William Henry Knox
From Our Contribution
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| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 14 Jul 1918 |
| Place of Birth | Waterloo, Scotland |
| Age at Enlistment | 17 years 7 months |
| Description | 5'8¾" (1.75m) tall ; ; fresh complexion ; blue eyes ; dark brown hair ; scar on forehead |
| Occupation | labourer |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
| Address | Third road, Armadale |
| Next of Kin | Father , Mr. |
| Military Information | |
| Reg Number | 21011 |
| Date of Enlistment | 14 Jul 1936 |
| Rank | Acting Leading Seaman |
| Post War Details | |
| Medals | 1939-45 Star |
Pre War
War Service
Cliff enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy for 12 years on 14 Jul 1936, although his record card lists him as being at HMAS Cerebus as an Ordinary Seaman form 5 Feb - 13 Jul 1936. From 14 Jul - 25 Sep 1936 he remained at Cerebus before his first posting to a ship on 20 Sep 1936 when Cliff was posted to HMAS Yarra. He remained with Yarra until 17 Feb 1937 when he was transferred to HMAS Australia. His next posting was to HMAS Cerebus on 27 Apr 1938. While the pencil entries on Cliff's card are difficult to decypher, it appears that he was sent to the UK aboard SS Esperance Bay in early 1937 to Join Australia's crew returning to Australia in Apr 1938.
On Ciff's return (27 Apr 1938) he was again posted to HMAS Cerebus before joining HMAS Vampire from 11 May to 14 Oct 1938. On 15 Oct 1938 he joined HMAS Sydney on 15 Oct 1938. On 14 Jan 1939 Cliff was posted to the navy's London Depot. On 14 Feb 1939 Cliff was posted to HMS Osprey. HMS Osprey was an anti-submarine training establishment located at the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. Withhis servic es offered to the Admiralty for the remainder of the war, on 21 Jun 1939 Cliff was posted to HMS Faulknor an F Class Destroyer, remaining with her until 4 Jan 1941. During this time he paricipated in two or more succesful U Boat hunts, escorting convoys in the Northern Atlantic, participated in the aborted landings in Norway and in the Battle of Cape Spartivento agains Italian Naval forces. From 5 Jan 1941 until 21 Mar 1941 Cliff spent time on shore at HMS Osprey.