Lt-Col James Knights Trench OBE (1893-1969)
American citizen, Analytical Chemist, Chemical Engineer & Patentee of Practice Grenade.
Resident of Burley Hall, Burley in Wharfedale c1939-c1946. At the time KT (as he was known) was managing director of both Sandoz Chemicals Co. Ltd, Bradford & Cotopa Ltd, Bradford & Guiseley.
Family History & Background:
Father: Arthur William Trench (1870-1901) born in Enfield, London, England on March 24th 1870.
Mother: Eleanor Knights Trench nee Tucker (1869-1937) born Stepney, London. (The name "Knights" was Eleanor's mother's maiden name). Both had emigrated to the USA in 1886. Arthur W. Trench married Eleanor Tucker on 15th Nov 1892 in New York. Joseph Glatz (c1842-1905) was a speciality chemical manufacturer & wholesaler in New York. His plant was at Riverside Chemical Works 185 - 193 Kent Avenue, Brooklyn.
1888 - Arthur Trench worked for him & in 1888/9 patented two processes that involved recovering glycerine from spent soap-lyes. 1893 May - Arthur W. Trench becomes a US citizen, his witness was Joseph (or Josef) Glatz.
1893 Aug - James Knights Trench (KT) born 29 Aug 1893 Kings, New York City.
He had two sisters Emily Knights Trench (1898-1983) and Gladys Eleanor Knights Trench (1900-1983) both born in Kings, New York City. 1901 - Death of Arthur W. Trench.
1904 May - Eleanor Knights Trench returns to England with the children on the Etruria from New York to Liverpool.
1904 - 1912 KT - Resident England - 76 Claremont Rd, Forest Gate, Essex.
1912 - 1913 KT - Resident Madeira, Spain
1913 - 1916 KT - Resident London
1914 - KT Application for US passport [passport image] & first met Grace Mary Sim.
1915 - Married Grace Mary Sim (1892-1923) Forest Gate, Essex.
1916 Mar - Passport Application states his occupation as chemical engineer & is residing in Glasgow, Scotland.
1916 - Birth of 1st son Arthur Richard Trench. Born Glasgow 10th Oct, baptised Forest Gate, Essex.
1917 Nov - 4 Fenchurch Avenue, London. Chemical Engineer with Brotherton, Ratcliffe & Co. (Lord Brotherton - Leeds University - chemical manufacture HQ Wakefield - firm still exists in the form of Brotherton Speciality Products Limited / Esseco.
1918 - Birth of 2nd son Peter Edward Trench. Born 16th June, Edmonton, Essex.
1919 - Advisory Committee on Drugs, Chemicals, and Dye-stuffs of the American Chamber of Commerce in London formed and held its first meeting on May 1. The committee included - James Knights Trench (Brotherton Ratcliffe Co.) [Chemist & Druggist magazine images - archive.org]
1920 - Passport Application - Eleanor Knights Trench [passport image]
1920 - Passport Application - Grace Mary Knights Trench [passport image]. Resident Glasgow, Scotland with James.
1923 - Death of wife Grace Mary Knights Trench at Edmonton, Essex, England.
1924 - New companies April 1924 - Lord, Trench & Co., Ltd. (P.C.).— Capital £10,000. Objects : To carry on the business of manufacturers, importers and exporters of and dealers in chemicals, chemical products and by-products of all kinds, chemical, bleaching, dyeing, disinfecting and fertilising substances, ammonia and tar distillers, etc. The directors are : J. E. C. Lord, C. Lord, and J. K. Trench. Registered Office: 168 Dashwood House, 9 New Broad Street, London, E.C.2. [Info from Chemist & Druggist April 1924 - archive.org]
1925 - KT married Margery Leslie Shepherdson (b 17th June 1893) on 12th Feb 1925 at St Andrew, Alexandra Park, Haringey, England. Living at 61 The Avenue, Muswell Hill, London.
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1927/28 - Start of "Cotopa" acetylated cotton material manufacture in England. Company named Cotopa Limited established in Bradford & Guiseley associated with Swiss company Sandoz AG. The product is mainly used as an electrical insulator.
1930 - Resident 61 The Avenue, Muswell Hill, London also resident Margery Leslie Knights Trench.
1931 - Cotopa material incorporated into light-weight waterproof coats. [Advert image - "6 times stronger than ordinary cotton"]
1932 - Resident Hill Court, Bramley Leeds.
1937 - 1939 - Resident Manor Court, Grassington Township, Skipton according to the Electoral Roll. But can't have been there very often as in 1938 travelled to & from the US & Canada.
1939-40 Believe to have started renting Burley Hall from the owner Lionel Cresswell.
1939 - 1945 - Research on-going into KT's involvement with the Home Guard. HG West Riding training establishment at Harrogate. Believe this to be Harlow Grange, Otley Road, Harrogate.
