3 brothers killed in the war

[cooky]

Good afternoon all I need help,

I would like to know more about the service of these 3 soldiers if you can.

Pvt William Harry Knight,

6380,

Kia 23/2/1916,

Age 20,

6th QR West Surreys.

Buried Vermelles France.

Pvt James Knight,

G/37220,

Kia 23/3/18,

Age 20,

11th QR West Surreys,

Arras Memorial.

Spr Thomas N Knight,

WR/22989,

Died 10/2/19

Age 30,

Royal Engineers

Buried at home.

Any help will be much appreciated,

Cooky.

[ss002d6252]

SDGw shows:

Name: William Harry Knight
Birth Place: Lightwater, Surrey
Residence: Lightwater
Death Date: 23 Feb 1916
Death Location: France & Flanders
Enlistment Location: Guildford, Surrey
Rank: Private
Regiment: Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
Battalion: 6th Battalion
Number: S/6380
Type of Casualty: Killed in action
Theatre of War: Western European Theatre


Name: James Knight
Birth Place: Lightwater, Surrey
Residence: Lightwater
Death Date: 23 Mar 1918
Death Location: France & Flanders
Enlistment Location: Guildford, Surrey
Rank: Private
Regiment: Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
Battalion: 11th Battalion
Number: G/37220
Type of Casualty: Killed in action
Theatre of War: Western European Theatre

Craig

[stdape2011]

Thomas Napoleon Knight married to Lily Knight, of Nursery Cottage, Guildford Rd., Lightwater, Bagshot

315th Road Construction Company

[JakeK51]

Hi there, the three men you have listed are all direct relatives to me and i was just wondering the reason for your interest? (not meaning to be too nosey, it's fine if you'd rather keep it private!)

[sotonmate]

Welcome to the Forum Jake !

I was wondering if you have found anything on your relatives ?

Cooky

William of 6 Battalion doesn't seem to have been with them all the time as he first landed in France on 8 Nov 1914,according to his Medal Card, and 6 didn't arrive until May 1915 or so when they landed with their formation,37 Inf.Bde of 12 Division. I am thinking he may have been with 1 Battalion as it was the first to land,and at some time transferred to 6. Long Long Trail page on Division:

http://www.1914-1918.net/12div.htm

You will see from the page that at the time of his death his formation were in trenches at Loos.

James of 11 Battalion,part of 123 Brigade of 41 Division,landed after Dec 1915. Divisional page:

http://www.1914-1918.net/41div.htm

You will see that the Division landed in France in May 1916 and that around the time of his death they had returned to France from a short stay in Italy and he was killed at the Battle of St Quentin.

Thomas N Knight began his war with the Royal Field Artillery as number 114202,transferred to the Royal Engineers with number 307285,moving to the Waterway and Railway Section of the RE under the number WR/22989.

Unless you can find his service record it might be difficult to stitch together his service,though there are people here who might be able to ID his RFA unit to get you rolling.

[JakeK51]

thanks for the welcome sotonmate!

Sadly i only have info on the social aspects of their lives and not the military. I have been to the grave of Thomas Napoleon Knight as many other family members are buried in the same one and i do have pictures of it if that helps? i would be interested also to hear of the military information of these men as they were my great grand uncles so any info would be welcome for me!

i was wondering how you found William's medal card as i have trawled through ancestry and couldn't locate it? any help here would be greatly appreciated!

Kind regards Jake

[sotonmate]

I did post about Thomas too as an edit addition,but where it went.......

He was Royal Field Artillery as his first posting to a war zone,number 114202. There are people here who might be able to help via his number as to unit. Transfer to Royal Engineers under number 307285 and thern again to Waterways and Railways under WR/22989.

Jake,William's Medal Card under William H Knight and a prefix to his number,S/6380.

[Sgt-Sags]

Sorry for reviving an old post but I'm also looking into the Knight brothers due to their CWGC entries including Camberley in their address.

 

The query I have is about James Knight 11th Queen's Royal West Surrey, Service No: G/37220, MIA 23rd March 1918.

 

I have not been able to confirm his birth records and have discovered a pension record on Ancestry and FMP for a Percy James Knight, Army Service Corps, Service No: T/36230 who gives the same details for mother (Edith Knight, Rose Cottages, Lightwater, Surrey). Percy enlisted at Camberley on the 7th of January 1915 but was discharged on the 1st of May 1915 due to Valvular Heart Disease. 

