Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
William Edward Knight was born August 4th 1895 in England, exact location unknown but most probably in the district of Chester le Street, County Durham. He was the eldest of 8 children 5 sons and 3 daughters born to Frederick Rudolph Knight born 1865, location unknown, and Catherine Mossop born 1876 at Washington, County Durham. As a young man his father Frederick spent time in South Africa, returning, aged 26 years and described on the passenger list as a mining engineer, to Southampton from Durban aboard the “Tartar” of the Union Steamships Company, June 29th 1891. Frederick Rudolph Knight married Catherine in the district of Chester le Street, November 26th 1894, eight years later with they were living at 40 Kenmore Rows, Old Monkland, Lanarkshire, with 4 children, where Frederick (Fred) was employed as a coal hewer. They stayed in Scotland in the same area but had moved back to the Gateshead with their 8 children,after 1911 but before the outbreak of hostilities with Germany in 1914.
William Edward enlisted and was assigned as Able Seaman Z/580 Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, Hood Battalion Royal Naval Division. Hood was one of the battalion formed August 16th 1914, an idea of Winston Churchill the First Lord of the Admiralty, from the surplus men of the Naval Reserve but training was slow because resources were needed for the rapid expansion of the Army. Able Seaman Knight served in Gallipoli attached to the 63rd Royal Naval Division when they departed in 1915. After the evacuation from Gallipoli the RND were sent to France to participate in the final stages of the Battles of the Somme in 1916. Hood Battalion was deployed along with Howe and Hawke during the Battle of Ancre as 1st RMLI, Anson, Nelson and Drake 2nd RMLI. When the battle began in the early hours of November 13th 1916 they were ordered to crawl across no-man’s land towards the German line under the cover of a creeping barrage but about 50 per cent of the day's total casualties occurred before the first German trench was taken.
Able Seaman Z/580 William Edward Knight Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve was one of the many casualties that day, his body buried on the battlefield and marked with a cross bearing his details. It was not until May 7th 1919 that his body was exhumed by the 148th Labour Company and brought into Lonsdale Cemetery, Authuille, Somme, France for reburial with all honour and reverence, grave II. E. 16. At the time of his demise, November 13th 1916 he was 21 years old and single.
His mother received all monies due to him, a pension and his awards of 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 9, Hainingwood Terrace, Bill Quay, County Durham. She also paid for an inscription to be added to her son’s military headstone, as this was erected in about 1923, after the death of his father, it does not refer to him and reads, “Sudden Death-Sudden Glory. Ever Remembered by His Loving Mother” and cost 15 shillings 5 pence.
William’s father Frederick also served during WW1. Enlisting in 1914 he was assigned as Private 117793 Royal Engineers, he died aged 54 years, April 23rd 1920, recipient of the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal he is at rest, south east side Heworth (St. Mary) Churchyard, near Gateshead, County Durham.
William's mother Catherine remarried during the second quarter (Apr/May/Jun) of 1923, in the district of Gateshead, to James Tapping and died aged 59 years in the district of Gateshead in 1935.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
William Edward Knight is remembered at Heworth on H92.03, H92.04 and H92.07 and at Windy Nook on W95.01 and W95.02
