| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Philip was born in Beverley in 1891, one of seven children of Frederick James Knight and his wife Harriet Maria, they married at Beverley, St Mary’s Church on 31 May 1887. Frederick was a butcher from Northants, the family lived on Toll Gavel, he later became a publican, running the Ship Inn in Saturday Market from 1899 to 1915.The family later lived at 25 Ladygate. Philip was employed in the fish trade but by 1914 was working as a tanner’s labourer. He was unmarried.
Philip joined the army in 1915 and became a driver in the army Supply Corps, using horse transport that took vital supplies up to dumps behind the front lines. He arrived in France on 20 Dec 1915. On 12 Jan 1918 he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, later the RAF, and served as an Air Mechanic 3rd Class. He spent the final year of the war in the UK, joining 39th Squadron, transferring to 38th at RAF Tadcaster and then the 96th at RAF Wyton, near Huntingdon. He was demobilised at Clipstone Camp on 24 Feb 1919 and travelled back to Beverley.
On 1 Mar 1919 he died at home of pneumonia. He was buried in Beverley, St Martin’s Cemetery in a designated war grave. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star and the Victory and War Medals. He is commemorated on the Hengate War Memorial.
Includes information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |