William was the Sergeant of Grampound Patrol, Cornwall.
| Unit or location | Role | Posted from | until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grampound Patrol | Patrol Leader | 06 Jan 1941 | 03 Dec 1944 |
Cattleman
The sons of John and Elizabeth he was known as Will and was the brother of Auxilier Clem Knowles. He married Janie Heskins in 1921. His niece Joy married Patrick Champion, the son of Sergeant Leslie Champion of Probus Patrol.
Sergeant Knowles was a WW1 veteran. He enlisted in the Devonshire Regiment in February 1917 aged 17 ½. Transferring to the Kings Royal Liverpool Regiment, he saw action in Arras and Lille in France.
He was taken prisoner on 8th October 1918 and suffered great hardship on a forced march to Limberg prisoner of war camp where conditions were appalling. He was released on 2nd December 1918 when the Russian Army was advancing on the town.
He was repatriated 29th April 1919 and returned to Grampound.
Will and his brother Clem worked for the James family on Barteliver Farm (where the OB was built), Will as a cattleman and Clem as a horseman. Between them, on retirement, they had clocked up 128 years of unbroken service on the farm and were awarded the Long Service Medal by the Royal Agricultural Society.
TNA ref WO199/3391
Hancock data held at B.R.A
1939 Register
Pat and Joy (nee Knowles) Champion