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Cenotaph record

Ernest Llewellyn Knopwood

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Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War II Hall of Memories Panel J_021. Image taken June 2020.

Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War II Hall of Memories Panel J_021. Image taken June 2020.

© Auckland Museum CC BY AWMM

Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    Ernest Llewellyn AWMM
  • Surname
    Knopwood AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
  • Service number
    33115 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
  • Date of birth
    b. 1915 Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 18 July 2023 - https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/casualties/ernest-llewellyn-knopwood
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
    Son of James Robert and Anne Knopwood, of Gisborne Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 18 July 2023 - https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/casualties/ernest-llewellyn-knopwood
  • Address before enlistment
    Unknown AWMM 27 Beach Road, Gisborne, East Coast, New Zealand AWMM
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    Mrs A. Knopwood (mother), 27 Beach Road, Gisborne, East Coast, New Zealand AWMM
  • Relationship status
    Unknown AWMM Single AWMM

Service

Wars and conflicts

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  • War
    World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
  • Campaign
    Western Desert AWMM
  • Armed force / branch
    Army AWMM
  • Service number
    33115 AWMM
  • Military service
  • Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers

Military decorations

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Training and Enlistment

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Embarkations

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Prisoner of war

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  • Capture details
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

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  • Medical notes
    Killed on Active Service, Cause of Death AWMM

Biographical information

Biographical information

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    • Ernest Knopwood was the son of James Robert and Anne Knopwood, of Gisborne, New Zealand. AWMM
    • Biographical Notes
      "At half past five on the afternoon of 5 December the SS Chakdina left Tobruk harbour carrying 380 wounded, of whom 97 were New Zealanders. The Chakdina was not a hospital ship, but her use had been arranged by the British ADMS in Tobruk. In addition to the wounded she had on board some officers and men who were going to Baggush to resume duties with HQ 2 NZ Division. Among them were Maj M. Williams, OC 4 Field Hygiene Section, WO I R. W. Cawthorn, and two men of ADMS's staff. Just after nine o'clock an enemy plane released a torpedo, which exploded in one of the after holds of the Chakdina. She sank within three and a half minutes. There was very little chance of escape, except for those who were unwounded or only lightly wounded, and who were in a favourable position at the time. Only 18 of the New Zealand wounded were picked up by the destroyer HMS Farndale, which also rescued all except one of the Divisional Headquarters medical staff. The survivors reached Alexandria on 7 December, and the casualties were admitted to the detachment of 3 NZ General Hospital there. The sinking of the Chakdina was the only major misfortune in the evacuation of New Zealand wounded during the war."

      [MEDICAL UNITS OF 2 NZEF IN MIDDLE EAST AND ITALY, NZETC] Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 18 July 2023 - https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/casualties/ernest-llewellyn-knopwood
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    5 December 1941 AWMM
    Age 26 AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
    Advice has been received by Mrs A. Knopwood, Beach Road, that her son, Lance-Corporal Ernest L. Knopwood, has been posted as missing in operations in Libya. Lance-Corporal Knopwood was through the campaigns in Greece and Crete. He was well known in Gisborne in several branches of sport, including hockey, Rugby and tennis. Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 18 July 2023 - POSTED AS MISSING
    GISBORNE HERALD, VOLUME LXIX, ISSUE 20655, 5 JANUARY 1942, PAGE 4
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name
    • Alamein Memorial, El Alamein War Cemetery, Egypt AWMM
    • Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 2 Hall of Memories AWMM
    • Gisborne First World War Memorial, The Esplanade, Kaiti, Gisborne AWMM

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Sources

Sources

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  • External links
    Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
    https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2123157
    Sources Used
  • References
    Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 3 (Embarkations from 1st July, 1940 to 31st March, 1941). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer. AWMM
    WW2 3: WW2 260 AWMM

Contributors

Command item
Command item
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DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
18 July 2023Lorraine Mona GisborneResearcher

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