288:, when his platoon came under very heavy fire from an enemy machine-gun, Sergeant Knight rushed through his unit's own barrage and captured the emplacement single-handed. He performed several other acts of conspicuous bravery single-handed, all under heavy machine-gun and rifle fire and without regard to personal safety. All the platoon officers of the company had become casualties before the first objective was reached, and this NCO took command not only of all the men of his own platoon but of the platoons without officers and his energy in consolidating and reorganising was untiring.
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In 2017, Royal Mail dedicated a postbox in honour of Knight. The postbox is located at the corner of
Islington Row Middleway and Tennant Street, Birmingham, B15 1LA, on the street where Alfred lived when he worked for the GPO (although the same press release states that he was working as a clerk in
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After the war he was transferred to the
Ministry of Labour and was Manager of the Employment Exchange at When he retired in 1951 he was Senior Wages Inspector in the Midlands section of the Ministry of Labour. He was appointed a Member of the
249:(more correctly St Philip's Grammar School), Edgbaston. He married Mabel Saunderson in May 1915. He joined the Post Office and worked as a Clerical Assistant in the North Midland Engineering District.
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In 2005, Birmingham City
Council named a street in his honour on the Park Central development in Ladywood, where Alfred Knight grew up.
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Alfred Knight died at home at the age of 72. He is buried in Oscott
Catholic Cemetery, New Oscott, Birmingham.
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221:(VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to
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Nottingham when he enlisted in the 2/8th
Battalion of the Post Office Rifles.).
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411:"Royal Mail honours Post Office Rifles WW1 Victoria Cross recipient"
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in 1951. Alfred Knight was a member of the
Catholic organisation
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when the action took place for which he was awarded the VC.
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British World War I recipients of the
Victoria Cross
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537:Military personnel from Birmingham, West Midlands
572:British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross
399:(Supplement). 8 November 1917. p. 11568.
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547:Members of the Order of the British Empire
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280:On 20 September 1917 at Alberta Section,
261:in the 2/8th (City of London) Battalion,
209:(24 August 1888 − 4 December 1960) was a
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557:British Army personnel of World War I
552:People educated at St Philip's School
365:"British Postal Museum & Archive"
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312:holding a number of senior offices.
340:British Postal Museum & Archive
62:Birmingham, West Midlands, England
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532:Burials in West Midlands (region)
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16:British Army officer (1888–1960)
257:Knight was 29 years old, and a
245:on 24 August 1888, he attended
499:Location of grave and VC medal
291:He later achieved the rank of
71:Oscott College Road Cemetery,
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233:ever to receive this award.
567:Sherwood Foresters officers
465:Snelling, Stephen (2012) .
306:Order of the British Empire
183:Order of the British Empire
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582:Territorial Force soldiers
471:VCs of the First World War
441:"WW1 - Post Office Rifles"
338:His medal is held by the
60:4 December 1960 (aged 72)
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562:London Regiment soldiers
310:The Catenian Association
229:forces. He was the only
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118:Years of service
577:People from Ladywood
421:on 30 September 2017
241:Born at Ladywood in
231:Post Office Rifleman
194:Alfred Joseph Knight
25:Alfred Joseph Knight
334:Alfred Knight's VC.
263:The London Regiment
247:St. Philip's School
467:Passchendaele 1917
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267:Post Office Rifles
154:Sherwood Foresters
475:The History Press
293:second lieutenant
217:recipient of the
191:Second Lieutenant
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444:. Retrieved
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423:. Retrieved
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373:. Retrieved
369:the original
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112:British Army
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527:1960 deaths
522:1888 births
391:"No. 30372"
273:during the
253:World War I
164:World War I
516:Categories
446:17 January
375:17 January
346:References
299:Later life
243:Birmingham
237:Early life
80:Allegiance
46:Birmingham
326:The Medal
121:1914−1919
52:, England
507:Obituary
259:sergeant
98:Service/
286:Belgium
223:British
215:English
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170:Awards
141:370995
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100:branch
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67:Buried
282:Ypres
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202:,
479:ISBN
448:2013
427:2017
377:2013
225:and
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126:Rank
57:Died
40:Born
269:),
206:MBE
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199:VC
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
