William Knight was a student teacher from the district of Gelncoe, near Gore, when he volunteered for the Air Force in January, 1942. He left New Zealand for training in Canada at the end of that year. He earned his "wings" and a Sergeant's rank in April, 1943. After nearly a year's further operation training in the UK he was sent to the Mediterranean theatre and joined No 36 Squadron, RAF in North Africa. The Squadron was flying Wellington bombers on nocturnal anti-submarine patrols, equipped with depth charges and Leigh lights - airborne searchlights which were linked to the plane's search radar and would aim in the direction of the radar contact, to be switched on just before contact was made.
William's Wellington was flying from the island of Corsica, taking off at 1.03am on August 27th. It made contact with radar an hour and a half later. The Wellington made three runs over the suspect area, using its light. On the third, the pilot flew too low, hit the sea and crashed. Three of the crew survived the crash and subsequent explosion of the plane's depth charges and were able to tell the story. Flight Sergeant Knight's body was not recovered. It was his second operation.
Invercargill Cemetery.
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