Arthur George Knight
VC (26 June 1886 – 3 September 1918) was an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
-
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
soldier. Knight was a recipient of the
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
forces. Knight was one of seven Canadian to be awarded the Victoria Cross for their actions on one single day, 2 September 1918, for actions across the 30 km long
Drocourt-Quéant Line near
Arras, France
Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department, which forms part of the region of Hauts-de-France; before the reorganization of 2014 it was in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The historic centre of the A ...
. The other six recipients were
Bellenden Hutcheson
Bellenden Seymour Hutcheson (16 December 1883 – 9 April 1954) was an American-born Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC) during the First World War. The VC is the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded t ...
,
William Henry Metcalf,
Claude Joseph Patrick Nunney,
Cyrus Wesley Peck
Cyrus Wesley Peck & Bar (26 April 1871 – 27 September 1956) was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Peck was one of the ...
,
Walter Leigh Rayfield
Walter Leigh Rayfield (7 October 1881 – 19 February 1949) was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Rayfield was one of the ...
and
John Francis Young
John Francis Young (14 January 1893 – 7 November 1929) was a Canadian soldier who served in the First World War. Young was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to Brit ...
.
Details
Knight emigrated from England to Canada in 1911 and enlisted in the
Canadian Expeditionary Force
The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was the expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed following Britain’s declaration of war on Germany on 15 August 1914, with an initial strength of one infantry division ...
in December 1914 at Regina, Saskatchewan. In November 1917, Knight was awarded the
Croix de Guerre
The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...
by his Majesty
Leopold III, King of the Belgians, for his actions. Knight was 32 years old, and an acting
sergeant
Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
in the
10th Battalion,
CEF during the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 2 September 1918 at
Villers-les-Cagnicourt,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, when a bombing section which he was leading was held up, Sergeant Knight went forward alone, bayoneting several machine-gunners and trench mortar crews, and forcing the rest to retire. Then bringing forward a Lewis gun he directed his fire on the retreating enemy; his platoon went in pursuit and the sergeant, seeing about 30 of the enemy going into a tunnel leading off the trench, again went forward alone, killing an officer and two NCOs and taking 20 prisoners. After this, again single-handed, he routed another hostile party. Later he was fatally wounded.
Further information
Knight is buried at Dominion Cemetery in
Hendecourt-les-Cagnicourt,
Pas-de-Calais
Pas-de-Calais (, " strait of Calais"; pcd, Pas-Calés; also nl, Nauw van Kales) is a department in northern France named after the French designation of the Strait of Dover, which it borders. It has the most communes of all the departments ...
, France. The cemetery is roughly three kilometres northeast of the village (plot I, row F, grave 15). His Victoria Cross is on display in The Calgary Highlanders gallery at The Military Museums, on loan from the
Glenbow Museum
The Glenbow Museum is an art and history regional museum in the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The museum focuses on Western Canadian history and culture, including Indigenous perspectives. The Glenbow was established as a private non-profi ...
in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
A plaque commemorating Knight's VC action was dedicated in Villers-les-Cagnicourt in April 2015 by a delegation of
The Calgary Highlanders
The Calgary Highlanders is a Canadian Army Primary Reserve infantry regiment, headquartered at Mewata Armouries in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The regiment is a part-time reserve unit, under the command of 41 Canadian Brigade Group, itself part of 3 ...
.
References
External links
Arthur George Knight's digitized service fileCanadian Great War projectBiography of Arthur George Knighton DND'S Directorate of History and Heritage
Arthur George Knighton the Canadian Virtual War Memorial
'' history of the Tenth Battalion in the First World War include biography of Arthur George Knight''
Legion Magazine-The Magnificent Seven*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knight, Arthur George
1886 births
1918 deaths
Canadian World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross
Canadian military personnel killed in World War I
Recipients of the Croix de guerre (Belgium)
People from Haywards Heath
English emigrants to Canada
Canadian Expeditionary Force soldiers
Canadian Army soldiers
Calgary Highlanders
Military personnel from Sussex