Joseph James KNIGHT

KNIGHT, Joseph James

Service Number: 508
Enlisted: 24 August 1914, Morphettville, South Australia
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 10th Infantry Battalion
Born: London, England, 27 March 1893
Home Town: Broken Hill, Broken Hill Municipality, New South Wales
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Labourer
Died: Killed in Action, Gallipoli, Turkey, 13 August 1915, aged 22 years
Cemetery: Lone Pine Cemetery, ANZAC
III. A. 4.
Memorials: Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Broken Hill Barrier District Roll of Honour
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World War 1 Service

24 Aug 1914: Enlisted AIF WW1, Morphettville, South Australia
20 Oct 1914: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 508, 10th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Ascanius embarkation_ship_number: A11 public_note: ''
20 Oct 1914: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 508, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ascanius, Adelaide

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Biography

"SOLDIERS' LETTERS.

The following is a copy of a letter received from Pte. J. J. Knight, 10th Battalion, who was wounded on the first day and has since returned to the firing line:— "I have just received your very kind and welcome letter, and thank you very much for your kind solicitations for my wel- fare. I am pleased to tell you that I have now quite recovered from my wounds and can hop about like a fighting cock. It is far different here now than the day we forced the landing. It is just like a rabbit warren now, and when our turn of duty is over in we crawl like so many rabbits, and out we crawl again for our meals. We get on very well as regards food now, because I set my inventive mind at work and made an oven out of an old biscuit tin. It acts admirably. The first meal we cooked was composed of roast pork, potatoes, and onions — at least we called it pork, but it was bacon. Anyhow, we did it justice, and it was one of the best feeds we have had since we left Australia. We get fresh meat and bread every three or four days, so in the conditions and surroundings we are in we have not much cause to grumble. We are in the firing line every other day, and every fourth day we rest.

It runs this fashion:— First day, firing line; second day, rest; third day, supports; fourth day, fatigue. The system works very well indeed. I should be greatly indebted to you if you would kindly send some notepaper and envelopes, as we have to resort to jam labels, cardboard, flyleaves, and such paper as I am writing on now, this being the paper rolled round a newspaper sent to me. I am fastening it down with the stamps from same made sticky with jam. The weather here is splendid. I trust you are having good weather in Adelaide, not the heavy rains you speak about, nor the drought, but just the happy medium." - from the Adelaide Mail 28 Aug 1915 (nla.gov.au)

 

"THE LATE PRIVATE J. J. KNIGHT.

Private J. J. Knight, of the 10th Battalion, was killed in action at the Dardanelles on August 13. He was the only son of Mr. J. Knight, City-road, London. With Mr. J. Macarty, a comrade at the front, he was among the first to enlist from Broken Hill. He was a fine young man, about 26 years of age, and widely popular. In his last letters he said he had a new job, bomb-slinging." - from the Adelaide Chronicle 25 Sep 1915 (nla.gov.au)

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