Thomas Knight, RSM RFA

[parkerbirch]

Supporting my local museum in St Neots, Cambridgeshire to trace details or living relations for T (Tom / Thomas?) G Knight, Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM), Royal Field Artillery (RFA), WWI.

Two diaries were claimed from a house clearance locally (in 1975, possibly Gamlingay area) and the museum would like to trace the ancestors of TG Knight to re-unite the diaries with the family.

Son (Tom Knight) maybe LSM 85496.
Wife H S J / T Knight
Daughter Beatrice Melita Knight
George Simpson and Dug Ratcliff are mentioned (1916)
Returned to London 3 Jan 1916, 4 Jan 1916 in Streatham, 5 Jan 1916 in Whitehall for pension plus 'Tower'.

TG Knight was with the 60th (London) Division to Jerico.
1917-18 Palestine Campaign.
Major General Shea - Commander
Taking of Jerusalem 8+9 Dec 1917 (Sir Edmund Allenby's army)
Dec 1918 Division was in action east of Jordan
Also mention of action in France earlier in career and son serving on the Rhine

Letter accompanying the diaries to their new owner written from Bournemouth. Sat 24 Aug, year unknown.

The diaries are detailed accounts of action in WWI including Palestine, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jerico and other middle east places.

Photo of Son and Daughter attached.

[cath151]

There appears to be a Beatrice Melita Knight born 1902, daughter of Thomas Gordon Duff Knight and Henrietta Largster? Knight. She is on the 1911 census along with two brothers born abroad.
Can t give details but pob would fit with what you say and her brother possibly the son named in diaries.
Thomas senior would seem to be a little old for service maybe in WW1 but son Thomas William Howard Knight born c 1896 looks like he may have been in the RFA.
 Also   https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99FL-3BR

Cathy

[MaxD]

The photo is of a Second Lieutenant with the cap badge of the London Regiment but I can't identify the collar badges which may be a cadet unit (wild guess). The cuff badges of rank in the regular army were abolished in 1920 so if he is serving in a service unit the photo pre-dates this. I can find no officer record for a Thomas Knight of the London Regiment, they would be at the National Archives.
The "LSM 85496" doesn't seem to throw up any results either.

Cathy's voters list to which the link refers shows Thomas Gordon Duff Knight living in the staff quarters of the hospital block in the Tower of London in 1902.

I find no Thomas William Howard Knight in the RFA??

Not helpful I'm afraid bit puzzling.  May be me?  Cathy - could you send a link to the 1911 census find (I have Ancestry and FindMyPast).

maxD  Edited - see later post

[sarah]

As a professional researcher are you being paid for your services ?

Sarah

[cath151]

Hi,
Not very good with 1911 references but on FindMyPast look for Beatrice Melita Inight and Ancestry Beatrice Inight.
Cathy

[MaxD]

Very useful Cathy (brilliant eye for a dodgy transcription!).  It confirms that Thomas Gordon Duff Knight (BUT see below) was an army pensioner age 45 in 1911, a Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London which cross checks with him living there in 1902.  He did indeed serve in the Great War with service number 51221 from 1915 and finished as RSM in the RFA. 

HOWEVER - the dodgy transcription is in fact correct (vide for example FreeBMD).  The family name is INIGHT

There are pension and medal records for the senior INIGHT and records for Lieutenant Thomas William Stuart INIGHT Machine Gun Corps.  I was wrong in my earlier post.  His first commission (London Gazette refers) was into the Border Regiment in Dec 1915 (similar looking cap badge).  He left the army in 1921 having at some stage transferred to the MGC.

The references to the 60th London Division could equally well apply to either of the two Inights as the division had a battalion of the MGC as well as a number of RFA units.

None of this finds present day Inights but it does, I believe, give a better start to your search now you have the right name.  Happy to look further at the military records but I'm not sure it helps the particular search.

Thanks to Cathy who has no need for Specsavers!

maxD

[parkerbirch]

As a professional researcher are you being paid for your services ?

Sarah

Not for this research
Rob Parker

[cath151]

Hi ,
Well I thought it was just a bad transcription, never heard the name Inight, so well done for putting two and two together! Research much easier now.
There is a tree on Ancestry which looks promising, I have sent them a message making them aware of the post.
Cathy

[MaxD]

Well done again Cathy.  I was going to work down the years on FreeBMD for more clues on the descendants but your method is easier!

maxD