George Young

George Young

Personal Information
Date of Birth	unknown "unknown" contains an extrinsic dash or other characters that are invalid for a date interpretation.
Place of Birth	Hawick, Roseburgshire, Scotland
Death	12 Aug 1968, aged 74
Place of Death	Leederville, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	22 years, 10 months
Description	5' 7½" (1.71m) tall ; 130 lbs 58.967 kg ; fair complexion ; blue eyes ; brown hair
Occupation	Brickmaker
Religion	Presbyterian
Address	Armadale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Mother , Mrs Young
Military Information
Reg Number	131
Date of Enlistment	9 Sep 1914
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	16th Battalion, B Company
Date of Embarkation	22 Dec 1914 ‒ 1 Feb 1915
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A40 Ceramic
Date of Return	12 Dec 1915 ‒ ? January 1916
Ship Returned On	HMAT A15 Star of England Portland to Fremantle
Fate	Wounded in Action 28 Apr 1915 Pope's Hill, Gallipoli Returned to Australia
Monument	Armadale War Memorial (Beenup panel) Armadale and Districts Roll of Honour
Medals	1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal

War Service

George enlisted on 9 Sep 1914 and was allocated to the 16th Battalion on 15 Oct 1914 and placed in 'B' Company. With the rest of the battalion he sailed to Melbourne where they entered the Broadmeadows camp from 28 November until 22 December to train with other elements of the 4th Infantry Brigade. On 22 Dec 1914 they boarded HMAT A40 Ceramic for Egypt via Albany as part of the convoy of 14 Australian and 3 NZ transports. Following further training at the Mena camp between Cairo and the pyramids they travelled by train to Alexandria where they boarded HMT Haida Pascha on 12 Apr 1915 to travel to Gallipoli via Lemnos Island.

The battalion landed at 5:30 pm on 25 Apr 1915 and it was sent up Monash Gulley to plug a gap in the front line. For the next 3 days they were located on Pope's Hill, alternating between fighting and digging into the side of the hill. George's wounds are most likely the result of Turkish snipers who were very active and held high ground above them. George suffered a severe gunshot wound to his left thigh on 28 Apr 1918.

He was evacuated to HMT Galeka on 2 May 1915, before he was transferred to HMHS Delta the next day for England where he was hospitalised in Harefield, Manchester before being sent to the No 2 Command Depot at Weymouth on 5 October 1915. George was repatriated to Australia on the HMAT A15 Star of England which sailed from Portland on 12 Dec 1915, and disembarked him in Fremantle on 29 Jan 1916.

George was discharged by the 5th Military District on 10 Jun 1916. He and his new family (from December 1917) were granted pensions, as on 15 Aug 1918 they were reduced, perhaps as a result of George being employed - George's to 15/- ($1.50) per fortnight; wife Martha Violet's to 7/6d ($0.75); step-son Henry Robert Collins' to 5/- ($0.50c); and step-daughter Irene Rebecca Collins to 3/9d ($0.37c).

"...was wounded at Gallipoli on the 29th April 1915; was some time in the Manchester and Hawick hospitals, and invalided to Australia, 29th January. back at his old job."

Post War

Married on 29 Dec 1917 to Martha Violet (ex Collins). Martha died 13 Jan 1968 aged 73.

Electoral Roll entries - 1919 at 96 Brown street, Perth, brickmaker; 1921 - 1922 at 36 Bent street, Balkatta, pottery hand; 1925 - 1934 Mukinbudin, farmer; 1936 - 1963 at 105 Bourke street, Balkatta, labourer. In 1937 his occupation was listed as pottery hand.

Pension - George is initially awarded a pension of £26 per annum from 11 Jun 1916. On 31 Jan 1918 his pension was reduced to 20/- [£1] fortnightly. Martha was granted a pension of 15/- from the date of their marriage, along with 10/- for her son Henry Robert Collins (d.14 Apr 1999 aged 86), later reduced to 6/6 from 31 Jan 1918, and daughter (Irene Rebecca Collins) 7/6 reduced to 5/- from 31 Jan 1918.

From 15 Aug 1918 George's pension was reduced to 15/- fortnightly, his wife Martha Violet had hers reduced to 7/6 fortnightly, step son Henry Robert Collins had his reduced to 5/- fortnightly; and step daughter Irene Rebecca Collins had hers reduced to 3/9 fortnightly.

Notes

Comment in The Drill of the Foothills matches George's military records. Inferred that he was a resident of the district at time of enlistment.

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Memorial