The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of Captain William Johnstone Knox, 13th Australian Field Artillery Brigade, AIF, First World War.

Places
Accession Number AWM2017.1.232
Collection type Film
Object type Last Post film
Physical description 16:9
Maker Australian War Memorial
Place made Australia: Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, Campbell
Date made 20 August 2017
Access Open
Conflict First World War, 1914-1918
Copyright Item copyright: © Australian War Memorial
Creative Commons License This item is licensed under CC BY-NC
Copying Provisions Copyright restrictions apply. Only personal, non-commercial, research and study use permitted. Permission of copyright holder required for any commercial use and/or reproduction.
Description

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Troy Clayton, the story for this day was on Captain William Johnstone Knox, 13th Australian Field Artillery Brigade, AIF, First World War.

Film order form
Speech transcript

Captain William Johnstone Knox, 13th Australian Field Artillery Brigade, AIF
DOW 20 August 1917

Story delivered 20 August 2017

Today we remember and pay tribute to Captain William Johnstone Knox.

Popularly known as “Bill”, William Knox was born on 13 June 1887 in the Melbourne suburb of Toorak, to William and Catherine Knox.

William Knox senior had become secretary of the Broken Hill Proprietary shortly after it was founded, and was a central figure in its growth and development. Becoming an extremely wealthy man, he entered politics, and eventually became the member for Kooyong in the first Commonwealth Parliament.

William Knox junior grew up in Melbourne with his four brothers and two sisters. At Scotch College he was athletics champion and first head prefect, played in the cricket first XI, captained the football team, and was dux of the school.

Following his education he went on to become a member of the Melbourne Stock Exchange, where he worked. Knox also served with the Militia, securing his first commission at the age of 22 and reaching the rank of 2nd lieutenant in the Australian Field Artillery.

In May 1914 Knox married Mildred McArthur and the couple had a daughter, Diana, who was born on 13 February 1915.

Two months later, Knox was granted a commission in the Australian Imperial Force, and in June left Melbourne on the troopship Berrima, as a lieutenant in the 2nd Field Artillery Brigade.

On 30 August 1916 Lieutenant Knox boarded the troopship Southland bound for Gallipoli. Three days later the vessel was torpedoed by a German submarine in the Aegean Sea. Almost all aboard, including Lieutenant Knox, survived the experience.

Knox went on to serve on Gallipoli until the evacuation in December, returning to Egypt as the AIF underwent a major restructure and effectively doubled in size.

As part of the reorganisation, in February 1916 Knox was posted to the 50th Battery of the 13th Field Artillery Brigade. Shortly afterwards he was promoted to temporary captain, a rank which was confirmed before he left to join the fighting on the Western Front.

Within weeks of arriving in France, Knox’s battery, part of the 5th Divisional Artillery, saw major action at the disastrous battle of Fromelles. The division took over 5,000 casualties and was effectively incapacitated for months afterwards. It was not until October 1916 that it joined the other Australian divisions on the Somme, in extreme winter conditions.

While in France, Knox was able to take leave, reuniting with his wife and daughter on a few occasions. Miriam had taken her daughter and temporarily located to Cannes in the south of France, so they could see William when he was on leave or visit him at hospital if he was wounded.

In early March 1917, Knox was granted the rank of temporary major, commanding a battery until the end of May. At this time, the 5th Division was involved in the closing stages of the Second Battle of Bullecourt.

In June Knox’s battery was still in the Bullecourt area when it was heavily shelled by the enemy. A direct hit on one of the guns set the camouflage netting above them on fire. This threatened to set their ammunition store ablaze and risked the lives of all nearby. Knox and another man rushed to put the flames out, despite the great personal risk and ongoing shell-fire, saving the ammunition from exploding. For his conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty, he was later awarded the Military Cross and was mentioned in despatches.

Knox’s battery later moved to Belgium. On 19 August 1917, Knox was standing by a dugout at Menin Road, near Ypres, talking to three other officers when a shell landed amongst them. He was severely wounded in the chest and left leg. He was carried quickly to a casualty clearing station and operated on, but his wounds were too severe; he died the following morning.

Captain William Knox was given a funeral and buried at Vlamertinghe New Military Cemetery in Belgium by members of his battery, one of whom afterwards stated: “He was universally liked by every one. He had the heart of a lion. He sent a message to the battery with his love when he was dying.”

William Knox was 30 years old.

His daughter, Diana, was barely three when her father died, and reportedly was never able to bring herself to read the letters that he addressed to her mother, “Mim”, and to her. But these have been passed down through the family and cherished for many years.

William Knox’s name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, among more than 60,000 Australians who died while serving in the First World War.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Captain William Knox, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Duncan Beard
Editor, Military History Section

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