| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
George Edward Holmes Knight was born on 18 Oct 1896, the third son of Frederick James, an innkeeper and Harriet Maria Holmes Knight of The Ship Inn, Saturday Market. Frederick Knight was the last innkeeper of the Ship Inn, being the ‘select victualler’ from 1899 until its closure in Feb 1915. The family moved to Ladygate from the Ship Inn. George had six siblings
George was baptised in Beverley Minster on 13 Nov 1896. The 1911 census shows George was attending school and still living with his family at the Ship Inn. All except one of his siblings also lived there working in the fish and butchers trades or assisting their father.
George served in the 1st/8th Battalion, West Yorkshire (Prince of Wales Own) Regiment and was entitled to wear the Victory and British War Medals. The 1st/8th Battalion (Leeds Rifles) landed at Boulogne, France, in Apr 1915. On 30 Jan 1918, the 1st/8th and the 2nd/8th Battalion merged and formed the 8th Battalion. A few months later, George is included in a casualty list of the 8th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment, dated 6 Apr 1918. The list does not give the reason why he apears on it but an article in the Beverley Guardian of 6 Apr explains:
“Mr Fred Knight, of Lady Gate, Beverley, has received an intimation that his youngest son, Rifleman G. E. H. Knight, West Yorks., was wounded by gas shell (severe), on 21 Mar and is now in hospital in France. In civil life, he was an apprentice ship’s draughtsman. One brother has already been discharged wounded and another is still serving”.
George survived the war and transferred to the reserves on the 8 Dec 1920. He died in Beverley in 1975.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |