Charles Brian KNIBBS, son of Victor Alfred Henry KNIBBS and Violet Louise HARRIS , was born 14 July 1934 in Brentford District, Middlesex, England. He married Kathleen Mary MAHONEY 02 April 1955 in West Drayton, London, Middlesex, England. He died 09 February 2010 in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England. Kathleen Mary MAHONEY was born October December, 1936 in Paddington District, London, Middlesex, England. She died 24 November 2016 in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England.


Children of Charles Brian KNIBBS and Kathleen Mary MAHONEY are:
1. Susan Pauline KNIBBS, b. Private See Paul G WYATT & Susan Pauline KNIBBS
2. Sandra Maria KNIBBS, b. Private See Robert W ROLLS & Sandra Maria KNIBBS OR Simon BUSBY & Sandra Maria KNIBBS
3. Peter KNIBBS, b. Private

Marriage Notes for Charles Brian KNIBBS\Kathleen Mary MAHONEY:


Notes for Charles Brian KNIBBS:

Also known as: Charlie

From the LutonToday.co.uk and DunstableToday.co.uk, on 17 February 2010 (Distributed in Luton):

Charlie Knibbs: Obituary
KNIBBS Charlie passed away at home on 9th February 2010 aged 74 years. Charlie worked lovingly to improve lives for many people. He leaves a devoted wife, Kath. Children, Sandra, Peter and Sue. Grandchildren Kelly, Craig, Scott, Ryan, Becki and Zoe. Funeral Service to take place at The Priory Church, Dunstable on Tuesday 2nd March at 11am. Committal afterwards at West Street Cemetery. Flowers welcome, but if preferred Donations can be made payable to The M.S. Society.
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The following article is taken from the BBC WWII People's War archives:

'WW2 People's War is an online archive of wartime memories contributed by members of the public and gathered by the BBC. The archive can be found at bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar'

Two brothers escape bombing raid in Greenford Broadway

Contributed on: 27 August 2005.
This story was submitted to the BBC - WWII People’s War site by Jenny Ford on behalf of Mr. Charles Brian Knibbs and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

Memories of Mr. Charles Brian Knibbs recorded at the VE/VJ Celebration held on Castle Mound, The Embankment, Bedford, 13th August 2005.

"I was born in 1934, I was nearly six years old when the war started.

Most of the trouble was caused during the night and you didn't know what was coming. They used to send down bombs on parachutes. That’s when my mother considered evacuating us and that’s when we went to cousins in Gloucester, they had a farm down there and we slept in a barn. We slept in a barn with pigs and sheep because there was no where else to put us, all friends and relations had come down, they had to put us up where they could. Our schooling was disrupted.

When I came back from Gloucester, me and my brother had been put in my Gran’s house in Greenford and that’s when a bomb dropped on us. The roof came down on me and my brother. The ceiling came down, we were in bed. There was an air raid warning but there were so many people in the house that you couldn’t get in the shelters really. I remember my mum saying ‘Stay on the bed, don’t move about” so we did. And about 100 yards away they bombed a local church and the church went, next was us and the bomb landed about 100 yards from us, blew the roof off and what was left fell on me and my brother, bricks, dirt, dust and everything. Of course mum came running up stairs to see if we were alright, we hid under the bed then, a bit late! I was about eight and my brother was about six.

The whole family was together in Greenford, that wasn’t so close to London but it was close enough. There was bombing all round us and I can remember my dad taking me out when it was ‘All clear’ and he took us round the shopping area and there was no shopping area left, it was just gone, all bombed. This was night time, you heard the siren go but there were so many things going on, the banging and shouting, at our age you didn’t realise what it was. You sort of listened to the noises and hoped it didn’t hit us or our mum and dad. Well my dad wasn’t there he was out on patrol as he was an ARP Warden trying to see if anybody else needed help. He used to go round on his bike telling people to put their lights out.

I can really remember all that part because it was such a horrific time for me and my brother. Eventually what happened when the war had practically stopped, they got us another place out in the country and we stayed there for a few years. Then the war was over and then we had these street parties for VE Day. We had moved back to where we had been up in a place called Uxbridge. We used to live in Uxbridge so we moved back there, the house was still standing but it needed repairing but we moved into the house in Uxbridge eventually. A lot of the members of the gangs that repaired damaged houses were killed repairing houses.

My dad fiddled a little bit of black market stuff, bags of tea and stuff like that. He used to work in an ammunition factory. They used to make stuff for the Army, shells and things. He did that until about six months after the war had finished. But he was doing something at night time, three of them walked around at night time, ARP Wardens. My dad had a bike and he used to either shout at them or knock on the door and tell them there was a light shining.

I survived the war. A lot of the family didn’t mostly through bombs and buildings falling down on them like on me and my brother. When an air raid was over they used to come round to check if everybody was alright but what they were doing really was to see if anybody had died so they could take them away. But when I look back it was a horrible time - but now that’s history.”

Sources for Charles Brian KNIBBS:

  1. Ancestry.com, England & Wales, Birth Index: 1837-1983 
  2. Personal Contact with Sandra Knibbs, gave DOB 
  3. Obituary,

Notes for Kathleen Mary MAHONEY:

If I'm right, Kathleen's mother's maiden name was Maddox.
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From LutonToday.co.uk and DunstableToday.co.uk on 8 December, 2016:
Knibbs Kathleen Mary Passed away peacefully on Thursday 24th November 2016, aged 80.
Kathleen will be sadly missed by all family and friends.
Funeral service at Priory Church of St Peter, Dunstable on Tuesday 13th December at 12pm, followed by committal at West St. Cemetery.
Family flowers, donations if desired to Rosalyn House.

Sources for Kathleen Mary MAHONEY:

  1. GRO England & Wales, from 1901 Census On Line 

Notes for Peter KNIBBS: