Born in East Melbourne, John Valentine Knowles died of wounds 27 March 18, aged 25. He was buried at Outtersteine Communal Cemetery Extension, Bailleul, Nord pas de Calais, France. His Red Cross file tells the story, with Acting Corporal Smith 3458 recalling: At Dranoutse on 25th, he was wounded in the stomach by a shell. he was taken to C.C.S.2 as I was. He was next to me there. He was in my Pltn. and I knew him well. I was told he died, did not see his grave.

The Chaplain of the 2nd Casualty Clearing Station also testified: I buried 2847 Corporal J.V. Knowles ... in the British Cemetery at Outersteine, near Bailleul, on 26/3/18. He was admitted to this CCS as a patient on 25 March, very severely wounded in both thighs, neck and right side. he was never fully conscious while here and died at 12.15 pm, on the 27th. I don't think he ever knew what happened and so had no pain. as the neck wound was considerable.

John Valentine Knowles was 22 when he enlisted on 5 July, 1915. He was then 22 years old, a salesman, living with his mother, Elizabeth Mary Knowles at 41 Illawarra Rd., Hawthorn.  He was placed in the 7th Infantry Battalion, 9-12 Reinforcements for training, then embarked for Egypt  on board HMAT Star Of Victoria A16 on 10 September, 1915. In Egypt, he became ill and was transferred to hospital at Mudros on 4 December, then discharged to his unit on 6 December. A day later, he joined the 7th Battalion at Gallipoli, just a week before their withdrawal to Lemnons. From Lemnos, the 7th battalion was sent back to Alexandria, leaving the island on 7 January, 1916, on board HMT Empress of Britain. Here, John Knowles was transferred to the 59th Battalion, then at Serapeum,and taken on strength at Tel-al-Kebir. He was sent for further training at the School of Instruction at Zeitoun, returning to his battalion on 20 April. In June, he fell ill with 'sub-acute mylingitis', and was sent to the No.5 Australian General Hospital at Abassia. Nearly six months later, he was transferred by hospital ship back to Britain with meningitis and admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital at Wandsworth. It was not unilt 30 July that he was out of hospital at Perham Downs with the 15th Training Battalion, before heading overseas to join his battalion in France.

On 1 September, 1916, he croseed over to France, landing at Etaples and marching out to join the 59th Battalion. They had been in the first wave at Fromelles in July, suffering such heavy casualties from machine gun fire that they were withdrawn from the front  to recover. On 19/11/1916, John Knowles was again sent for training, this time to the Snipers' School of Instruction, rejoining his battalion 1 December. On 7 December, he was promoted to Corporal.

In February, 1917, John Knowles was on command at the 5th Australian Division Infantry School, rejoining the 59th Battalion on 30 March, 1917. In 1917, they were again in the forefront of the fighting at Bullecourt in May and in September, at Polygon Wood. However, while he was probably at Bullecourt, John Knowles was sent back to England in July, appointed to the permanent cadre of the 15th Training Battalion and at the Musketry School at Hayling Island, where he was amde Corporal on command, and, in December, at Tidworth. It was not until 1 January, 1918, that he came back to the battlefront, rejoining his battalion on 11 January. In March, the Germans  launched their Spring Offensive, the last desperate attempt to win the war. ON 29 March, John Knowles was wounded in action and died of his wounds. 

His death notice in The Argus of Wednesday 10 April read:mDied of wounds in France, after 2 years and 10 Months active service, Corporal John Valentine Knowles, 59th Battalion, dearly loved son of Elizabeth and the late John Knowles; brother of Dorothy, Jim and Frances, brother-in-law of Eric d. Shaw, 35 Wandin Rd., E. Camberwell.