William Henry Knox

William Henry Knox

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

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, a base that specialised in anti-submarine training.

Bill spent a short period between 22 Mar 1941 and 16 May 1941 at HMS Nimrod a shore training establishment at Campbeltown, Argyle specialised in Asdic training for officers and men, before returning to HMS Osprey from 17 May 1941 to 4 Aug 1941. His next posting was from 5 Aug to 15 Sep 1943at HMNS Victory the Royal Navy Shore Training Establishment. This served as a holding establishment in Portsmouth while awaiting a posting to another ship. On 16 Sep 1941 he was posted to HMAS Norman an 'N' Class Destroyer that carried a delegation to Archangel in Russia before transferring on 19 Nov 1942 to HMAS Nepal, another of the N class destroyers, and which while Bill was aboard participated in the captur eof Madagascar from the Vichy French, as did his prfevious ship Norman.

On 4 Apr 1943 Bill was transferred ashore to HMAS Rushcutter, a base that served as a depot, and radar and anti-submarine training school located at Rushcutters Bay, in Sydney's eastern suburbs. At thsi point the pencil entries in Bill's records are to faded to decipher, but it appears likely that he remained on shore in Australia for the rest of the war. It is likely that his discharge occurred at the completion of his 12 year enlistment in early 1948