Sgt. (Observer) J. H. Knight
51 Sqn. RAFVR
918519
Killed in action, 31 October 1941, Netherlands. Aged 21.
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Jack Knight was born in Woking in 1919, the son of John Matthews and Nellie M. Knight of 54 Goldsworth Park. John was a churchwarden at Christchurch, Woking. Jack’s name does not appear on the school roll of honour but has been added by hand to the memorial service programme kept at the Surrey History Centre in Woking.
Jack was educated first at Maybury School and then the County School. On leaving school he worked at a branch of Lloyds Bank at West Smithfield in London for three or four years. He was also treasurer for the Junior Imperial League.
Jack volunteered for the RAFVR in 1940 and was promoted to sergeant at the beginning of 1941.
On the night of 31 October 1941 Jack was observer aboard Whitley Mk. Z9141 of 51 Sqn. when it took off from RAF Dishforth on a bombing mission to Hamburg, it was his twelfth mission. The aircraft was airborne at 1939 and was last heard from at 2152. It was shot down at 2350 by a night fighter piloted by Ofw. Paul Gildner of 4/NJG1. The aircraft crashed north of the dam on the Dutch island of Texel. All five crew were killed. One other 51 Sqn. Whitley was also lost on the same mission.
The crew that night were as follows:
Flt. Lt. (Pilot) Eric Barsby - Aged 26 from Minehead, Somerset. KIA.
Pilot officer (Pilot) Stanley Steel - RNZAF. KIA.
Sgt. (Obs) Jack Harris - Aged 22, from Woking. KIA.
Flt. Sgt. (W. op/gunner) Eric Warburton - RCAF. KIA.
Sgt. Vincent Sature - RCAF. KIA.
Jack and his four comrades are buried in Texel (Den Burg) Cemetery, Holland (plot K, row 4, coll. grave 76A-79).
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Last updated 3 April 2010
Sources
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Woking News and Mail
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