Bertie James Knights was born in Bungay on 28th July 1896. His father was Henry Knights and his mother was Eliza (née Redgrave). In 1911, Bertie was living with his widowed father at Turnstile Lane in Bungay.

In 1916, he applied for a position at St Audry’s as an attendant and started on 25th April that year. Very shortly after starting work, Bertie was called up for service. He initially joined the Suffolk Regiment, but there are no records to show which regiment he was posted to after undergoing training, or whether he went overseas or remained on home service.

Bertie resumed work at St Audry’s on 15th December 1919 and, in 1926, he married Rosa E Cooper. In 1939, Bertie and Rosa were living on The Street, Melton, and Bertie’s occupation was shown as a male nurse. Bertie died in 1978 and is buried at Melton Old Church.