Sapper Henry Knight
| Date of Birth | c. 1882 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 37 |
| Date of Death | 12 July 1919 |
| Service Number | WR/502414 |
| Military Service | Royal Engineers Inland Water Transport |
| Merton Address | |
| Local Memorial | Streatham Park Cemetery |
Additional Information
Henry was born in Battersea on 19 June 1881. His father, William, was a waterman on the Thames and the family, mother Jane and siblings Jane, Ellen, Louisa and William lived in Battersea.
Henry became a Lighterman on the Thames. He reported got into trouble in 1907 when he was 7found “drunk and incapable” at 10am in Mortlake and on 12 October 1907 he was fined 4s for his behaviour.
Working on the Thames could be difficult sometimes and the following year he found himself in the papers again have fished the naked body of a child out of the river.
He joined up aged 32 and was mobilised on 31 March 1916. His service papers show that he was 5ft 5ins tall, weighed 128lbs and had brown hair and eyes, a fresh complexion and a tattoo of a girl on his left forearm.
He married Ellen Bradshaw on 21 December 1918 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Battersea and their son, Henry Patrick, was born posthumously on 17 March 1920.
Henry was taken ill at home and admitted to Queen Alexandra’s Military Hospital where he died of double pneumonia on 12 July 1919. He is buried in Streatham Park Cemetery.