Category Archives: Services

Frederick John Knott

Army, Arras, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments

Frederick John Thomas Knott
Private 31609
63rd Company Machine Gun Corps.

Division 9

KNOTT F MGC  CIMG2155CIMG2156

 

Frederick Knott is commemorated on a his family’s grave number 9931.  He was the son of Frederick and Harriet Knott who lived at 4, Fulham Road, Reading.  The 1911 census indicates that he was the eldest of seven children, he had a younger brother and five sisters. Frederick Knott was killed on 23rd April 1917, aged 19.  

 Frederick Knott has no known grave and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial Panel 10.  The Arras Memorial bears the names of 35,000 casualties who died between Spring 1916 and 7th August 1918 and who have no known graves.

 The exact circumstances of his death are unknown but the Battle of Arras began on 9th April 1917 and the 23rd April 1917 was the start of the second phase, with the British attacking north and south of the River Scarpe.  The early stages involved the capture of Vimy Ridge and the village vantage point of Monchy-le-Preux.   The second stage continued the steady pressure towards the east and Cambrai with heavy fighting around Gavrelle and Oppy Wood.

Percy Francis Kington

Alfred Sutton School War Memorial, Army, Other Regiments, Y.M.C.A.

Percy Francis Kington
Rifleman 554923
16th Battalion London Regiment, Queens Westminster Rifles

Kington PF grave

Percy Francis Kington  was the son of John and Marion Kington (nee Blow) of 1, Hamilton Road. He was one of six children according to the 1901 census. No records have been found of Percy in 1911. He is believed to have been born in 1899.

He is buried at Maroeuil British Cemetery, in the Pas-de Calais,  location IV. H.11.  He died on 16th March 1918, killed in action, in the build up to the German Spring offensive which is officially deemed to have begun on 21st March 1918. Percy was about 19 years old.

Percy Francis Kington is also commemorated on the family grave in the Reading cemetery.  His name can be found on the kerbs in Division 62, 13103.  The headstone bears the names Kington, Hooper-Blow and Greaves.  (Berkshire Family History Classification is 62D41) His name is commemorated on the Alfred Sutton School memorial and also that of the YMCA

Ernest Walter Kearse

Army, Commemorated name/s, Royal Berkshire Regiment

Ernest Kearse
Private 19679
5th Royal Berkshire Regiment

 Division 24

Kearse E photo

 

Ernest Kearse was killed in action on the 3rd  July 1916. His initials “E.K. fell in action July 1916” is commemorated on a small scroll stone.  Burial records revealed the family name as Kearse.  CWGC information indicates only that he is listed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing.  Pier and Face 11 D.

The 5th Royal Berks. battalion was attacking Ovillers as part of the 12th Division.  Ovillers was a first day objective on the opening of the Somme battle which had resisted capture.  Zero hour was 3.15a.m. although the leading waves left the trenches and crawled forward at 3a.m.

The initial attack went well breaching the German front line.  The Germans, in deep dug outs, were forced out with grenades and hand to hand fighting took place.  However, by 9a.m. the Berkshires had run out of bombs.  Some men reached the village but became isolated and were killed.  Others were  killed by land mines, detonated by trip wire, between the German first and second lines.  The machine guns were murderous and survivors who tried to retreat were cut down as they sought cover in shell holes.  In a general withdrawal to a sunken road more men were killed by artillery, of both sides, and more machine gun fire.

Losses for the battalion were 91 killed, 212 wounded, 104 missing.  Among these were Ernest Kearse.  The British Official History of the action in which 2,400 men of the 12th Division lost their lives stated “to have reached the German trenches at all was an outstanding feat of arms”.

It is believed that Ernet Kearse was the son of Henry and Louisa Kearse of 67, Blenheim Road. At the time of the 1911 census he was an apprentice compositor at a printing works his older brother had the same occupation. His father was a forman at Huntley and Palmers. His younger sister a dressmaker’s assistant.