Date de naissance: 09/08/1883

Lieu de naissance: Hailsham, Sussex, Angleterre, Royaume-Uni

Profession: Magasinier et agent pour J. Bell & Co.

Pays: Australia

Force armée: Australian Imperial Force

Rang: Private

Numéro de service: 7259

Incorporation date: 15/09/1916

Incorporation nom de lieu: Blackboy Hill, Western Australia, Australia

Unités:  —  Australian Infantry, 16th Bn.  (Dernière unité connue)

Date de décès: 27/09/1917

Lieu de décès: Albania Woods Zonnebeke, Belgique

Cause du décès: Killed in action (K.I.A.)

Âge: 34

British War Medal Médaille

Victory Medal Médaille

Private Charles Henry Knight served in the 16th Battalion Australian Infantry part of the 4th Australian Brigade, of the 4th Australian Division. The Division participated in the Battle of Polygon Wood a stage of the Third Battle of Ypres.
On the 23rd of September, the 4th Australian Bde., moved to the front and made the final preparations for the attack on the 26th. During the night of the 25th they silently settled at their jumping off positions between the hamlet of Westhoek and Albania Woods. The 26th of September marks the start of the Battle of Polygon Wood.
The 4th Australian Division attacked with the 13th Bde. on the left and the 4th Australian Bde. on the right, almost directly positioned near the north edge of Polygon Wood. The 4th Australian Bde. attacked with the 13th Australian Battalion ( in support ), the 14th and 15th Australian Battalion ( responsible for the second objective, the so-called Blue Line ) and the 16th Australian Battalion ( responsible for the first objective, the Red Line (J.4.a.6.3. – J.4.c.8.3.), roughly running from Jabber House to the Cemetery, now CWGC Polygon Wood Cemetery).
The attack commenced at 5.50 a.m. with an opening barrage. The 16th Battalion took the lead. Just an hour after the beginning of the attack, the 16th Battalion reached and consolidated the Red Line, this while having suffered slight casualties. The 14th and 15th Battalion went through the 16th and advanced to the next objective, which they gained and consolidated around 7.30 a.m. At 3 p.m. the Germans were seen at approximately 100yards of the new British front line. A counter attack was fend off with artillery.
During the night, the 16th Battalion was sent to relieve the 13th Battalion at the old front line near Westhoek, where they occupied the new support lines and were engaged in working parties. Private Knight was killed on the 27th of September. He possibly fell due to German shelling while the 16th Battalion was holding the support near Albania Woods or while being engaged in a working party. Private Charles Henry Knight’s remains were never found or were never identified. He is remembered on the (Ypres) Menin Gate Memorial.

" The Old Sixteenth. Being the story of the 16th Battalion A.I.F. during the Great War of 1914-1918 ", Longmore C., Carlisle, Hesperian Press, 2007, pg. 148 - 150. Sources utilisées

" The Third Ypres Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account ", McCarthy C., London, Arms & Armour Press, 1995, pg. 87-89. Sources utilisées

Ancestry http://www.ancestry.co.uk Autre référence

CWGC http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/924742/KNIGHT,%20CHARLES%20HENRY Sources utilisées

Roll of Honour https://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/R1639880/ Sources utilisées

Service Record http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=7373507 Sources utilisées

The Long Long Trail. 4th Australian Division http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/4th-australian-division/ Sources utilisées

War Diary Australian Infantry, 16th Bn. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1000596/ Sources utilisées

War Diary Australian Infantry, 4th Bde. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1000569/ Sources utilisées