Paving stone honour for Nuneaton First World War war hero

[dutchman]

A special paving stone is to be laid in Nuneaton as a tribute to a distinguished war hero.

Cecil Leonard Knox was awarded the Victoria Cross for an outstanding act of bravery in 1918 - and he will now be commemorated as part of government plans to mark the centenary of the First World War.

Stones will be individually inscribed with the names of all VC recipients from the conflict and installed in their home town.

Mr Knox, whose grand family home was where The Chase Hotel now stands in Higham Lane, was a 29-year-old Second Lieutenant with the Royal Engineers when he risked his life on the French front line.

His company was tasked with blowing up a bridge to halt a German advance but when the time fuse failed the officer ran through heavy enemy fire to light the fuse himself.

He escaped serious injury - although his hearing was permanently damaged - and, after having his gallantry listed in the London Gazette, was presented with the VC by King George V.

Back in civvy street, Mr Knox was made a Freeman of the Borough of Nuneaton and became a director of Haunchwood Brick & Tile Co Ltd.

Between the wars, he joined the Royal Auxiliary Air Force and suffered a parachute accident.

In 1940 he commanded the Nuneaton Company of the Home Guard but three years later he was killed when he reportedly lost control of a motorbike on ice at Tuttle Hill. He was buried at Gilroes Cemetery, in Leicester.

The whereabouts of his VC are not known, but two local streets bear his name - Cecil Leonard Knox Crescent, at Bramcote Barracks, and Knox Crescent, on the St Nicolas Park estate.

Another Nuneaton resident awarded a VC in the First World War was William Beesley, a 22-year-old private in the Rifle Brigade who single-handedly captured a German command post in 1918. He died at the age of 80 and now lies in St Pauls’ Cemetery, Coventry. But as Mr Beesley was born in Gresley, Staffordshire, that will be the location of his commemorative paving stone.

In announcing the scheme, Communities Minister Eric Pickles said: “Laying paving stones to mark these Victoria Cross heroes will ensure that there is a permanent memorial to all the fallen who fought for our country.

“There will be a competition for the design of the stones, which is a great way for people from all corners of the United Kingdom to get involved.”

[dutchman]

Isn't there a VC recipient from Coventry?

Yes, Arthur Hutt won the VC in 1917 but the stones are being laid in chronological order so it will be 2017 before it's Arthur's turn. We can then argue over whether the paving stone should be laid in Earlsdon where he was born or Gulson Road where he grew up?

William Beesley VC was for a long time a native of Nuneaton and was eventually buried in Coventry but as he was born in Staffordshire his stone will be laid there in 2018.