The Searchers

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By the end of the First World War, over half a million British soldiers were missing, presumed dead beneath the battlefields of northern France and Flanders. Robert Sackville-West compiles extraordinary accounts of those who dedicated their lives to searching for the missing, highlighting the lengths people will go to find meaning in their loss. The narratives include Rudyard Kipling's quest for his son's grave, E. M. Forster’s conversations with traumatized soldiers in Alexandria, and desperate attempts to communicate with the dead. The campaign to establish the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior and the exhumation and reburial of hundreds of thousands of bodies are also explored. This search spanned from the establishment of a department to investigate missing comrades to present-day efforts utilizing DNA profiling to recover, identify, and honor these men. While the rest of the country sought to heal and move forward, countless families embarked on arduous, often hopeless journeys to uncover the fates of their loved ones. By emphasizing the personal struggles of those left behind, the narrative vividly illustrates the legacy of war, showcasing the bravery, compassion, and resilience of the human spirit.