Practice grenades design & manufacture by Cotopa Ltd at Bradford & their mill on Back Lane, Guiseley. |
The Home Guard was formed in May 1940 after the Secretary of State for War, Anthony Eden, made a speech asking for volunteers. Within 24 hours of the speech being broadcast 250,000 men had signed up, which rose to 1.8 million by March 1943. The organisation was originally known as the Local Defence Volunteers, but the name was changed in July 1940 as it was felt that it was not sufficiently inspirational. Members of the Home Guard were either in reserved occupations, deemed essential to the war effort or too young or old to serve in the normal army, but the official age limit of 17 to 65 was not always strictly enforced. 1200 members of the Home Guard died. The Home Guard was disbanded in December 1945. Info courtesy of Bangor University Archives. |
1940 - Storage of Cotopa yarn materials at Burley Hall by KT, known locally. The Cotopa yarn material was being used by the RAF in the manufacture of aircraft, particularly their intercom systems. Gave cover story for "Operation Moon".
c1940 - "In 1940 'Fifrelin II' turned up in England, moored on the Hamble river. Her name was now 'Jaimie' and she had become the property of James Knights Trench and his new love Amy. His grown up son referred to the boat sarcastically as "HMS Impressive". But his honeymoon was short lived, the boat was requisitioned by the War department. It sustained substantial damage in 6 years of use & in 1946 was offered back to her owner, Knights Trench, who sold her for scrap." Info courtesy of ginger dot.
[B&W Images - boat and KT & Amy - which Amy is this (3rd wife?) & what date for the photo of both of them?] |
1941 Mar - patent GB547239A * 1941-03-17 1942-08-19 James Knights Trench - Improvements in hand grenades for the purpose of practice. [content description of patent - abstract]
1941 - patent GB547239A Abstract:
547,239. Grenades. TRENCH, J. KNIGHTS-. March 17, 1941. Nos. 3637 and 10939. [Class 9 (i)] A practice grenade comprises an explosive charge embedded in an outer casing of an easily disintegratable or friable material, such as clay, which is moulded to the shape and size of a Mills' bomb, a time fuze leading from the explosive charge to the outside, and a match head for igniting the fuze. The explosive charge 1, which may be ordinary black powder, is contained in a fabric, cardboard or metal container 2 which is placed within a hole in a moulded clay body 5 or this body is moulded around the container and is made waterproof. A fuze 4 is attached to one end of the container and is provided with a match head 8 at its outer end adapted to be ignited by friction on a pad to which a mixture of dextrine, red phosphorus, antimony tri-sulphide, powdered glass and waterproofing wax emulsifiers resin and aluminium acetate has been applied. The match head is also rendered waterproof and consists of a mixture of red phpsphorus, potassium chlorate, bichromate, flowers of sulphur, powdered glass, lead dioxide, umber, colophony with cellulose acetate as waterproofing agent. The fuze is sealed into the body by a seal 9 and its external portion may be wholly or partially protected by a metal casing 6 secured to it by indentations 7 therein.
Classifications: F42B8/26 Hand grenades
Classifications: F42B8/26 Hand grenades
Its very likely that the manufacture of James Knights Trench's patented hand grenades took place at Cotopa Mill, Guiseley. As MD of the company & a senior figure in the West Riding District Home Guard, he was perfectly placed to organise it.
1941 Oct - explosion at Cotopa mill, Guiseley killed 4 female workers & injured another.
Cotopa Mills, Guiseley explosion Oct 1941
"One of the products being made here was artificial hand grenades for use by the Home Guard, although made of clay they were filled with gun powder, five local girls were employed to do this.
The area the girls worked in was a low building, to one side of the main mill building, a massive explosion occurred which blew one side of the building out. The four girls who died were Edith Maud Bell aged 15, Mrs Elizabeth Dale aged 24, Dorothy Powell aged 19, Mrs Rose Green aged 21. Constance Mary Calvert aged 16 survived injuries to her legs and hands."
Info courtesy of the Aireborough Historical Society.
The area the girls worked in was a low building, to one side of the main mill building, a massive explosion occurred which blew one side of the building out. The four girls who died were Edith Maud Bell aged 15, Mrs Elizabeth Dale aged 24, Dorothy Powell aged 19, Mrs Rose Green aged 21. Constance Mary Calvert aged 16 survived injuries to her legs and hands."
Info courtesy of the Aireborough Historical Society.
1942 - KT known to be living at 2 Queen Parade, Harrogate during winter months & The Hall (Burley Hall), Burley in Wharfedale during the summer ones.
1942 - KT - West Riding District Grenade Officer & Commandant of the West Riding District Home Guard.
1942 Mar - "The Moon Is Down" novel by American writer John Steinbeck. First published March 1942.
1942 Oct - Death of eldest son Major Arthur Richard Trench, M.C., Queen's Regiment from wounds suffered at El Alamein. Buried at Cairo, Egypt.
