Description
Book SynopsisThis book describes the wartime experiences of Reverend David Railton, MC, who was a chaplain on the Western Front during WWI. As a chaplain, Railton supported soldiers in their worst moments, he buried the fallen, comforted the wounded, wrote to the families of the missing and killed, and helped the survivors to remember and mark the loss of their comrades so that they were able to move on and do their job. He was present at many battles, and received the Military Cross for rescuing an officer and two men under heavy fire on the Somme.
It was Railton’s idea to bring home the body of a fallen comrade, whose identity was unknown, from the battlefields of Belgium and France to be buried in Westminster Abbey. Although suffering from what was obviously Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, after the war he carried out his duties as the vicar of Margate and took on many philanthropic works on behalf of the poor, especially supporting ex-servicemen who came home and had to deal with the aftermath of a terrible war and crippling unemployment.
The story of the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior has been told several times, including the part played by the Reverend David Railton, M.C. However, this book – based on hundreds of Railton's original letters, notes, and writings – is the first book to tell the story of the man himself and his flag, which he used as an altar cloth and shroud throughout the war, was consecrated a year after the burial of the Unknown Warrior, and now hangs in Westminster Abbey.
Trade ReviewRailton's is a story worth telling and Richard's narrative of wartime events and peacetime social conditions is clear and effective. * Stand to! *
The Flag is a memoir full of hope and inspiration. It offers up a lesson to us all. It's a must-read and, once and for all, ensures the life and times of Padré Railton will never be forgotten. BRITAIN AT WAR BOOK OF THE MONTH NOVEMBER 2018 * Britain at War Magazine *
The book explains how Railton was moved to create a symbol which every family in the country could identify. That symbol lies inside Westminster Abbey in the shape of the Unknown Soldier. […] Such a legacy is monumental and a fitting tribute to the work of the Royal Army Chaplains’ Department during the war. * Gun Mart *
We have waited nearly a century for Reverend David Railton's story, and this book does this humble and decent man a great service. It is an extraordinary story. * Guards Magazine *
...a worthwhile biography and one well worth reading. * Long Long Trail *
The book is an attractive addition to the mass of literature about the First World War and about the tasks and frequent heroism of the chaplains. * Church Times *
This is a well-researched book...The style of writing brings home something of what it was to be an army chaplain amid the battles in France and Flanders. * Methodist Recorder *
Table of ContentsPrologue – 1: Sleepless Nights – 2: Early Days in France – 3: Vimy Ridge – 4: The Graveyards – 5: Military Cross – 6: Winter of Death – 7: Private Blakemore – 8: The Quiet Sector – 9: Back to Blighty – 10: It’s Now or Never – 11: The Unknown Warrior – 12: Hanging the Flag – 13: Going Home
