Roland Lee Knight

Squadron Leader
Roland Anthony Lee Knight
DFC
Nickname(s) Tony
Born 1917
Fareham, England
Died 27 September 1941 (aged 24)
Dunkirk, France
Commonwealth War Grave[1] Dunkirk, France
Allegiance United Kingdom United Kingdom
Service/branch  Royal Air Force
Years of service 1936-1941
Rank Squadron Leader
Service number 37772
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Distinguished Flying Cross

Squadron Leader Roland Anthony 'Tony' Lee Knight DFC (1917–1941) (his name sometimes hyphenated to Lee-Knight) was a British RAF flying ace of the Second World War with six "kills".[2][3][4]

Biography

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

He 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 DFC in 1941 with the following citation:

‘This officer has shown great personal courage and sound leadership in sweeps over enemy territory. By his dash and consistent courage Flight Lieutenant Knight has set an example to his flight. He has destroyed at least three enemy aircraft and damaged others’.[10]

On 21 August 1941 he was promoted to Squadron Leader and Commanding Officer of the newly formed No.403 (RCAF) Squadron, Hornchurch.[11] Shortly thereafter he was shot down on active service over Dunkirk, France on 27 September 1941.[12]

List of air victories

Knight’s combat record reads: six kills, three probable kills, three damaged and one destroyed on the ground.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Reading Room Manchester. "CWGC - Casualty Details". cwgc.org. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Aces High". google.com. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  3. ↑ "Tony Lee-Knight". acesofww2.com. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  4. ↑ "Battle of Britain London Monument - F/Lt. R A L Knight". bbm.org.uk. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  5. ↑ ancestry.co.uk
  6. ↑ "Roll of Honour - Bedfordshire - Bedford Modern School - World War 2". roll-of-honour.com. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  7. ↑ The London Gazette, 5 May 1936
  8. ↑ The London Gazette, 23 February 1937
  9. ↑ The London Gazette, 29 October 1940
  10. ↑ The London Gazette, 5 August 1941
  11. ↑ "World War 2 Awards.com - KNIGHT, Roland Anthony Lee". ww2awards.com. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  12. ↑ "Sq Ldr Roland Anthony Lee Knight ( - 1941) - Find A Grave Photos". findagrave.com. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
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