Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Cecil's early life

Cecil Harold Knott was born in Brentwood, Victoria on 10th September 1896, to Robert and Julia Knott, formerly of South Australia. The family lived in the small rural town of Rainbow in northwest Victoria, on the southern edge of the Victorian Mallee. Cecil was the youngest of 10 children. As a child, he attended Rainbow State School. A family story is that his brother Robert found Cecil and his sister Myrtle had been playing truant from school for a month by taking their lunches down to the back paddock and playing by the creek.

His brother Victor died around 1895 and his father in 1904. In 1909, his mother with most of the family (including his brother James' wife Sarah) headed West where two of his brothers, James and Robert had taken up land in the Dumbleyung area for farming.

In the 6th August 1915 edition of The Southern Argus and Wagin-Arthur Express, a reporter singled out Cecil Knott and Teddy Clark "for improvement" in a football match between Dumbleyung and Wishbone. I'm not sure if that meant they had improved or needed to improve.

The Southern Argus and Wagin-Arthur Express also reported on Friday 5th November 1915 that Cecil Knott was appointed Janitor of the Mt Pleasant Progress Association.

War service

Cecil tried to enlist in early 1916, but according to The Southern Argus and Wagin-Arthur Express he was "unlucky in his chest measurements”, but was quoted as saying he reckoned he could put the required half-inch on before wheat carting was over.

He successfully enlisted on 30th November 1916 and went to the Broken Hill training camp in Greenmount.

Cecil was farewelled from the district in style as this account in the Saturday 2 December edition of The Southern Argus and Wagin-Arthur Express shows.

A farewell social and dance were held in the Dongolocking Hall on Saturday, November 18th, when a goodly number of settlers put in an appearance to bid adieu to Mr Cecil Knott, who is going into camp on 1st December to “do his bit”.  A most enjoyable evening was spent, items being rendered by the following, which were greatly appreciated: — Messrs H Morrow, H. Turner, W. Turner, J.Heenan and J. Turner. Dancing was then indulged in and was kept up till midnight.

On 29th January 1917, Cecil left Fremantle on board the troopship the HMAT Miltiades A28. Records show that he was admitted to the ship's hospital on the way. A photo has him in Egypt, so it seems the ship stopped there on the way. On arrival, he went to Codford training camp on the Salisbury Plains. Before leaving for overseas, he also spent time at Rollestone and perhaps Perham Downs. On 23rd July 1917, he sailed from Southampton to the newly established Australian General Base Depot near Le Havre, France. From there he joined the 50th Battalion and was sent to the field.

On 14th January 2018, Cecil was admitted to the 53rd Casualty Clearing Station and died a few days later on 20th January from Trench Nephritis. Records list his place of death as either France or Belgium. The 53rd Clearing Station moved around a few times during the war, opening at Bailleul, France in 1915 and finishing the war in Roisel France.

He is buried in the Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension (Plot III, Row E, Grave No. 2. The inscription on his grave reads "Too far away thy grave to see but not too far to think of thee."

A memorial service was held on 6th March 1918 in the Baptist church in Dumbleyung to commemorate his death.  Rev. F Potter conducted the service and The Southern Argus and Wagin-Arthur Express noted that he "paid a genuine tribute to the good qualities of the deceased and the service was most impressive. A solo was rendered by Miss Martin."

A mystery around the account of his death

Cecil's brother Pte Herbert Knott told his family that Cecil was playing cards when a gas warning sounded and he didn't get his gas mask on in time. All Herbert could do was cover him with a piece of tin (from Herbert Knott’s granddaughter Sharon Delaporte).

"For a long time the family thought Cecil died from his injuries, but the true story came out, that he was playing cards in the trench and had a winning hand and did not heed the gas warning siren and was gassed, therefore he died of infantry, not with a rifle in his hand." (from Graham James).

However, this doesn't match Cecil's military records which record that he died of Trench Nephritis on 20th January, 1918.

Personal effects

Cecil's personal effects were listed as a disc, metal watch, wallet, gold shell ring (damaged), belt, four coins, photos, letters, cards. Sadly these were lost at sea as they were being transported on the SS Buranga, which was hit by a torpedo from a German submarine and sank on 15th July 1918.