Dr Edward Bowes "Eddie" Knott 1914 - 1979

Eddie died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 65, on the 28th November 1979. Apart from a temporary setback in his health earlier in the year, he had been enjoying a well-earned retirement from a career with Kodak Limited which lasted until 1976.

He joined the Polytechnic Fencing Club over forty years ago and fenced there regularly until a week before he became ill. He nearly always won the épée in the Granville Cup for the Poly, and was in their winning team in 1963. He was in the Poly's Savage Shield team when they came second in both 1949 and 1960, and was also in the winning Grosvenor team in1953. 

In 1949 he was second in the Junior Epée and throughout the 1950s repeatedly reached the finals of the two senior épée competitions, winning the silver medal at the national championships once and at the Miller-Hallet three times. This was the time when international épée changed to the best of nine hits and finals were pools of 6 or 8. Nearly all his British contemporaries were, like him, left handed; quite often there was only one right hander in competition finals! Eddie was taller and slimmer than the others and when he started fishing with his very long straight arm there was little one could do. He was in the British team for the world championships in 1953 and 1954 and fenced in many of the major European competitions. He was twice an Olympic possible.

Eddie was more relaxed in Epée Club pools and won many more of their annual competitions than anyone else has ever done, whether for one hit or more. He won the Boris Berliand Cup (best overall performance) in each of its first five years, 1957 to 1961, and last won it in 1973 when he was almost 60.

From Birmingham University he went to the University of Frankfurt and developed his love for, and expertise in, organic chemistry, while he gained his D. Phil. He joined the research division of Kodak in 1937 and in 1968 became director of research; he published many papers and patents and in recognition of his contribution to photographic science, he was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society. Anyone who ever attended an Epée Club Annual Dinner will remember his antics as he tried out new mini cameras and their flash units!

Eddie looked younger than he was and was always very fit. He was usually the centre of interest, rarely lost for an anecdote or an apt recollection of a humorous occasion. He was a skier of some note, a keen gardener, a fluent linguist and very good company. He shined at competitions abroad, at dinners or in the pub after a club evening. He was above all a friend, endowed with a gift of humour.

He is survived by his second wife Pat, whom he married in 1972, two sons, a daughter and four grandchildren. He left fencing a legacy in his will; this will be used to provide an épée each year as a prize for the winner of the Martini qualifying competition. He will be long remembered.  

John Glasswell