217593 Pte. Verner Gladders Knuckey Australian Imperial Force 8th Light Horse Regiment, Australian Royal Flying from:Australia Verner Gladders Knuckey was born at Cobar, New South Wales on 8th July 1886. When he enlisted, he listed his profession as a clerk in the Commonwealth Treasury and was living in East Malvern, Victoria. Knuckey had previously spent two years with the Light Horse Regiment before enlisting as a Private with the 8th Light Horse Regiment on 16th July 1915.
Knuckey left Melbourne for Egypt on 10th November 1915 aboard HMAT Ascanius. Since the Light Horse Regiment was considered unsuitable for the initial operations at Gallipoli, they were deployed without their horses. The 8th Light Horse Brigade formed the first two waves for the disastrous attack on the Nek on 7th August 1915 and left the Gallipoli Peninsula on 20th December.
Knuckey returned to Egypt and with the 8th Light Horse Brigade defended the Suez Canal and participated in the advance which eventually turned the Turks at Romani. In January 1917 Knuckey volunteered for the 2nd Squadron of the Australian Flying Corps in Egypt as an electrician because he wanted to see England and France. He later trained as a wireless operator. The 2nd Squadron was initially drawn from 67 Australian Squadron and supplemented by volunteers from the light horse regiments from Australia. From England Knuckey went to France on 6th May 1918 before returning back to England in February 1919. Verner Knuckey returned to Australia on 23rd September 1919.
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