Captain Arthur Gerald Knight (30 July 1895 – 20 December 1916) was a British

World War I 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 ...

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

credited with eight aerial victories. He was under attack by

Oswald Boelcke Oswald Boelcke PlM (; 19 May 1891 – 28 October 1916) was a World War I German professional soldier and pioneering flying ace credited with 40 aerial victories. Boelcke is honored as the father of the German fighter air force, and of air ...

and

Erwin Böhme Erwin Böhme (29 July 1879 – 29 November 1917), PlM, was a German World War I fighter ace credited with 24 aerial victories. He was born in Holzminden on 28 July 1879. Both studious and athletic, he became a champion swimmer, proficient ice ska ...

when they collided, causing Boelcke's death. Two months later, Knight would fall under the guns of

Manfred von Richthofen Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (; 2 May 1892 – 21 April 1918), known in English as Baron von Richthofen or the Red Baron, was a fighter pilot with the German Air Force during World War I. He is considered the ace-of-aces of ...

, who had also been in the dogfight when Boelcke was killed.

Early life

Arthur Gerald Knight was the son of Arthur Cecil Knight and Isabella Jael Knight (née Balston). The younger Knight was a student of Applied Science at

Upper Canada College Upper Canada College (UCC) is an elite, all-boys, private school in Toronto, Ontario, operating under the International Baccalaureate program. The college is widely described as the country's most prestigious preparatory school, and has produce ...

when he joined the Royal Flying Corps in 1915.

World War I service

Aerial victories

Knight was assigned to the command of Major

Lanoe Hawker Lanoe George Hawker, (30 December 1890 – 23 November 1916) was a British flying ace of the First World War. Having seven credited victories, he was the third pilot to receive the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry awar ...

. He began his victory string on 22 June 1916, using an Airco DH.2 of No. 24 Squadron RFC to destroy an LVG C model reconnaissance aircraft over Courcelette. His next two wins were of the "driven down out of control" variety, but for his fourth triumph on 14 September he helped

Stanley Cockerell Captain Stanley Cockerell Air Force Cross (United Kingdom), AFC (9 February 1895 – 29 November 1940) was a British World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories. He later became a test pilot for Vickers and attempted the first fl ...

flame a Fokker fighter. The following day, he singlehandedly flamed another German fighter; a month later, he drove a Roland C.II down out of control. On 9 November 1916, he shared the destruction of an enemy fighter with Alfred Edwin McKay and Eric Pashley. Knight's Military Cross was awarded five days later.Shores et al, pp. 226–227. Airco D

Notable combats

On 28 October, Knight was under attack by Boelcke and Böhme when McKay, pursued by Richthofen, cut across between Knight and his assailants. In the resultant dodges and swerves, Böhme's plane's landing gear wheels damaged Boelcke's upper wing, and Boelcke fell to his death. Knight transferred to No. 29 Squadron RFC as the flight commander, B Flight, still flying a DH.2. On 11 December 1916, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. He scored his eighth victory five days later, downing an enemy fighter northeast of Arras, and continuing his assault on a second despite a broken machine gun extractor. Four days later, he led his final patrol before ten days' leave. He did not return. His patrol of four made it back, but badly battered by combat. Knight had become the

Red Baron Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...

's thirteenth victim. The only known description of Knight's end comes from the victor's combat report: "...I attacked him at closest range.... I saw immediately that I had hit the enemy. First he went down in curves, then he crashed to the ground. I pursued him until 100 metres above the ground."

Honours and awards

;Military Cross :Second Lieutenant Arthur Gerald Knight, Royal Flying Corps, Special Reserve. ::"For conspicuous skill and gallantry. He has shown great pluck in fights with enemy machines, and has accounted for several. On one occasion, when a hostile machine was interfering with a reconnaissance, he attacked at very close range, and brought down the enemy machine in flames. ;Distinguished Service Order :Second Lieutenant Arthur Gerald Knight, MC, Royal Flying Corps. ::"For conspicuous gallantry in action. He led four machines against 18 hostile machines. Choosing a good moment for attack he drove down five of them and dispersed the remainder. He has shown the utmost dash and judgment as a leader of offensive patrols."

References

Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Knight, Arthur Gerald 1895 births 1916 deaths Burials in France Military personnel from Bedford People from Bedford English aviators Royal Flying Corps officers Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Recipients of the Military Cross British World War I flying aces British military personnel killed in World War I