Medal & Mortality index
Killed in Action 23 Aug 1914
The De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour :
Jonathan Edward Knowles, Captain, 4th Battalion Middlesex regiment, eldest son
of the late Edward Sugden Knowles of Rawdon, Co York; born Sandgate, Queensland,
Australia, 21 May 1882; educated Sedbergh school; joined the 2nd Volunteers
Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment, as 2nd Lieutenant; served with the 4th Durham
Light Infantry (Militia) in the South African War, 1902, and took part in the
operations in the Orange River Colony, abd cape Colony, February to 31st May,
1902 (Queen's Medal with three clasps) ; gazetted 2nd Lieutenant to 1st
Middlesex, 4 July, 1903, and served with his Battalion in India, Burma and at
Aden ; promoted Lieutenant 14 January 1906, and Captain 1 February, 1914, when
he was transferred to te 4th Battalion; went to France with the Expeditionary
Force, .. August 1914, in which the 4th "Diehards" formed part of the 8th
Brigade (3rd Division), and was killed in action at the Battle of the Mons, on
the 23rd of the same month.
He married at St Peters Church, Bexhill, Sussex, 3 June, 1909, Viva Brabazon,
daughter of the late C F Bagot and had three children ; Jonathan Maynard, Nina
Mary and Viva Joan.
THE BATTLE OF MONS
The morning of the 23rd opened sunny and bright. The weather was set fair with a
breeze from the east, a cloudless sky, and the promise of great heat at midday.
A pale blue haze rounded off the distance, and softened the outlines of the
tall, gaunt chimney stacks with which the entire country is dotted.
To the right of the Nimy bridge the 4th Middlesex were in the meanwhile putting
up a no less stubborn defence, and against equally desperate odds. Major Davey,
whose company was on the left, in touch with the right of the R. Fusiliers, had
fallen wounded early in the day, and the position at that point finally became
so serious that Major Abell's company was rushed up from reserve to its support.
During this advance Major Abell himself, Captain Knowles and 2nd Lieut. Henstock
were killed, and a third of the rank and file fell, but the balance succeeded in
reaching the firing line trenches and—with this stiffening added—the position
was successfully held for the time being.