A new campaign has been launched to celebrate triple lifesaver and Hammersmith born wrestler Chick ‘Cocky’ Knight.

June 15th June, was the 90th anniversary of the Hammersmith born wrestler whose heroic double lifesaving rescue efforts saw him save two people, one of which was a young girl, and the gentleman who had gone in to save her who also got into difficulties from drowning by jumping into the Thames off Hammersmith Bridge in 1930.

Chick jumped in to save them, and then subsequently pulled them out one by one.

Born in Hammersmith in 1903, Chick’s full name was Arthur Richard George Knight. He passed away in 1967, having fought all over the world as a professional wrestler, and was one of the first British wrestler’s to be seen on BBCTV in 1938.

Chick also fought former heavyweight champion Boxer ‘Bombardier’ Billy Wells in a wrestler v boxer bout at Earls Court in 1938, having been a champion Boxer himself in the Army, then a successful amateur winning the Police H Division trophy and then turned professional heavyweight boxer for a year in 1935.

The Hammersmith rescue wasn’t to be Chick’s only lifesaving feat, as six years earlier in June 1924, he saved a fellow soldier from drowning at Catalan Bay in Gibraltar.

Chick saved Private E (Edward) Durrant swimming out into the water some 300 metres, bringing him back to shore and then performing CPR. The two were at the time serving in the 1st Battalion Suffolk Regiment and were based in Gibraltar.

For both the rescues Chick received certificates from the Royal Humane Society but his great-nephew Andy Scott is now campaigning to get Chick a plaque on Hammersmith Bridge!

You can sign the petition here –  https://www.change.org/p/mayor-of-hammersmith-fulham-get-chick-knight-a-plaque-on-hammersmith-bridge