Rossie O. Knight. Image courtesy of Bryan Shaw and the Berrien Historical Foundation http://www.berriencountyga.com
Rossie O. Knight
Rossie O. Knight was a son of Sovin J. Knight and Ann Eliza Allen of Ray City, GA.
In the years from 1913 to 1917, Rossie was engaged in America’s preparation for the coming conflict, in military service with the Coast Artillery Corps at Fort Hancock, NJ, and working to produce war matériel at the Nixon Nitration Works.
On April 6, 1917, the United States Congress formally declared war on Germany and its allies. By August 7, 1917 he was serving overseas with the U.S. First Division . He received the Victory Medal with five battle clasps for his service with the 1st Division Ammunition Train in France during WWI.
After the Armistice was declared on November 11, 1918 Knight served in Germany as part of the Army of Occupation. On August 6, 1919 he was transferred from the 1st Division Ammunition Train to Company B, 7th Machine Gun Battalion, and on September 17, 1919 he finally got his sergeant’s stripes back. For the next 18 months, Sergeant Knight was stationed with his company at Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, Koblenz, Germany.
First American flag to fly over a German Fort across the Rhine, Ehrenbreitstein Fortress
Ehrenbreitstein Fortress (German: Festung Ehrenbreitstein) is a fortress on the mountain of the same name on the east bank of the Rhine opposite the town of Koblenz in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
Ehrenbreitstein was built as part of a strong ring of fortifications around Koblenz, the largest military fortress in Europe after Gibraltar. When the Koblenz fortifications west of the Rhine were dismantled in 1890-1903, Ehrenbreitstein Fortress remained as the main defense of the Rhine crossing. After WWI it was occupied by the US Army as their headquarters during the Occupation of the Rhineland.
American Flag over Fortress Ehrenbreitstein, Koblenz, Germany, circa 1919
In the 1920 census, Rossie O. Knight was enumerated at Fortress Ehrenbreitstein, Koblenz, Germany with Company B, 7th Machine Gun Battalion.
1920 census enumeration of Rossie O. Knight while stationed in Germany at Fortress Ehrenbreitstein, Koblenz, Germany
https://archive.org/stream/14thcensusofpopu2040unit#page/n463/mode/1up
Review of the American Forces in Germany
On February 14, 1921, the 7th Machine Gun Battalion ceased to exist pursuant to War Department orders.
According to family historian, Bryan Shaw, “Rossie Knight returned home after the war and was plagued with the effects of multiple gas exposures. Rossie remained single the rest of his life. He died November 16, 1963 at the age of 71. He is buried at the Pleasant Cemetery in the Lois community.”
Related posts:
- Ray City, GA Veterans of World War I
- Rossie O. Knight and the Nixon Nitration Works
- Rossie O. Knight and the WWI Victory Medal
- Eliza Allen and Sovin Knight
- Sullivan Jordan “Sovin” Knight (1858 – 1911)
- Sullivan Jordan Knight ~ Obituary 1911
- Carlos J. Boggs and the Buffalo Infantry of WWI
- Red Cross was at the Ready for HMS Otranto Survivors
- Carlie Lawson and the Battle of the Argonne Forest
- Hod P. Clements and the Dixie Division
- Owen Leonard Clements Drowned During Invasion of Mexico
