Lt Colonel Guy Cunninghame Knight

Guy Cunninghame Knight was the youngest son of Captain Edward Lewis Knight, of Hornacott Manor, and husband of Minne Ethel Knight. He was the nephew of Colonel Sir Frederick Winn Knight KCB.

He was born in Ajaccio, Corsica on 12th December 1866 and was educated at Wellington and later at R.M.C Sandhurst.

He accepted his commission into the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment in February 1887 as a Second Lieutenant.

Guy Knight was promoted to Lieutenant in September the following year and to Captain in July 1894. As a Captain he was Adjutant of the 1st Battalion from 1894 until 1898.

He married Minne Cross Thompson on 11th June 1898 at St Andrew’s Cathedral in New South Wales.

The marriage of Major Guy Knight, of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, and instructor of the infantry forces in New South Wales, with Miss Minne Cross Thompson (who had just arrived from England), daughter of Colonel Thompson, was solemnised at St Andrew’s Cathedral on June 11, by the Rev. Mr Simpson. The bride, who was given away by Major General French, wore a white satin dress, with Court train trimmed with chiffon, a tulle veil, and coronet wreath of orange blossoms. Colonel Smith, R. A. , acted as best man, and there were no bridesmaids. As the wedding party left the Cathedral they passed through the lines of the bridegroom’s regiment, which was drawn up just outside the church, and the band played ” The Wedding March.” After the ceremony the guests adjourned to Dawe’s Battery, where Mrs French entertained the guests at breakfast, the wedding cake, which came from England, being cut with the Major-General’s sword.

In February 1898 Captain Knight was employed with the Colonial Forces, New South Wales, where he raised the 1st New South Wales Mounted Infantry Regiment. He held it’s command through the South African War and was slightly wounded during operations in Cape Colony.

For his service during the Boer War he was Mentioned in Despatches (L.G. 10/09/1901) and promoted to Brevet Major.

During the interim period before the First World War he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and took command of the 1st Battalion in February 1911. When War broke out was still in command and arrived in France with the initial deployment of men on 12th August 1914.

Just one month after they arrived in France and during their first action at the Battle of the Marne on 11th September 1914, Lieutenant Colonel Guy Cunninghame Knight was killed leading his men into action.

London Times Obituary, 17th September 1914

Lieutenant-Colonel Guy Cunninghame Knight was born in 1866 and got his first commission in the Loyal North Lancashires in 1887. He was employed in 1898 with the Colonial forces in New South Wales, and in the South African War raised and commanded the 1st New South Wales Mounted Infantry Regiment. He took part in the actions at Poplar Grove, Driefontein, Vet River, Zand River, and Wittebergen and Bothaville, and was slightly wounded in the operations in Cape Colony in 1900. He was mentioned in dispatches and gained his brevet as major and the Queen’s medal with five clasps. He subsequently served on the Staff in Malta and Egypt, and was D.A.A.G. in South Africa in 1909.

Photo kindly provided by Mark Allen

Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
Date of Death: 11/09/1914
Age: 47
Regiment/Service: The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment Cdg, 1st Bn.
Cemetery: PRIEZ COMMUNAL CEMETERY

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Paul McCormick

Paul McCormick is the creator and administrator for the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment website. Since 2010 he has been researching the soldiers that served during the First World War and sharing their stories on his website. You can contact Paul through the website 'Contact Me' page or on Twitter and Facebook.

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