I'm wondering and leaning towards Percy then signing up as James Knight or whether this is another brother. The 1891, 1901 and 1911 census doesn't show a Percy, with James in the 1901 and 1911 entires. 

 

Any thoughts from the relatives that have commented if you're still active here?

 

Lee

[Matlock1418]

Sgt-Sags,

Pension records at WFA/Fold3 for

Pte James KNIGHT 37220 RWS / Pte James Percy KNIGHT 37220 RWS appear to have a second man, Pte William  KNIGHT 6380 RWS  / Pte William Henry KNIGHT 6380 RWS, on several cards suggesting the dependant mother, Edith Sarah, and later father, Edward, were making claims for two sons - from Rose Cottage, Lightwater / Rose Cottage, Bagshot

KNIGHT, T/36230 or 36230 does not identify other pension record card(s)

[It appears the T/36230 'pension record' found by you is a duplicate service record kept elsewhere for pension purposes - as opposed to the other SR burnt by Luftwaffe bombing]

:-) M

 

Edit: 

Several of James / James Percy's cards name Miss Ethyl TAYLOR, 4 Beech Villa, New Road, Ascot [also Laughton Cottage Sunninghill] - Unmarried wife / Guardian of illegitimate child

Edited 15 April , 2021 by Matlock1418
Edit:

[Matlock1418]

Register of Soldier's Effects on Ancestry:

KNIGHT, James, 11th R W Surrey, Pte., 37220, since 23-3-18, France, Death Presumed.

Effects £14 13s 1d - includes War Gratuity of £8 [to father, Edward 15.7.19]

 

KNIGHT, William Harry, 6th R W Surrey, Pte., 6380, 23.2.16, In Action.

Effects £8 3s 6d - plus War Gratuity of £5 10s 0d [to mother, Edith, 11.5.16 and 19.9.19]

 

KNIGHT, Thomas Napoleon 315 RCC, RE, Spr, WR/22989, 12/2/19 Connaught Hosp, Aldershot

Effects: £22 8s 2d plus 1s 7d - Incl War Gratuity of £19 0s 0d [to widow, Lilly 2.9.19]

:-) M

Edited 15 April , 2021 by Matlock1418
Added TNK

[Matlock1418]

Pension record card at WFA/Fold3 shows:

KNIGHT, Thomas N RE, Spr, WR/22989, 12/2/19, Pneumonia contracted whilst on Active Service

Widow, Lily, Nursery Cottage, Lightwater, Bagshot

£5 grant paid 6.3.19 [for death expenses] plus pension of 13/9 pw from 18.8.19

:-) M

Edited 15 April , 2021 by Matlock1418

[Sgt-Sags]

Matlock, Thank you for your look up on fold, interesting little nuggets of info the pension records there seem to have re illegitimate children. Do the pension records show dates of birth?

 

I'm still thinking the record I found for Percy James Knight T/36230 (Ancestry have it under their Pension records but checking again it is only a Short Attestation record) is actually the same person as James Knight.

 

My theory is he was known as James by the family according to census records, signed up as his actual birth registered name, Percy James Knight, in 1915 at Camberley, then discharged due to Valvular Heart Disease. Popped up the road to Guildford and signed up as James Knight

 

Percy James Knight born between April and June 1897, Registered at Chertsey, Surrey. (Both Thomas Napoleon and William Harry Knight had their births registered at Cherstsey). 

They seem to be the only family in Surrey that didn't get baptised, and I can only find a birth record for James Percy Knight in 1877 registered at Droxford, Hants.

 

Lee

[Matlock1418]

26 minutes ago, Sgt-Sags said:

Thank you for your look up on fold, interesting little nuggets of info the pension records there seem to have re illegitimate children. Do the pension records show dates of birth?

Re: DoB

= Not provided for these three dead Knight men   [DoB or YoB fairly often found on other men's ledger cards, most notably for disability]

= Name(s) and DoB not provided for the illegitimate child   [for child(ren) - name(s) and DoB commonly provided - as needed for pension calculations]

= Not provided for parent(s)    [age(s) sometimes found on other men's cards, notably ledger cards]

= Provided for TNK's widow, Lily =  6.11.85   [for widows commonly provided - as needed for pension calculations]

:-) M

[Sgt-Sags]

Thanks again for the confirmation about D.O.B's

 

Lee