Please visit my Notable KNIBBS Page for Amos

Amos joined the Royal Navy in Apr 1901 for 12 years service from the age of 18, and transferred into submarines on 1 Jul 1911. He was listed as 5'4" with brown hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion when he joined. He was drafted as shown below:
HMS Northampton 9 Apr 1901 to 8 Jul 1901 (Armoured Cruiser/Training Ship)
HMS Calliope 9 Jul 1901 to 25 Oct 1901 (Cruiser/Training Ship)
HMS Duke of Wellington 23 Oct 1901 to 11 Nov 1901 (Wooden 3-Decker/Training Ship)
HMS St George 12 Nov 1901 to 15 Nov 1902 (Cruiser)
HMS Duke of Wellington 16 Nov 1902 to 6 Dec 1902 (Wooden 3-Decker/Training Ship)
HMS Excellent 7 Dec 1902 to 7 Nov 1903 (Portsmouth - Shore Base)
HMS Firequeen I 8 Nov 1903 to 30 Sep 1904 (Freighter)
HMS Formidable 1 Oct 1904 to 1 Oct 1906 (Training Ship)
HMS Vernon 2 Oct 1906 to 13 Apr 1907 (Training Ship) ^[1]
HMS Victory I 14 Apr 1907 to 16 Jul 1907 (Portsmouth - Shore Base)
HMS Enchantress 17 Jul 1907 to 19 Mar 1909 (Admiralty Yacht)
HMS Invincible 20 Mar 1909 to 13 May 1911 (Battle Cruiser)
HMS Mercury 14 May 1911 to 30 Jun 1911 (Cruiser/Submarine Depot Ship)
HMS Arrogant 1 Jul 1911 to 28 Nov 1911 (Cruiser/Submarine Depot Ship)
HMS Bonaventure 29 Nov 1911 to 14 Oct 1912 (Cruiser/Submarine Depot Ship)
HMS Maidstone 15 Oct 1912 to 31 Mar 1914 (Submarine Depot Ship)
HMS Dolphin 1 Apr 1914 to 15 Jun 1914 (Portsmouth - Shore Base)
HMS Maidstone 16 Jun 1914 to 3 Aug 1916 (Submarine Depot Ship)
HMS E8 4 Aug 1916 to 14 Jan 1918 ('E' Class Submarine) ^{[2] [3]}
HMS Sub E19 15 Mar 1917 ('E' Class Submarine)
HMS Dolphin 15 Jan 1918 to 10 Jul 1918 (Portsmouth - Shore Base)
HMS Ambrose L6 11 Jul 1918 to 25 Sep 1918 (Submarine Depot Ship)
HMS Dolphin 26 Sep 1918 to 29 Jun 1920 (Porstmouth - Shore Base)
HMS Victory I 30 Jun 1920 to 8 Jul 1920 (Porstmouth - Shore Base)
HMS Hercules (Princess Royal) 9 Jul 1920 11 Jul 1921 (Battlecruiser)
HMS New Zealand (" ") 12 Jul 1921 to 1 Nov 1921 (Battlecruiser)
HMS New Zealand (Agincourt) 2 Nov 1921 to 5 Dec 1921(Battleship)
HMS Lion (Agincourt) 6 Dec 1921 to 29 May 1922 (Battleship)
HMS Victory I 30 May 1922 to 17 Sep 1922 (Portsmouth - Shore Base)
HMS Victoria & Albert 18 Sep 1922 to 30 Sep 1922 (I believe this was the Royal Yacht)
HMS Victory I 10 Oct 1922 to 21 Oct 1922 (Portsmouth - Shore Base)
__________

^[1] HMS Vernon on which Amos served in 1906/07 has now reverted back to it's original name of HMS Warrior and is on display in Portsmouth Naval base as one of the first Iron clad warships of the Royal Navy.
__________

^[2] 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, 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 (in the North Sea, north west of Hamburg). 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.
The Times newspaper from 23 October 1914 reported the following:
H.M.S. "Maidstone", 17th October, 1914:
Sir, - In compliance with Their Lordships' directions, I have the honour to report as follows upon the services performed by Submarines since the commencement of hostilities:-
Three hours after the outbreak of war, Submarines "E.6" (Lieutenant-Commander Cecil P. Talbot), and "E.8" (Lieutenant-Commander Francis H. H. Goodheart), proceeded unaccompanied to carry out a reconnaissance in the Heligoland Bight. These two vessels returned with useful information, and had the privilege of being pioneers on a service with is attended by some risk.
__________

We see Amos in 1911, living at 3 Marlborough Row, Portsea, Portsmouth, Hants with his mother-in-law, wife and daughter:
Rachel Kirman Head Married F 56 Russia Resident
Annie Kirman Daughter Married F 27 Tailoress London West End
Charles Knibbs Son-in-Law Married 28 Seaman Royal Navy Old Windsor Berkshire
Violet Knibbs Grand Daughter F 1 Portsmouth Portsea Hants

