AT TOMB OF FRANCE’S UNKNOWN

Hokitika Guardian, 8 January 1929, Page 7

AT TOMB OF FRANCE’S UNKNOWN

DAILY REVIVAL CEREMONY

The strangest job in the world is surely that of 11. Malorey, of Paris, official recorder of the Committee of the Flame, society formed to do honour to France’s 1,1500,00 soldiers fallen in the World War who are represented by one Unknown soldier buried under the Are de Triomphe on the Champs Elysees,

Curiously enough, though the resting place of the Unknown Soldier is often menioned in Press dispatches in connection with ceremonies held there, the peculiar circumstances surrounding the selection of the Unknown Soldier, the coffins stay for a time in a room in the arch, the final burial and the various “perpetual” flames experiences.. with—out of all of which happenings finally resulted this strangest job in the world—have never been fully related until now.

Shortly after the dose of the World War popular opinon in France was aroused to favour paying some signal honour to all the soldiers who had fallen. After much discussion it was decided this should he done in the following manner:—

POILU CHOOSES UNKNOWN soldier.

On November 10, 1920, a private soldier, James Thin by name, was selected at random from the entire army and ordered by his colonel to go and get outfitted with a new uniform, as lie had been delegated by the authorities to pick out from among eight coffins containing the remains of unidentified soldiers fallen in action the one destined to receive the homage and reverence of France as symbolical o. all those who had passed in battle.

Toward 4 o’clock in the afternoon of tne day Private Thin came to the citadel of. Verdun, following the cortage to the underground rooms where eight coffins covered with flags and flowers were lined up two by two. The Minister of War said: “Soldier, here is a bouquet of flowers plucked on tiie battlefield of Verdun. You are going to put it in one of these coffins. The one seloccd hv you will be that which will repose under the Arc tie Triomphe in Paris.” The story of how soldier Thin made Ins choice is peculiar. “1 had thought it all over while I dressed,” Thin said when asked recently why he had picked the sixth coffin. “They were all soldiers of France and all merited to- represent the million and a half men who had died for her. Which one will it he? Then I thought of a simple plan. I belong to the (ith Battery. The number of my regiment is 132. Adding together the numbers of my regiment also gave the number six. So T decided to choose the sixth. I walked in the underground room, counting first the row on my right, then the left. And, strangely enough, I had chosen the poorest of all coffins, one of plain white

pine.” The o'-ffin thus selected was brought to Paris and placed in a room in the Are do Triompho. To this room people at once began coming daily, bringing (lowers. The number ever increasing as the days passed.

EX-TOM BED UNDER ARCH. This marked the first stage in what truly may he called the '‘evolution o an idea.” After this homage had been paid by thousands of people for nearl;. a year it was finally decided to build a tomb in the pavement beneath the arcii. Some weeks after the placing of the coffin beneath the structure where it was more readily accessible to the people tile idea again expanded. ’Flu custom of the ancients who kept perpetuel fires' burning in many of tiieii temples was recalled and it seemed fitting that a similar llame should flare over the Unknown Soldier’s tomb.

A circular metal platform with a bowl-like depression in the centre, very much in appearance like the wheel of an automobile with spokes radiating from the centre, was placed beside tin middle of the bowl and at first was fed from a series of chambers containing different types of solidified alcohol. 'I in’s proved unsatisfactory, the flame continued going out. Then TTie city s regular gas supply was tried. This proved satisfactory and by August, 1921, the “perpetual llame” had become an actuality.

From this the evolution of the idea further developed. A society known as “The Committee of the Flame” decided that every day at sunset—o o’clock in summer and from 4 to 5 in winter—daily honour shou’d be done to tiie “perpetual” flame which symbolically represents the spirit of France and the sacrifice of her soldiers. Throughout most of the day the flame burns low, but at the hour of sunset it is daily “revived” with fitting ceremony by some one of rank who approaches holding a special sword. The point of this he places on one of the indentations on the surface of the bowl; this serves to release a valve and for a moment or two the flame flares high, This ceremony is known as the “Reviving of the Flame,” At first the society thought of having one of its members revive the flame. But in Paris, and all over •'ranee, were hundreds of organisations that had been formed during the war or after it. In every country in the world also wore new societies which had been directly fostered hv the war.

Kings and princes, South Sea chieftains and potentates from the farthest East, caids and sheiks from the loneliest desert outposts, mounted policemen from Arctic, presidents of the greatest and smallest republics of the world, Sultans and mighty warriors and leaders of men in politics, religion and science, have come from every corner of the world to officiate at the flames revival. And in scores of cases there have come with the various leaders imposing retinues to witness tiie event. From far off Afghanistan recently came wild tribesmen. On the occasion of the Sultan of Morocco’s reviving the llame. 500 of his chieftains and leading men, all in flowing robes of white, were in attendance, a beautiful and imposing sight. Shortly after the forming of the committee, when the importance of the ceremony began to grow, it was decided, for historical purposes, to make a daily photographic record of all the varied societies and different nationalities appearing. Thus came into existence the strangest job in the world, to photograph daily “The Revival of the Flame,” which was given to H. Mhlorcy, a veteran who had served through the war with distinction.