Subject

St. Andrew Light of the World St. George

Text

St. Andrew Rex Mundi St. George

Inscription

To the Glory of God and in loving memory of Maj. Keith Robert Knox K.O.S.B. - M.C. & Bar Born - 1916 Died of wounds - 1946

Description & History

Stained glass artists, John Ferguson (1923-2010) and Nick Papas (1921- ) set up in business together in the early 1950s, after several years working at Brooks Robinson & Co. post-Second World War. This is one of their earlier worksand the influence of the Brooks, Robinson house style is still discernible. Later windows in the same church exemplify the evolution of the Ferguson & Papas Modernist style, which was appropriate for the building.

Keith Robert Knox was overseas when war was declared. He passed through Sandhurst and was commissioned as Lieutenant in the Kings' Own Scottish Borderers and fought with the British Empire Forces until evacuated from Dunkirk. He returned safely from Normandy a second time before a posting to the King's Own African Rifles took him to Abyssinia where he was awarded the Military Cross. Re-joining the KOSB he fought with them in Burma where, on 12 February 1944, he gained a Bar to his MC and was seriously wounded. Repatriated to Australia, he underwent several operations but returned to Britain in June 1946 for further medical treatment. He died at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead on 16 November 1946, aged 27, and was buried in the Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey. He was the younger son of Sir Robert and Lady Knox whose elder son, Major David W.R. Knox served with the AIF.

References & Acknowledgements

James Affleck, Geelong Grammarians at World War Two, The Old Geelong Grammarians Incorporated, Corio, 2002, p. 42; Argus, 12 November 1946, p.7; Commonwealth War Graves Commission www.cwgc.org.

Thanks to Ray Brown for an image of the window