Sydney Knowles

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Sydney Knowles was a British frogman in and after World War II.

He was one of a group of underwater guard divers who checked for limpet mines in Gibraltar harbor during the period of Italian frogman and manned torpedo attacks. They dived with Davis Escape Sets, which until then had not been used much if at all for swimming down from the surface. At first they swam by breast stroke without swimfins.

On 17 December 1942, during one such attack, two of the Italian frogmen (Lt.Visintini and Petty Officer Magro) died, probably killed by depth charges. Their bodies were recovered, and their swimfins were taken and from then on used by Sydney Knowles and Commander Lionel Crabb.