Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Isaac Ashe McKnight, 133 Bondi Road, Bondi, Sydney, New South Wales

Ralph Douglas McKnight - 50338

Ralph Douglas McKnight was born at Picton, NSW on 2nd December 1897 to Issac Ashe McKnight and Clara Blackwell (neé Norman), it is unknown whether he had any siblings. He attended Bondi Public School and completed his education at Sydney Technical High School from 1912-1914. (1)

McKnight sat the Intermediate Certificate examination in 1913, as a 2nd year student at the Technical High school. He passed in all the subjects he was examined for, with a B in Mathematics I and II, English, History, Elementary Science, Geography, Manual work (wood-work), Manual work (metal-work) and with an A in Technical Drawing (3). Overall, his academic performance at school was average he was ranked 15th in his class at the end of 3rd year (1). Like many of his classmates he left school after the end of 3rd year to find work, at the time a full course of high school was four years long, with few students staying for the full 4 years and moving on to University. Enlistment records list his occupation as assayer. (2)(11) McKnight still lived in Bondi when he enlisted, he lived with his parents. (2) Few sources exist on McKnight’s personal life. McKnight was part of the Cadets for his 3 years at the Technical High School and thereafter was part of the Sydney University Scouts for 3 years as well, still being a Scout upon his enlistment (2).

McKnight enlisted 23rd September 1917, his enlistment records show his birth date as 2nd December 1895, yet the Births, Deaths and Marriages registry shows it as 2nd December 1897. He may have put up his age, so that it was above 21 and he would not need his parents permission. Enlistment record show his age as 21 years and 9 months on enlistment. On enlistment his unit was the 6th Light Horse Regiment and his rank Private. McKnight was later taken on strength to the 12th Light horse Regiment. The 12th Light Horse Regiment (12LH) was raised as part of the 4th Light Horse Brigade at Liverpool, New South Wales on 1st March 1915.

The 12th Light Horse was part of the forces defending the Suez Canal on 14th May 1916. In the months after it conducted patrols and participated in several missions in the Sinai Desert In April 1917 the regiment moved into Palestine, joining the Australian Imperial Force and other Dominion forces. It joined its first major battle on 19th April when it attacked, dismounted, as part of the second battle of Gaza. After the capture of Gaza 7th November 1917, the 12th Light Horse spent the first months of 1918 resting and training. It moved into the Jordan Valley in time to participate in the Es Salt raid between 29 April and 4 May. The regiment subsequently defended the west bank of the Jordan Valley. In August, the regiment was issued with swords and trained in traditional cavalry tactics in preparation for the next offensive against the Turkish forces. The offensive along the Palestine coast was launched on 19th September 1918 with the aim of Damascus. The mounted forces penetrated deep into the Turkish rear areas severing roads, railways and communications links. McKnight’s specific involvement in the 12th Light Horse’s engagements is unknown. (13)

McKnight caught gonorrhoea and was hospitalised in 14th Australian General Hospital, Cairo 22nd April 1919, he was also later diagnosed with astigmatism, after his discharge from the Hospital on 24th May 1919 McKnight commenced his return to Australia on board the HT Morvada. He embarked the Morvada on 22nd July 1919 and was disembarked at Sydney on 28th August 1919 he was discharged from service as “medically unfit: disability not stated” Sydney on 7th December 1919. (11)

After the war, McKnight married Pearl Vida Cohen (born 4th August 1899) on 10th March 1923, it is unknown if they had any children. (4) McKnight seemed to have returned to his occupation as an assayer after the war, though later he changed professions. 14th March 1931, Ralph Douglas McKnight was assaulted by James Ernest Brown, aged 18 in an event which was recorded in many newspapers at the time, Brown was a passenger of McKnight, who was a taxi driver at the time. McKnight was told to “drive to a dark street in Five Dock on Saturday night”, McKnight was then told to stop the car, and was attacked, taken by surprise. McKnight was attacked with a hammer and threatened with a pistol. No motive was established for the assault, many newspapers at the time said Brown was “[insane]”.  Brown was later tried and sentenced in the Sessions Court, and ordered to pay McKnight 10 pounds, at the rate of 1 pound a week. (7)(8)(9)(10)

Later it appears in the Commonwealth Gazette that McKnight was appointed a Clerk 3rd division in the Postmaster-General’s Department in 1938, aged 41. (5) He retired from the Postmaster-General’s Department as a Clerk on 1st December 1961, just before his 65th birthday. (6) McKnight died 18th July 1979, aged 82 he was survived by his wife who died 6th October 1983. (4)

References

1.       Ken Stevenson, Research on Google Drive

2.       Enlistment records, the papers and records related to McKnight’s military service from the National Australian Archives https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=1951695&S=20&R=0

3.       Results of the Intermediate Certificate 1913, The Sydney Morning Herald https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15496207?searchTerm=university%20junior%20certificate

4.       Births and Marriage dates search from the Births Deaths and Marriages Registry https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search?0

5.       Entry in the Commonwealth Gazette of McKnight’s appointment to the Postmaster-General’s Department https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/232687950/25048703 

6.       Entry in the Gazette (ibid) showing McKnight’s retirement in 1961

7.       Taxi driver assault, The Daily Telegraph’s coverage of events https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/246320258?searchTerm=ralph%20douglas%20mcknight

8.       Taxi driver assault newspaper article, from the Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs Gazette https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/254199124?searchTerm=ralph%20douglas%20mcknight

9.       Taxi driver assault newspaper article, The Northern Miner (Charter Towers, Qld), the incident was reported in various newspapers even interstate https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/80611061?searchTerm=ralph%20douglas%20mcknight 

10.    A report of the trial of James Ernest Brown for attacking McKnight, Sydney Morning Herald https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/16787198?searchTerm=ralph%20douglas%20mcknight

11.    AIF Project, Ralph Douglas McKnight https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=340244

12.    Australian War Memorial, 12th Light Horse Regiment https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51046

Bibliography

12th Australian Light Horse Regiment (no date). https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51046 (Accessed: August 5, 2024).

APPOINTMENTS, RETIREMENTS AND DISMISSAL. - Commonwealth of Australia Gazette (National : 1901 - 1973) - 13 Apr 1938 (no date). https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/232687950/25048703.

Births, Deaths and Marriages search (no date). https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search?0.

Details (no date). https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=340244 (Accessed: August 5, 2024).

Evening News (1905) 'THE SYDNEY UNIVERSITY SCOUTS.,' 9 August. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/114469590?searchTerm=university%20scouts.

National Archives of Australia (no date) RecordSearch - National Archives of Australia. https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=1951695&S=20&R=0.

Ralph Douglas McKnight (no date). https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R2366104 (Accessed: August 5, 2024).

The Daily Telegraph (1931) 'TAXI MAN BATTERED WITH HAMMER,' 16 March. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/246320258?searchTerm=ralph%20douglas%20mcknight.

The Northern Miner (1931) 'TAXI DRIVER ATTACKED. - MOTIVE ’UNKNOWN. SYDNEY, March 16.,' 17 March. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/80611061?searchTerm=ralph%20douglas%20mcknight.

The Sydney Morning Herald (1914) 'SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS. - THE INTERMEDIATE CERTIFICATE.,' 3 February. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15496207?searchTerm=university%20junior%20certificate (Accessed: June 19, 2024).

Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs Gazette (1931) 'TAXI-DRIVER STRUCK. - MOTIVE UNKNOWN.,' 16 March. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/254199124?searchTerm=ralph%20douglas%20mcknight.