Percy Edward Knightley was born on 21 June 1890 in Haggerston, London. He was the eldest child of George Edward Knightley, a leather case maker, and Alice Maria Knightley formerly Day. He was educated at Sidney Road School, Hackney from 1 July 1897, and by 1911 was an apprentice chair maker. Percy attested under the Derby Scheme (officially called the Group Scheme) on 11 December 1915, and having been accepted, was enlisted for General Service and transferred into Section B Army Reserve with the rank of Private to await his call up. Mobilized in August 1916, he was posted to the Royal Flying Corps with the rank of 2nd Class Air Mechanic (No.45071), and would have been posted to a Recruits Depot prior to his posting to No.46 Squadron at Wyton in Huntingdonshire (now Cambridgeshire) as an Officers Batman. The Squadron was commanded by Major Philip Babington and was in the process of being re-equipped with Nieuport 12 two-seaters. Posted overseas in October 1916, the Squadron's Mechanical ...
Robert Pugh, Saturday October 25th 2014 14:31
