Robert James Knights

An Acting Corporal with the 1/4th Battalion, Robert died on 8th of August 1918 aged 23. 

Robert was born at Lowestoft on 10 February 1895, a son of John and Amy Maria Knights. In 1901 his family lived at 17 Reeve Street. From 3 October 1904 Robert was a pupil at Saint Margaret’s School. In 1911 his family lived at 19 Oxford Road when Robert was a grocer’s errand boy. 

Robert volunteered and enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft in late 1912. He joined the 1/4th Battalion Suffolk Regiment (Territorial Force), service number 1504. He was mobilised when the war began but did not serve overseas until later in the war. In 1917 he was renumbered 200156. 

Robert married Florence May Vincent in 1917: this was registered in the Blything district. In 1918 Florence lived at New Cottages, Linstead Magna, Halesworth.

At 4.20 a.m. on 8 August 1918 the 58th Division took part in an attack. At 10 a.m. men of the 1/4th Battalion were ordered to go forward and dig a line of posts to protect the left flank of the division. Twenty men of the battalion were wounded and nine, including Robert, killed. Robert and four other men of the battalion were buried at map reference 62.d.NE.K.26.c.40.80 and in 1920 they were reburied at Heath Cemetery.