John Henry Knights

An Engineman with H.M.S. Vigorous, John died on 1st of August 1918 aged 30.

John was born at Pakefield on 7 September 1888, a son of George and Harriet M. A. Knights: note school admissions give his birth date as 1 July. In 1891 his family lived at 6 Pakefield Street and in 1901 at 2 Pakefield Street. John was a pupil at Cunningham School. On 17 August 1913 John married Louisa Cropley at Saint Margaret’s Church. John was a fisherman living at 9 Raglan Cottages and Louisa lived at 29 Kent Road. In 1915 they lived at 33 Kent Road, and in 1918 at Epsom Terrace, Kirkley Run. 

John joined the Royal Naval Reserve on 1 February 1915. He served with the trawler Liberty until 10 February 1915. His service record does not show each individual vessel he served on, but lists the depot ships to which he was drafted, namely: H.M.S. Valiant II to 31 May 1915; H.M.S. Hermoine to 31 December 1915; H.M.S. Thetis, to 5 January 1918 and then H.M.S. Vigorous. John received a share of £200 awarded for distinguished service in an attack on an enemy submarine on 2 March 1918. 

John died in hospital at Larne from congestion of lungs following influenza. Subsequently Louisa lived at 13 Severn Terrace, Kirkley Run. 

John’s brother served in the Royal Naval Reserve and died in 1916. His brother-in-law, Robert Cropley, served with the Machine Gun Corps and died in 1917.