OBITUARY
CAPTAIN M. E. KNIGHT
"The death has been reported from India of Captain Maurice Edward Knight, Royal Artillery. Captain Knight was born in Dannevirke and educated at Wanganui Collegiate School and Canterbury University College, where he secured his M.A. In 1933 he went to England and continued his studies at London University. Captain Knight travelled extensively on the Continent and particularly in Finland and Sweden. He was in Sweden when war broke out and secured a passage on one of the two last ships to leave Gottenburg for England before the port was closed. Captain Knight joined the New Zealand Anti-tank Unit on its formation in England, and later, on account of his knowledge of the country and language, volunteered for the special force which was recruited to assist the Finns in their war against Russia in 1940. After special training this expedition was called off, after the transports had been loaded and were about to sail. Captain Knight then transferred to an English anti-tank regiment and fought in the Battle of Britain in an anti-aircraft battery outside London. After attending an officers' training course, he was granted his commission. After some time in Scotland, Captain Knight volunteered for service overseas, and was drafted to India, arriving there in one of the biggest convoys to leave England up to that date. He arrived in India about the time of the German break-through to El Alamein. In India Captain Knight was engaged in training Indian troops. He was the youngest son of Mrs. E. Knight, Auckland, and the late Mr. H. D. Knight, formerly of Dannevirke and Levin. Mrs. F. S. Varnham (Gisborne), Mrs T. A. Gibson (Te Akau), and Miss M. A. Knight (Auckland) are sisters, and Mr. K. U. Knight (Te Teko), Mr. F A. Knight (Wellington), and Mr. R. B. Knight are brothers. Three other brothers lost their lives in the last war." [Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 72, 22 September 1944, p 3]