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On the centenary of the interment of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey, a photograph of the Rev. David Railton MC, who conceived of the memorial while serving as an Anglican army chaplain on the Western Front. 1/6 @wabbey @CWGC
As he pondered the grave of an unknown Scottish soldier in the garden of a house not far behind the line, he had a vision of how one unidentified body could be transported to England and used to symbolise all of the fallen. 2/6
I spent many hours reading through the personal papers of Anglican chaplains years ago. David Railton was easily one of the most human and endearing. Very much aware of his own limitations, he was sincere and dedicated enough to try to overcome them. 3/6
And there should be little doubt that he experienced all of the violence and stress of life in the line. He was awarded the Military Cross in 1916 for rescuing three wounded comrades under fire. 4/6
The letters he wrote to his wife from the front were invariably positive and upbeat, but during a particularly difficult period in the winter of 1917, his faith was clearly tested. 5/6
A decent, brave and sympathetic man, his papers, including his vivid letters to wife, are now held at the @I_W_M and offer an extraordinary insight into the life of a padre in the line. 6/6
