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On November 11, 1920, the body of an unnamed soldier was carried in a procession from Hyde Park to the Mall, past Buckingham Palace, among the silent crowd gathered to remember the unknown dead of World War I.
At 11 o’clock there was two minutes of silence as the procession stopped at the new war memorial in Whitehall.
The unnamed man’s body was found on the battlefield and buried at the end of the nave of Westminster Abbey.
Field Marshal Haig with the Unknown Warrior’s Coffin on November 11, 1920
On his grave are the following words:
“Beneath this stone rests the body of a British warrior unknown by name or rank brought from France to be among the most illustrious on earth.”
The Cenotaph was unveiled by George V to commemorate the second anniversary of the armistice, and has since been the focal point of an annual memorial service.
One hundred years later, her granddaughter attended her first engagement in London since March.
King George V unveiled the cenotaph 100 years ago
The queen would not normally visit the tomb of the unknown warrior, but this year it was to mark the centenary and show solidarity in an extraordinary year.
Across the country, traditional Remembrance Sunday rituals have been complicated this year.
Indoor services are canceled and at the Cenotaph, where 10,000 veterans would normally gather, there will be only 26 ex-military and ex-military.
The Royal Family, high-ranking politicians and the Armed Forces will continue to lay wreaths, but there will be no march beyond the monument and strict social distancing measures will be applied.
The usual crowds will be much smaller this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
For the first time in history, the event will not be open to the public.
Ena Collymore-Woodstock, 103, is believed to be the oldest surviving veteran of World War II.
It was found thanks to a campaign by the Women’s Royal Army Corps Association, a charity that helps veterans.
The centennial says this year’s memory is a timely reminder of the spirit of wartime and hopes that Sunday will bring people together.
Ms. Collymore-Woodstock will mark two minutes of silence with her family in Barbados and wants others to remember, even if they can’t leave home.
Ena Collymore-Woodstock (right) was a radar operator in World War II
He joined Jamaica’s Auxiliary Territorial Service at age 26, serving since 1943 in the United Kingdom and Belgium.
She was one of 16,000 men and women from the Caribbean who voluntarily enlisted in World War II and was the first Antillean to become a radar operator.
The veteran says she was determined to see the action when she arrived in England: “They offered me an office role writing, but I told them I hadn’t joined just to write!”
“There were not many women in the military at that time,” he added.
“And very few women of color. I wanted to do my part and I felt special.”
The Royal British Legion hopes that stories like Ms. Collymore-Woodstock’s will inspire and that “British creativity” will endure this Remembrance Sunday.
Bob Gamble, deputy director of commemorative events at the Royal British Legion, says he is “deeply disappointed” that this year’s events will not go as planned, but wants people to participate in “remote acts of remembrance”.
The British Legion is asking people to display poppies on their windows and mark silence on their doors.
He says that the public should mark the two minutes of silence on his door and display poppies in the windows of his houses.
Poppy pickers haven’t been collecting on the street as usual, but Gamble says people should show their support by donating online.
“Remembrance Sunday is an intrinsic part of what it means to be British and I hope we never lose that,” he told Sky News.
This weekend, the military band at the Cenotaph will also be much smaller, but its host believes the message will be “even more moving.”
Lt. Col. Simon Haw has been a part of the Remembrance Service for more than 30 years.
He says: “One thing is constant and that is music. I think that is important because it brings a feeling of comfort to people and I think that through music people can express their feelings, where sometimes it is difficult to find the right ones. words”.
Lieutenant Col Haw has composed a new requiem for Sunday, to mark 100 years since the war memorial was inaugurated.
The band will be smaller, but a new requiem has been composed to commemorate 100 years of the Cenotaph
He hopes that people will listen from home, even if they cannot personally attend a service: “Obviously it will be smaller, but for the Armed Forces we never forget and honor and reflect on the sacrifice that all the military have made in the service of their country. .
“I think it is something very remarkable … It is a very difficult time for the whole country, so I hope that people find that feeling of comfort in music.”
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said it was with “regret” that he asked people not to attend the Cenotaph ceremony this year “to keep the veterans and the public safe.”
The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior has been in Westminster Abbey for a century
However, he said he wanted to mark the Cenotaph’s centenary “appropriately” and “will ensure that our plans for the day are a fitting tribute to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice and that our veterans are at the heart of service – with the nation. able to safely monitor from home. “
One hundred years since the Unknown Warrior was buried in Westminster Abbey, the pomp of a Whitehall parade may be lost, but the message of remembrance has rarely seemed so timely.
As Mr. Gamble says, “What will mark us as special is how we deal with adversity, and I hope that even on Remembrance Sunday we can rise to that challenge.”
