Three: Second Lieutenant B.A. Knights-Smith, Rifle Brigade, the first officer casualty of the 12th (Service) Battalion

1914-15 Star (2. Lieut., Rif. Brig.); BRITISH WAR and VICTORY MEDALS (2. Lieut.) good very fine (3) £300-350

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Fine Collection of of Great War Medals to the Rifle Brigade.

View
Collection

Bernard Arthur Knights-Smith was educated at Uppingham where he was a School Praeposter, Captain of his house, Captain of the Running VIII and a sergeant in the O.T.C. He was commissioned in the 12th (Service) Bn. Rifle Brigade in September 1914, serving in “C” Company. Accompanied the battalion to France in July 1915 and entered the trenches in the Laventie sector. The War Diary for 4 September 1915 states: “2nd Lieut. B.A. Knights-Smith and one Rifleman were killed in a listening post just beyond our wire, about 12 midnight. They had been out about an hour in an endeavour to spot an enemy machine gun emplacement.” His Major wrote: “It has cast a gloom over the battalion, as he was our first officer killed, and he was so popular with all ranks and I have never seen a pluckier boy than he was, he did not know what fear meant.” One of his men wrote: “Mr. Knights-Smith, although very young, showed great knowledge of the controlling of men, and this won great respect among the whole of the battalion and whilst in the trenches was always collected and had a smile for everyone, and when it was his duty to go between the lines, he was a picture of our old British traditions for bravery and self control.” Knights-Smith was buried at Rue-du-Bacquerat No. 1 Military Cemetery. He was just 20 years old when he died.

Sold with several copy portrait photos.