Pte
Albert Knight
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 25/07/1884 |
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Place of birth: Faversham, Kent, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: Rocanville, Saskatchewan, Canada |
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Profession: Farmer |
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Religion: Church of England |
Army information
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Country: Canada |
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Force: Canadian Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 288631 |
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Enlistment date: 13/05/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Rocanville, Saskatchewan, Canada |
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Units: — Canadian Infantry, 78th Bn. (Winnipeg Grenadiers) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 30/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Vienna Cottages - Stein Hof, Passendale, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 33 |
Cemetery
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Passchendaele New British Cemetery Plot: XIII Row: B Grave: 12 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Albert Knight was one of 7 children of John and Emma Knight. He was born on 25 July 1884 in Faversham, Kent, UK. Albert emigrated to Canada, where he worked as a farmer. There he married British Matilda Jane Evans in 1914 and together they had a daughter. Albert enlisted in the Canadian Army in May 1916 and belonged to the 78th Battalion (12th Brigade, 4th Division). The battalion was also called the Manitoba Regiment or the Winnipeg Grenadiers.
Albert fell on 30 October 1917, during the Battle of Passchendaele. At that time, the 78th Battalion was located just beyond the Keerselaarhoek between the Ypres-Roulers railway line and the Ravebeek (today's Stroombeek). On the left of the stream was the 3rd Canadian Division and on their right were Anzac troops south of the railway line. Together with the 85th and 72nd Battalions, the 78th Battalion attacked on 30 October. The 12th Brigade's objective was to capture and hold a line southwest of the village of Passchendaele. That position would provide the ideal starting point to later capture the village itself. Vienna Cottages and Crest Farm were captured and the 78th Battlaion also managed to reach their objective southeast of the Zonnebeke Passendale road, where they dug in. However, they remained under fire from machine guns, snipers and aircrafts. Allied artillery managed to prevent an oncoming German counterattack with a barrage. For the actions between 28 and 31 October, the 78th Battalion pays a high cost: 72 killed, 300 wounded and 6 missing.
One of the men killed was 33-year-old Albert Knight. He was buried on the battlefield near Vienna Cottages. Later his remains were transferred to Passchendaele New British Cemetery (plot XIII, row B, grave 12).
Albert fell on 30 October 1917, during the Battle of Passchendaele. At that time, the 78th Battalion was located just beyond the Keerselaarhoek between the Ypres-Roulers railway line and the Ravebeek (today's Stroombeek). On the left of the stream was the 3rd Canadian Division and on their right were Anzac troops south of the railway line. Together with the 85th and 72nd Battalions, the 78th Battalion attacked on 30 October. The 12th Brigade's objective was to capture and hold a line southwest of the village of Passchendaele. That position would provide the ideal starting point to later capture the village itself. Vienna Cottages and Crest Farm were captured and the 78th Battlaion also managed to reach their objective southeast of the Zonnebeke Passendale road, where they dug in. However, they remained under fire from machine guns, snipers and aircrafts. Allied artillery managed to prevent an oncoming German counterattack with a barrage. For the actions between 28 and 31 October, the 78th Battalion pays a high cost: 72 killed, 300 wounded and 6 missing.
One of the men killed was 33-year-old Albert Knight. He was buried on the battlefield near Vienna Cottages. Later his remains were transferred to Passchendaele New British Cemetery (plot XIII, row B, grave 12).
Sources 8
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Census of Canada, 1916 (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG31-C-1). https://library-archives.canada.ca/ Sources used |
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Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG12). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG13). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Manitoba Vital Statistics: Marriage Manitoba. https://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/Query.php Sources used |
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McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 2018), 153-154. Sources used |
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Personnel Records of the First World War (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC) RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 4930-35). https://library-archives.canada.ca/ Sources used |
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War diaries: 78th Canadian Infantry Battalion (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG9-III-D-3, Volume number: 4943, Microfilm reel number: T-10751, File number: 453). https://library-archives.canada.ca/ Sources used |
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War Graves Registers: Circumstances of Death (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG 150, 1992-93/314; Volume Number: 202). https://library-archives.canada.ca/ Sources used |
More information 4
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/461347 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=e2db3bbb-d52a-4f96-9055-5ece03b0eff2 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/5983433 |
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The Canadian Virtual War Memorial https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/461347 |