Marlborough Road is no more than a quarter of a mile from the main Naval Dockyard gates, so very convenient for Amos. It's noted that Annie is registered with her maiden name. Their daughter Agnes Annie was seen to be living with Amos's aunt Anne Maria (nee Williams) at Chester Cottages, Blays Lane, Windsor, Berkshire.
___________

^[3] 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, fighting alongside the Russian fleet. 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 London Gazette from 2 January 1917 reported the following:
NAVAL PRIZE BOUNTY MONEY.
Department of the Accountant-General of the Navy, Admiralty S.W., 29th December, 1916:
Notice is hereby given to all persons interested therein, that preparations are now being made for the intended Distribution of the Prize Bounty awarded for the destruction of the enemy armed cruiser "Prinz Adalbert" by H.M. Submarine E8, on the 23rd October, 1915.
Agents and other persons having any just and legal demand, unliquidated, against the Award are required to transmit the particulars of any such demand to the Registrar of the Admiralty Division of H.M. High Court of Justice, in order that the same may be examined, taxed, and allowed by that Officer, and paid under the sanction of the Judge of the said court.
Due notice will be given, by future advertisement in the London Gazette, of the date proposed for the commencement of Distribution, and, at the same time, the amount of an individual's share in the respective classes will be announced.

In addition to the Prize Bounty, each member of the crew of E8 was 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 Mercury, Hobart Tasmania on Wednesday 8th November, 1916:
THE PRIZE COURT.
SINKING OF GERMAN CRUISER.
London, November 6.
Tho Prize Court has awarded Commander Francis H. H. Goodhart and the crew of the submarine E8 a bounty of 3,000 pounds for sinking the German Armoured cruiser Prinz Adalbert (9,050 tons, and a main armament of four 8.2-inch guns) in the Baltic in March last.



Click on the above to see a larger photograph of the entire crew of HM Submarine E8.

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 Helingsfors 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.

I did suspect that this Annie, aged 7, living at Portsea Island, Hampshire, England with her family in 1891 could well have been our Annie Kirman. We know from the 1911 census that Annie's mother was from Russia, and that both Annie and her mother were tailoresses. We also 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 Boarder 3 Hants Portsmouth

Vilna is the largest city and capital of Lithuania.
__________

I'm pretty sure this is our Annie in 1901, living with her mother in Portsmouth, Hampshire:
Rachel Ruman 45 Russia B Subject Portsmouth Tailoress
Annie A Ruman 16 London St Pancras Portsmouth Tailoress
__________

I believe, Ann's sister Rose married a man named Henry Arthur Read during q1/1901 in the Portsmouth District of Hampshire. Details of Annie's whereabouts in 1911 are listed under Amos, above, but I believe this is her sister living at 17 Marlborough Row, Portsea, Portsmouth, just a few yards from where Annie, Amos and their daughter Violet were living with their mother, Rachel Kirman:
Henry Read Head Married M 31 Seamans Tailor & Outfitter Forest Hill London
Rose Minnie Read Wife Married (10 years) F 29 Tailoress Maker St Pancras London
Arthur Henry Read Son M 9 Lewisham London
Annie Ruth Read Daughter F 7 New Cross London
Ernest George Read Son M 6 Portsea Portsmouth
__________

Note:
We see from the 1891 census return that Annie's parents were from the city of Vilna which is the capital of Lithuania. We know that Annie was born in London in 1884, and we know from stories passed down within that part of the family that her parents were Russian-Jews, so it's highly likely that they came to England as a consequence of the large-scale wave of anti-Jewish riots ('pogroms') that swept through south-western Imperial Russia in 1881-1884. The trigger for these riots was the assassination of Tsar Alexander II on 13 March 1881, for which some blamed "the Jews." although local economic conditions are thought to have contributed significantly to the rioting. There was great business competition from local Jews as well as competion between Jewish and non-Jewish railroad workers.

The anti-Jewish riots started in April 1881. Thousands of Jewish homes were destroyed, and many families were reduced to poverty. Large numbers of men, women, and children were injured in 166 towns in the southwest provinces of the Empire, leading to many Russian Jews reassessing their perceptions of their status within the Russian Empire, and so to significant Jewish emigration.

The "Moving Here" web site is highly recommended as an excellent source of information describing the extreme difficulties these families endured within Russia as well as on their eventual arrival in England. "Moving Here" is a partnership led by the National Archives, of a consortium of 30 different archives, libraries and museums.

We know that Amos was serving in the Baltic Ocean between August 1915 and April 1918 so clearly, as Gordon was born in 1917, Amos wasn't the father. He was brought up by a family named Longlands, and changed his name.