Please visit my Notable KNIBBS Page for Amos

Amos joined the Royal Navy in 1901 for 12 years service and transferred into submarines on the 1 Jul 1911. He was listed as 5'4" with brown hair and blue eyes. He started his career aboard the cruiser HMS Northampton, the corvette HMS Calliope, the depot ship HMS Firequeen, battleship HMS Formidable, cruisers HMS Invincible, HMS Arrogant, and Bonaventure. In 1912 he was posted to HMS Maidstone which I believe indicates that was when he transferred into the submariners section of the Royal Navy.

He was drafted to the brand new Submarine E8 before it was completely built at Chatham Dockyard, Kent, England, and saw much active service during his service in her. The E8 took part in the First Battle of Heligoland Bight was the first naval battle of the First World War, fought on 28 August 1914. A very large naval force was despatched to attack the German patrols to the west of the German naval base at Heligoland. This attack by the surface ships was coordinated with a force of eight British submarines, including the E8, which were used to attack any reinforcing or retreating German ships, and to draw the German ships out to sea.

Amos was also part of the original crew who took the E8 out to the Baltic in August 1915 where they remained for the next 3 years. He served in the Baltic aboard HMSM E8 and E19. These and other British submarines came to play an important part in stopping the German High Seas Fleet exercising freely in the southern Baltic, as well as disrupting iron ore traffic from Sweden. On 23 October 1915, the German armoured cruiser Prinz Adalbert was attacked by the E8. One of E8's torpedoes hit the magazine and the Prinz Adalbert exploded and sank with the tragic loss of around 650 men. This resulted in a temporary withdrawal of all German heavy warships from the Baltic, and it was considered to be the most successful strike by a British submarine during the Great war.

The entire crew of E8 were each awarded the Russian Medal, the Cross of St. George, for their part in the sinking of the Prinz Adalbert. Lt Cdr Francis Goodhart, the commander of the E8 wrote in his patrol report: "On the occasion of the successful attack on the Prinz Adalbert, I wish to record the splendid work of the officers and men serving under my command since the war started. Of the Petty Officers and men it is impossible to mention all, but G. D. Thomas C.P.O. Coxswain, R. C. Maunders P.O.1, Senior L.T.O., G. B. Perry, Chief Stoker P.O., J. T. Baker, Acting Leading Stoker, A. C. Knibbs, A. B., H. W. Mills, Stoker, W. E. Newbound, Stoker, have been especially prominent in their good work, where all have been excellent".

The Russian Revolution was in full swing, E8 sailed with E9 and E19 from Reval in Estonia to Hango in Finland. In April 1918, the Germans landed at Hango and it was decided the British flotilla there would be destroyed to prevent capture. On 3 Apr, 1917 the E8 together with E1, E9 and E19, left Helingsfors (now Helsinki) to scuttle the boats. E1, E9 and E19 were sunk but the charge on E8 failed to work. She spent the night at sea and was joined by C26 and C35. E8 was tied to C26 and both boats were blown up.

Amos and many others travelled home from Helsingfors in Finland via Petrograd in Russia to Murmansk by train. Once in Murmansk they
embarked on the armed merchant cruiser HMS Andes (an ex Royal Mail liner) and departed for England on the 14th January 1918 via Scapa Flow, Lock Ewe and disembarked in the Clyde, Scotland on the 21st January 1918.

On return to England he was drafted to the submarine depot ship HMS Ambrose and the submarine HMSM L6.

In 1920 he left submarines, returning to surface ships, and served on the Battlecruisers HMS New Zealand and HMS Lion. Amos left the Royal Navy in 1923 and became part of the Royal Fleet Reserve.


Chatham Built Submarine web site gives details of the submarine, it's operations, and it's crew members, including Amos Knibbs.

It maybe this Annie, aged 7, that we can see in 1891 living at Portsea Island, Hampshire, England with her family. We know Amos was a Portsmouth based Naval rating.

If indeed it is her, then the family was living at No.5 Andrews Buildings, Portsea Island, Portsmouth, Hampshire:
Louis Kirman Head 31 Taylor Vilna - Russia British Subject
Rebecca Kirman Wife 34 Tayloress Vilna - Russia British Subject
Maurice Kirman Son 11 Scholar London
Rose Kirman Daur 9 Scholar London
Annie Kirman Daur 7 Scholar London
Caroline Mildren Boarder Wid Tayloress Hants Portsmouth
Adolphus Mildren Boarder 5 Hants Portsmouth
Ada Mildren Boareder 3 Hants Portsmouth

Vilna is the largest city and capital of Lithuania.