1943 - KT Awarded OBE for services to the Home Guard.
1943 Apr - 7th West Riding (Leeds) Battalion Home Guard won the Colonel Knights Trench Cup in the West Riding District Home Guard Grenade Competition. [Bradford Observer cutting]
1944 Jun - Salute the Soldier Week - KT involved in the fund-raising of over £2 million in Bradford. [Bradford Observer cutting][Also ref Past Events webpage - Burley's Salute the Soldier Week image]
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1944 Nov - Closure of the Home Guard Training Establishment Harrogate - ref to KT [Yorkshire Post cutting]
1944 Dec - All Home Guard units stood down & disbanded.
1945 Mar - Lt Col Peter Edward Trench serving with the 21st Army Group Headquarters awarded the OBE [Yorkshire Post cutting]
1946 - The Knights-Trench Chess Trophy presented by Lt.Col J. Knights Trench OBE for annual competition.
1946 Feb - Reference to KT & Sandoz war work [Bradford Observer cutting]
1946 - Electoral Roll resident of Burley Hall, Burley in Wharfedale.
1946 Sep - Lionel Cresswell sells Burley Hall & its estate to Percy Dalton.
1947 Nov - 128 employees (& their partners) of Sandoz Products Ltd, Bradford on trip to London paid for by KT. [Bradford Observer cutting]
1948 Jan - Dance in Park Lane (London) - In Aid of the Edith Edwards Children's Home for Tuberculosis - KT & Mrs KT in attendance. [The Tatler cutting]
(Edna Edwards (1899-1914) was Aimee H Edwards sister who died of TB. Her death led to the establishment of the Edith Edwards Preventorium at Papworth, Cambridgeshire (Royal Papworth Hospital)). 1948 Jul - Cocktail Party at Queens Hotel, Leeds given by KT. Present were the Australian Cricket Test Team including Don Bradman & Lindsay Hassett. [Yorkshire Post illustrated cutting]
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Notes on the wives of James Knights Trench.
The research has been complicated by KT's numerous wives. It would seem that he enjoyed the thrill of the chase, but apart from his first wife, Grace Sim (the mother of his only children) who died, he didn't stay married to the same wife for very long. Possibly 6 of them, 5 that we know about are:
1915 - Grace Mary Sim (1892-1923)
1925 - Margery Leslie Shepherdson (widow)(b 17th June 1893-1959).
1949 - Married Aimee Henriette Edwards-Craven (1901-1983)
c1950 - Amy Laing
c1953 - Amy Jo Ellis (1906-1965) |
1948 Dec - Cotopa Mill, Guiseley burns down [Leodis Images] [Newspaper cuttings ref move to new site Calverley, Horsforth, that later became Sandoz]
1949 - Married Aimee Henriette Edwards (1901-1983)
1949 - Resident 74 Fountain House, Park Lane, Mayfair, London.
1953 - Amy Jo Knights-Trench (1906-1965) nee Ellis (another wife?) Immigration Cards for KT & Amy to Brazil en route to South Africa. [Images KT & Amy]
c1953 - KT emigrates to South Africa.
1955 May - "On 7th May, by the kind offices of one of Kearsney's neighbours, Col. Knights Trench, the school was given a demonstration of the latest high-fidelity record player and also of a first-rate tape recorder." Info courtesy of Kearsney College (Chronicle), Bothas Hill, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
1969 Nov - James Knights Trench dies a widower in Durban, South Africa.
Operation Moon (Braddock I & II) - Special Operations Executive (SOE)
1942 Mar - The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck
"The book, set in an unidentified wintry, snow-covered country recently occupied by a brutal enemy, is a morale-raising tale of the courage and resistance of the subjected people of a small town. Using small sticks of dynamite parachuted to them by their Allies, the townsfolk rise-up against their enemy oppressors." Info courtesy of https://www.psywar.org/content/braddock
After reading The Moon Is Down in May 1942, Prime Minister Winston Churchill supported the idea of supplying small weapons to occupied countries.
The idea of supplying concealable explosives en masse to the people of occupied countries did not come as an innovation to SOE. But having initially researched & dismissed the idea, as circumstances in the war changed, their view of it also changed.
In what was initially called Operation Moon, then later renamed Braddock I and Braddock II, the RAF dropped 500,000 incendiary packets over Germany in Sept 1944, with the intention of spreading confusion and sabotage.
The role of Burley Hall, Cotopa Ltd, Sandoz Chemicals & James Knights Trench in the manufacture & supply of 4 million pocket-sized incendiaries to the RAF.
The papers, compiled into 176Mb pdf in the Burley Archive, begin in November 1942 & run through until May 1945. They cover all aspects of the operation. Who was employed doing what, when, where etc. Currently working out how to present them.
Operation Moon
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