On November 11, 1918, in number 17 Hunter’s Terrace, South Shields, the home of the Knox family, Armistice Day must have been subdued,
That’s because they were mourning the death of their youngest son, Second Lieutenant William Knox, of the Royal Flying Corps, who had been killed, aged just 19 – 11 days before.
On that joyous, noisy day for the townsfolk of Shields they were also given the cruel news that that very day, their daughter Jane, serving in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, had also died whilst serving her country. There was little cause for celebration in their household that day.”
Parents George Wallace and Isabella Knox had seven children, Alan, John, George, Albert, Isabel, William and Jane, all of whom were born in South Shields.
Seven years earlier, Jane Knox was working as a general domestic servant for the family of George Pritchard, a steamship manager, before joining the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC).
The WAAC had been formed in December 1916, although its forerunner was the Women’s Legion, which was started in 1915 by Lady Londonderry. A War Office investigation at the time, showed that a large number of non-combatant tasks were being performed by soldiers in France. It was obvious that women could do many of these jobs and free up 12,000 men for frontline service.
The first women recruits arrived on the Western Front on March 31, 1917, and eventually their numbers there rose to 9,000. By April of 1918, the WAAC had been renamed Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps, with 57,000 women serving.
They wore khaki uniforms which consisted of a small cap and a jacket and a skirt, which had to be no more than 12 inches off the ground. They were issued a pair of heavy, cumbersome shoes, two khaki overalls, two pairs of woollen stockings, but had to provide their own underwear.
The women had to keep fit, just like the soldiers, and they too were housed in primitive Nissan huts.
In France, a large number of these women were clerks and typists, with a working day that lasted from nine in the morning until sometimes 10 or 11 in the evening.
Some worked in the record office, in France, maintaining the service records of soldiers and for this they received 27s-6d to 31s-6d per week. Shorthand typists and forewomen clerks, were paid 37s-6d and from this 14s was deducted for board and lodging, however they were given free entry to all military amusements and concerts. Women were also signallers as telephonists and telegraphists. In this department much of the work was top secret and discretion was necessary.
Despite records being destroyed in a bombing raid in WWII, it is known she enlisted in South Shields, that her army number was 15646, and that she was first stationed in East Denham, where funnily enough, her brother William began his pilot training
Her death entry refers to her in Royal Engineers Chatham at that time, which is possibly an indication she was a forewoman signaller. It is known that these women worked alongside the Royal Engineers, doing 12-hour shifts as signallers. It’s very possible she was wounded working in signals with the Royal Engineers in France, during a bombing raid and died later of wounds in England.
What is known is her death occurred on November 11, 1918 at St Mary’s Barracks, Chatham, and her effects would have been returned to her parents. She was buried in a military grave in Harton Cemetery with her brother William, their two headstones being joined. The Knox family were already in mourning following the death of her brother, just 11 days earlier.
Jane’s younger brother, William, born on August 12, 1899, first tried to volunteer for the war effort on November 4, 1915, by joining the Gordan Highlanders. His height was noted as 5ft 6ins and his religion Presbyterian. He was so keen to do his bit that he lied about his age and declared that he was 19 years and two months, when in fact (after his dad intervened) he was found to be only 16 years and 9 months – and was sent home.
Once back in Shields he returned to work as a ‘cutter’ tailor for William Wood Bros. which was a gentleman’s outfitters on Ocean Road in the town until 2001 He worked there from August 1915 until August 1917, when he finally got his way and joined the newly formed Royal Flying Corps, becoming one of the first among its prestigious ranks.
On joining the corps, William received basic military training for two months, which consisted of military drill, physical exercise, military law, map reading and Morse code. After that he was sent to the School of Military Aeronautics for two months where he was taught aviation theory, navigation and photography, as well as artillery and infantry co-operation. He was also given instruction on the working of aero engines and cockpit instruments, as well as the rigging of an aircraft.
Once this initial training phase was completed he was sent to a Training Depot Station to actually fly, where he had to do a minimum of 25 five hours in the air, both duel and solo on an Avro 504 aeroplane during a three-month period
The next two months consisted of 35 hours flying time with at least five of them spent in a modern frontline aircraft.
Trainees were also expected to show proficiency in cross country and formation flying, reconnaissance and gunnery. Vickers and Lewis machine guns were also studied in the gunnery course. “If cadets were successful, this earned them their commission.”
A Second Lieutenant was paid £5-12s-6d per week, with 12 shillings for each day they flew. The pilot then went on to learn air combat skills before being given their Pilot’s Wings. In all, it took about 11 months to be a pilot.
Upwards of 8,000 trainee pilots were killed during the First World War, prompting some training units to deduct money from the officers’ mess bills to pay for funerals.
William was sent to 10th Cadet Wing for initial training at Farnborough on the October 22, 1917, and from there to Denham airfield on August 5, 1918. This was a school of military aeronautics, and from there he joined 1 Training Depot Station of 86th Squadron on April 11, 1018 at Stamford.
He was made a Second Lieutenant on April 5 of that year. Sir Malcolm Campbell was an instructor at Denham and held world speed records like his equally famous son Donald, who was killed on Coniston Water in 1967
On October 31 1918 William was flying an SE5a, a frontline fighter aircraft (regarded as the Spitfire of its day and flown by top Allied Aces) out of RAF Northolt, towards Ruislip, when he attempted to climb too fast and the machine stalled, causing the aircraft to go into a slow spin from which William could not regain control.
He hit the ground hard and at just 19 years old, was killed. I found no mention of any medals being issued, nor any recognition of his sacrifice and willingness to fight for his country – and so he lies with his sister in Harton Cemetery, two forgotten heroes.
Written & researched by Dorothy Ramser
Photos:
Dorothy Ramser