David Railton
| David Railton | |
|---|---|
Rev. David Railton in 1918
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| Born | 13 November 1884 |
| Died | 13 June 1955 (aged 70) Fort William, Highland, Scotland |
| Nationality | British |
| Education |
Keble College, Oxford Bishop's Hostel, Liverpool |
| Occupation | clergyman, Military chaplain |
| Spouse(s) | Ruby Marion Wilson |
| Children | Ruth Railton |
| Parent(s) | George Scott Railton & Marianne Deborah Lydia Ellen Parkyn |
Reverend David Railton MC MA, (13 November 1884 – 13 June 1955) was a Church of England clergyman, a Military chaplain and the originator of the idea of the Tomb of The Unknown Warrior in Britain.
Railton was the son of George Scott Railton, the first Commissioner of The Salvation Army and Second in Command after its Founder General William Booth, and his wife, Marianne Deborah Lydia Ellen Parkyn. Although he saw little of him, David Railton shared his father's faith and concern for the poorest in society. He was educated at Keble College, Oxford, matriculating in 1904 and obtaining his BA degree in 1908 and was further educated at Bishop's Hostel, in Liverpool. Having joined the Church of England he was ordained in Liverpool in 1908 and took up the curacy of Edge Hill in Liverpool.
In 1910 he moved to Ashford, Kent, and in the following year became temporary chaplain to the Forces. He was curate of Folkestone in 1914–20, but had leave of absence to serve in France. He was awarded the Military Cross in 1916 for saving an officer and two men under heavy fire.
Railton first had the idea of arranging for the body of an unknown serviceman to be transported back to England, and buried with full honours, in 1916, while he was serving on the Western Front during World War I. Later in the War he wrote to Lord Douglas Haig expressing this idea. He received no response, but felt reluctant to let it go.
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