Victory March procession, London, 1919

Photograph, 1919.

British soldiers march down Whitehall on 19 July 1919 as part of the Victory March. The march was held to celebrate 'Peace Day', a holiday marking the official end of the First World War which followed the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in the previous month.

The soldiers can be seen marching past Sir Edward Lutyens' Cenotaph, or empty tomb, designed to symbolise the war dead. It had taken two weeks to build and was unveiled on this day for the first time. It proved so popular that a permanent version was commissioned, and unveiled the following year.

Nearly 15,000 servicemen, including troops from the Empire and Commonwealth, took part in the Victory March, led by Allied commanders such as Haig, Foch and Pershing.