Private William Guy Knight
The background of this man is not clear, other than that he was from Kentish Town, London. He was probably the William Knight born around 1895, one of nine children of pianoforte-maker Arthur Knight and his wife Jane. By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 93 Weedington Road, Kentish Town, with his parents and five surviving siblings, and working as a boot-maker.
Knight enlisted in the Dragoons of the Line in August or September 1914 (No.9980). Posted to the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons, he embarked for France in 1916 or the first half of 1917, probably at the end of June 1916, having been posted to the headquarters establishment of the 2nd North Irish Horse Regiment following the formation of that regiment in France from C and F Squadrons and the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons Service Squadron. The headquarters, formed in England and comprising 40 officers and men, joined the new regiment in France at the beginning of July.
The 2nd North Irish Horse Regiment served as corps cavalry to X Corps until August-September 1917, when the regiment was disbanded and its men were transferred to the Royal Irish Fusiliers, an infantry regiment. Most, including Knight, were transferred on 20 September and posted to the 9th (Service) Battalion – renamed the 9th (North Irish Horse) Battalion – joining it in the field at Ruyaulcourt five days later. Knight was issued regimental number 41081.
He probably saw action with the battalion at the Battle of Cambrai in November and December 1917.
Knight was twice reported as having been wounded during 1918. The circumstances and date of the first occasion are not known. The second time was probably in July or August on the Ypres front in the weeks leading up to the Advance to Victory offensive.