Roland Lee Knight Explained

Roland Anthony Lee Knight
Nickname:	Tony
Birth Date:	1917
Birth Place:	Fareham, England
Death Date:	27 September 1941 (aged 24)
Death Place:	Dunkirk, France
Placeofburial:	Dunkirk Town Cemetery^[1]
Serviceyears:	1936–1941
Rank:	Squadron Leader
Servicenumber:	37772
Commands:	No. 403 Squadron (1941)
Battles:	Second World War
Awards:	Distinguished Flying Cross

Roland Anthony Lee Knight, DFC (1917 – 27 September 1941) was a fighter pilot and flying ace of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, credited with six "kills".^{[2] [3] [4]}

Early life

Knight was born in 1917 in Fareham and educated at Bedford Modern School.^{[5] [6]}

RAF career

Knight joined the Royal Air Force in 1936,^[7] and was commissioned as pilot officer on 17 February 1937.^[8] He was promoted to flying officer on 17 November 1938 and to flight lieutenant on 3 September 1940.^[9]

Knight was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1941 with the following citation:

Notes and References

1. Web site: CWGC – Casualty Details. Reading Room Manchester. cwgc.org. 21 January 2015.
2. Book: Aces High. 9781898697008. 21 January 2015. Shores. Christopher. Williams. Clive. 15 July 2008.
3. Web site: Tony Lee-Knight. acesofww2.com. 21 January 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140508102606/http://acesofww2.com/Canada/aces/lee-knight.htm. 8 May 2014. dmy-all.
4. Web site: Battle of Britain London Monument – F/Lt. R A L Knight. bbm.org.uk. 21 January 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150121145746/http://www.bbm.org.uk/Knight.htm. 21 January 2015. dmy-all.
5. ancestry.co.uk
6. Web site: Roll of Honour – Bedfordshire – Bedford Modern School – World War 2. roll-of-honour.com. 21 January 2015.
7. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34281/page/2899/data.pdf The London Gazette, 5 May 1936, Issue 34281, p. 2899
8. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34374/page/1260/data.pdf The London Gazette, 23 February 1937, Issue 34374, p. 1260
9. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34982/page/6255/data.pdf The London Gazette, 29 October 1940, Issue 34982, p. 6255