respectfully.
Remembrance Day in UK, is an annual event, and the poppy is significant of this day - The Royal British Legion is the guiding light
Thankyou you are a brilliant man, and thankyou for your service as a American Marine love from the UK X
Excellent. I was aware of how the body was chosen but the details after that were new to me and it certainly gives me a much greater appreciation of the significance of the Tomb.
Thank you for sharing this video! It was very informative. I'm an American and did not know the background or significance. I'm awed by the planning, the documentation, the honor and respect paid by those in attendance. And well deserved. Thank you!
This was a fantastic video thank you. Admittedly I should know more about this as I am from the UK. Great work
Your channel is great and I so appreciate the work that you put into these videos. You'll find it interesting to know, in addition to all of the symbolism that went into the design of The Tomb of The Unknown Warrior, that the actual location of the tomb is directly in the center of the main entrance to Westminster Abbey. If you watch any videos of services at the Abbey, from Services of Thanksgiving to Royal Weddings, you'll notice that there is no way to come through the main entrance of the Abbey without walking around the Tomb, serving as a constant reminder to those, be them Kings, Queens, Clergy or laypeople, of the importance of the Unknown Warrior. Keep up the good work, and God Save The King!
The Unknown Warrior was bestowed the Congressional Medal of Honor in an act of reciprocation after the British bestowed the Victoria Cross on the US Unknown Soldier.
During the royal wedding of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother which took place in Westminster Abbey she laid her bridal bouquet on the tomb. Since then after each royal wedding the brides bouquet has been placed on the tomb.
The Queen Mother lost her brother in the Battle of Loos in 1915.
I had always wondered how this came about.Thank-you for your respectful attitude.Your comments were insightful.