The Living Unknown Soldier

On 1 February, 1918, a soldier was found wandering through the Lyon-Brotteaux railway station. He had no idea who he was, nor any memory of his name. He was registered by the authorities as Anthelme Mangin and committed to an insane asylum. In February 1922, his photograph was published in the newspapers, and subsequently his portrait was displayed in all the town halls of France. Three hundred families came forward immediately, claiming to recognise the amnesiac as the son, husband, or brother who had disappeared in battle but whose death had never been confirmed. Dubbed 'The Living Unknown Soldier' by journalists, Anthelme Mangin was the embodiment of the tragedy of the 250,000 men declared missing whose families still awaited their return and were unable to mourn for them. The requests for Anthelme Mangin came from all over France, Canada, England, and even Germany and Lithuania. Soon, those families that felt surest went to court and applied for guardianship. Yet Mangin's parents were never found, his identity never revealed. Having lost his history during WWI, he was eventually to lose his life in WWII, a victim of food shortages that led many to death by starvation. Mangin's heartbreaking story is recounted in this powerful and unique book.