Name
George Knight
1880
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
16/11/1916
36
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Corporal
18298
Bedfordshire Regiment
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
SERRE ROAD CEMETERY No.1
V. F. 8.
France
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Stevenage Old Town memorials, Not on the Letchworth Garden City memorials*1
Pre War
George Knight was born in Windsor in 1880 to John Knight, and Mother unknown. Little more information was found.
George enlisted in the Dorsetshire Regiment on 29 Oct 1898 as Private 5166 in the 2nd Battalion. He served in Malta (27 Jan 1897-3 Nov 1898) and transferring to 1st Battalion served in India (4 Nov 1898-19 Jan 1905) returning to Home service from 20 Jan 1905 until placed on Army Reserve 28 Oct 1908.
He married Lydia Barwick on 31 Jan 1906 in Stevenage.
On the 1911 Census George was working as a farm cowman and living at Stevenage Lodge, Stevenage, Herts with Lydia and the twins George Stanley & Harold Aubrey (born 1 Dec 1907). ther would be two more children Frederick Reginald (born 29 Sep 1911) and Arthur Leslie (born 12 Dec 1913).
Wartime Service
George enlisted in Bedfordshire Regiment as Private 18298, No Service Record was found for him so this may have been soon after Aug 1914. At some time he was promoted to Corporal. He was posted to 6th (Service) Battalion and went to France with them on 30 Jul 1915 to join 112 Brigade of 37 Division. They took part in the later Battles of the Somme at the Battle of Ancre (13-18 Nov 1916). George was reported as Missing and he was presumed killed in action on 16 Nov 1916. His remains were recovered post war and was interred at Serre Road No 1 Cemetery.
The Hertford Mercury of 29th January 1916 was reporting that George, "late of Stevenage, whom rumour, some time ago reported killed, had been home on leave from the trenches in France, where he has been for the last six months." At this time his wife and family were living in Letchworth. He returned to the trenches on the previous Tuesday.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £10 and arrears of £12 2s 0d was paid to his widow, who also received 30 shillings/week for herself and children.
*1 is also commemorated on his son’s grave in Letchworth Cemetery. His part of the inscription reads:
SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF CPL. GEORGE KNIGHT.
KILLED IN FRANCE 16TH NOV. 1916, AGED 36 YEARS
George's son, Stanley Knight, died on active service in the Second World War in 1942, aged 34.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild
