| Rank | Sgt. |
| Service # | A59756 |
| Unit # | 1st Canadian Army, No. 11 Provost Corps. |
The son of Herman Whitfield and Sarah ‘Jane’ (nee Douglas) McKnight. Born in Wallaceburg, ON., 27/06/1920. He attended Central Public School and Wallaceburg High School. The brother of Alvin Douglas A49787 and Gordon Floyd A103214.
The WN 30/04/42 reported that Clarence was stationed at Woodstock, ON when he was home on a ‘few days leave’ to see his parents.
The WN 24/09/42 reported that ‘Kenny’ surprised his relatives when he arrived home from overseas. He had not heard of his grandfathers passing till he arrived home. He went overseas with No. 11 Provost Corp in October 1942.
The WN 1/07/43 reported that three McKnight brothers had arrived safely in England with Sgt. Alvin just arriving in July 1943, Gordon serving in the 8th Army Field Regt. arriving “some months” ago.
The WN 23/04/44 reported that Clarence was on ‘active service.
Clarence married Bessie Jean (nee McGee) 24/04/1946 in Sombra Twsp., ON.(P) The father of Linda Jean-1947 (Woodman), Betty Irene-1950 (Emery) (Knowles), Margaret Anne-1953 (Brodrecht). It was reported in the Wallaceburg News in the “Busyville” section of the paper.
Curators note: I have no idea where Busyville was located? We found out it is in the former Sombra Twsp., Lambton County. It was located about 3 miles south-east of Wilkesport, ON, at the intersection of what is now Bentpath Line (County Road 2) and Pretty Road.
Ken served in England, France Belgium and Holland.
Ken enlisted 9 February, 1941 at London, ON. He went overseas with No. 11 Provost Corp in October 1942.
Ken served in England, France, he went to France on D-Day, Belgium and Holland. While overseas he wrote to the Wallaceburg News :
Somewhere in England,
Friday, January 22, 1943.
Dear Sir,
Just a few lines to thank you for your newspapers I am receiving over here.
At numerous times it is mentioned how greatly soldiers enjoy receiving letters. Without doubt this is true but not much is said of the home newspapers. It has been my pleasure to meet some Wallaceburg boys over here. In our conversations it is surprising the number of times your paper is discussed.
Letter cannot reveal to us all the changes made around home but we can all keep up-to-date with the News.
I have many relatives and friends in Port Lambton, Wilkesport, Duthil, Busyville and other parts of Lambton County. I therefore find your different columns exeedingly interesting.
Once again I say thanks a million to a small group of men doing a great job for the boys over here.
Yours truly,
Pte. C. H. McKnight,
No. 11 Provost Coy.,
Canadian Army Overseas.
Dated 21 August, 1943 now Sgt. McKnight took a hand to poetry with the following, written on Salvation Army letterhead:
“A Different Shower”.
From sunshine to a gentle rain,
A change to English weather;
Just a slow shower softly falling
Like the floating of a feather
Lightly at first begins the thunder,
Across the sky it seems to run;
But nature never equaled that noise
For ’tis the roar of many guns.
The air raid sirens have sounded
Their weird whistles: dreadful whine,
The people well know their sharp warning,
Sound often from time to time.
A thought comes to us though
And stretches over to a foreign land,
Where sirens mean the fall of bombs,
Guided to the mark by Allied hands.
The fun has gone for Jerry now,
And we set back to watch the show;
Why pity the enemy, wretched,
As their moral sinks very low?
As cities fall beneath the weight,
Of bombs hurled down each passing hour;
The Germans too know the change,
A different rain, a different shower.
Copy on file – JRH
In early 1944 his brother Gordon was reported as wounded while serving with the 8th Army in Italy.
Ken went to France with the D-Day invasion in June 1944.
Sgt. McKnight received a “Certificate for Outstanding Good Service” Field Marshall – Commander-in-Chief 21st Army Group Bernard Montgomery.
“it has been brought to my notice that you have performed outstanding good service, and shown great devotion to duty during the campaign in France.
I award you this certificate as a token of my appreciation, and I have given instructions that this shall be noted in your Record of Service.” 8 Dec. 1944. This was reported in the “Busyville” section of the WN 15/02/45.
He was reported to have arrived in Canada aboard the HMS Khedive 18/01/46. Sergt. C. H. McKnight was discharged from the Army 22 February, 1946.
After the war he owned and operated a dairy farm from 1946 to 1958 on the 8th Concession, Sombra, Twsp. He then joined the OPP and was stationed in Merlin and in Chatham where he was in charge of District 1 communications. He retired from the O.P.P 27 June, 1985 on his 65th birthday.
Clarence ‘Ken’ passed away 29 August, 1987 in Chatham, ON. He is buried at Maple Leaf Cemetery, Chatham.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
| Sources | W-RH, WHSSC, WHS-RH, RCL- 465, L Woodman (daughter), CDN (20/02/42) |
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