South Africa Boer War Gunboat Operations and Great War China Station group awarded to Chief Stoker G.C. Knight, Royal Navy, who was one of only a relatively small number of men from the gun boat Partridge to see service during the Boer War. A long serving sailor, he was serving aboard the light cruiser Gloucester when he was presented with a medal by His Majesty the King of the Belgian’s ‘on the occasion of his visit to the ship’ on 15th August 1912, and was then continuously employed during the Great War, being aboard the cruiser Diana on the China Station between November 1915 and August 1917, before being the war aboard the destroyer Napier.
Group of 4: Queen’s South Africa Medal 1899-1902, no clasp; (G.C. KNIGHT. LG. STO. H.M.S. PARTRIDGE); 1914-1915 Star; (169228. G.C. KNIGHT. CH. STO., R.N.); British War Medal and Victory Medal; (169228 G.C. KNIGHT. CH.STO. R.N.)
Condition: Good Very Fine.
George Charles Knight was born on 3rd June 1873 in Limehouse, London, and having worked as a labourer, then joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class (Chatham No.169228) with Pembroke from 21st September 1892, being rated as a Stoker whilst with Hood on 19th November 1893, and as a Leading Stoker 2nd Class whilst with Pembroke II on 6th October 1898.
Knight joined the gun boat Partridge from 4th May 1899. As such he saw service aboard her during the operations on and off the coast of South Africa during the Boer War when she was commanded by Lieutenant A T Hunt and later Lieutenant E la T Leatham. Partridge was present on operations between 11th October 1899 and 8th March 1901. In all 161 men from Partridge were entitled to the medal, of which 150 gained it without clasp, Knight being one of those, he having been also advanced to Leading Stoker 1st Class on 10th July 1900.
Knight was serving aboard Empress of India when he was promoted to Stoker Petty Officer on 1st July 1906, and having been awarded the Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 13th November 1907, whilst with Pyramus, he was also appointed to Acting Chief Stoker whilst with Pyramus on 1st August 1908, being then promoted to Chief Stoker whilst with Theseus on 1st August 1910. Knight was serving aboard the light cruiser Gloucester when he was presented with a medal by His Majesty the King of the Belgian’s ‘on the occasion of his visit to the ship’ on 15th August 1912, at which time the ship was serving with the 1st Battle Squadron of the Home Fleet. It is uncertain which specific medal was presented to Knight and it is not with the group.
With the outbreak of the Great War, Knight was serving with Vivid II, and having transferred to the Royal Fleet Reserve (No.Dev.A.4964), then joined the cruiser Diana from 1st January 1915, which was then based with the 12th Cruiser Squadron in the Channel. In November 1915 Diana transferred to the China Station and serving there through to August 1917, before transferring to the Red Sea, with Knight being posted back to Vivid II from 28th September 1917, and then joining the destroyer Napier from 31st January 1918, followed by the depot ship Vulcan from February 1919. He was demobilised ashore on 12th January 1920
