Lt Knox VC commemorative stone ceremony

The 22nd of March 2018 marks the 100th anniversary for the action in which Nuneaton man Lt Knox was awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery.

The 29 year old who lived at The Chase, Higham Lane, Nuneaton  was a second lieutenant in the 150th Field Company, Corps of Royal Engineers, British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

“On 22 March 1918 at Tugny-et-Pont, Aisne, France, Second Lieutenant Knox was entrusted with the demolition of 12 bridges. He successfully carried out this task, but in the case of one steel girder bridge the time fuse failed to act, and without hesitation he ran to the bridge under heavy fire, and when the enemy were actually on it, he tore away the time fuse and lit the instantaneous fuse, to do which he had to get under the bridge. As a practical civil engineer, Second Lieutenant Knox undoubtedly realised the grave risk he took in doing this.”

In line with the guidelines provided by central government a ceremony will take place in Riversley Park on Thursday 22nd March 2018 to unveil a commemorative stone marking the 100th anniversary of the date on which the action took place. We are delighted to be accompanied on the day by the daughter and grandson of Lt Knox who will be will making the long journey up from Devon and Suffolk respectively to unveil the stone in conjunction with our Mayor Councillor Hancox.

 Although the Borough can lay claim to 2 Victoria Cross recipients who lived in the Borough namely Lt Knox and Private Beesley, only Lt Knox was born in the Borough and as such qualifies us for the award of only the one commemorate stone.   

The ceremony will take place in Riversley Park at 12 midday on Thursday 22nd of March.