Letter to an Unknown Soldier

[Guest Unknown-Soldier]

Hi everybody,

I am writing to tell everyone about a project that I am working with: Letter to an Unknown Soldier.

In a year jammed-full of WW1 commemoration our project invites everyone to step back from the public ceremonies and take a few private moments to think. For us, it is important to move on from cenotaphs, poppies, and the familiar imagery we associate with the war memorials.

If you could say what you want to say about that war, with all we’ve learned since 1914, with all your own experience of life and death to hand, what would you say?

The 'Unknown Soldier' is a statue that stands in Paddington Station; he stands as a reminder of what was lost, and won, in WW1- and at what cost?

If you, or anyone you know, would be interested in reading some of our letters- or writing your own- please visit our site.

I'd also love to speak with everyone here. What do you think of the project? Are there any letters that really resonate with you? Any that inspire? Any that you disagree with?

I'll link to our site, and a couple letters that we have received. I'll include my own- I figure it's only fair to to share my own if I ask you to share!

To read some letters:

http://www.1418now.o...etter/new-read/

Sean Spain (My own): http://www.1418now.o...ter/sean-spain/

Nathan Filer: http://www.1418now.o...r/nathan-filer/

Stephen Fry: http://www.1418now.o...er/stephen-fry/

To submit your own for publication:

http://www.1418now.org.uk/letter/new/

So please get involved.

I'd love to have this thread as a space to talk about your own ideas for letters, to talk about letters you have read and generally as a space in which to think about the Unknown Soldier.

I hope we can get some interesting discussions going.

Sean Spain

Editorial Moderator for 'Letter to an Unknown Soldier'.

[kenf48]

Thank you for posting, I previously posted the link here

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=211928&hl=

so don't be too disappointed if you're not overwhelmed by the response.

I have, incidentally been composing my letter while walking the dog on the Downs!

I've not put anything in writing but a positive imaginative exercise especially on days like today when the guns must have been a distant rumble over the horizon(or could at least be heard at Charleston!). I also imagined how his dog would react to the airship from Polegate going out to patrol the Channel.

Ken

[Guest Unknown-Soldier]

Thanks for sharing the news about our project Ken!

We have had some great responses.

That sounds like an interesting letter.

- Where you talked about the guns being a distant rumble over the horizon; it's details like that which have brought us to these research forums. The details that you guys can employ really paints a picture.

That's a good point as well, about the dog's reaction. I've never considered the impact on animals.

[GrahamC]

Suspect many of you have seen this - but I have just found it and think it's a brilliant idea. http://www.1418now.org.uk/letter/

[GrahamC]

There's more about it - here

[Anneca]

Wonderful idea Graham - thank you for posting.

Anne