John Francis Young VC

b. 14/01/1893 Kidderminster, Worcestershire. d. 07/11/1929 Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Canada.

John Francis Young (1893-1929) was born on 14th January 1893 at 12 Crowther Street, Kidderminster, Worcestershire. He was baptised at St John’s Church in Kidderminster on 5th February 1893. His father, Robert Charles, was a grocer’s assistant in 1881, living with his parents in Coventry Street. He married Mary Anne Cooper on 16th November 1890 at St George’s Church, Kidderminster, where they lived until going to Canada. The family emigrated to Canada in 1912, where they lived at 376 Rue St Philippe, St Henri, Montreal, Quebec. John had two brothers – Robert and Reginald.

John was educated at St George’s School, Kidderminster from 1899-1906. He was employed at Findon’s Grocers in Worcester Street, and was described as an assistant in a seed warehouse in 1911. He emigrated with his parents to Canada where he worked as a packer for Imperial Tobacco. He served in the McGill Auxiliary Battalion in 1915.

John F Young VC

John enlisted in 87th Battalion CEF on 20th October 1915 in Montreal. The Battalion sailed for England aboard RMS Empress of Britain on 25th April 1916 from Halifax, Nova Scotia, arriving at Liverpool on 5th May.

Private Young was awarded the Victoria Cross for his conduct on 2nd September 1918 during the fighting for the Drocourt-Quéant Line, near Dury in France. On that day, his company suffered heavy casualties from German shell- and machine gun fire. Young went out to treat the wounded despite the complete absence of any cover. When he ran out of dressings, he went back to his company headquarters for more medical supplies and then returned to his task, all the while under enemy fire. Later, when the German fire had slackened somewhat, Young organized and led stretcher parties to bring in the wounded men he had treated. Private Young’s courage throughout this action resulted in many lives being saved.

Following the gazetting of the VC on 14th December 1918, he was presented with his medal by King George V at Buckingham Palace on 12th April 1919. Following his service, he returned to Canada. John married Ida May Thatcher on 21st April 1919 at St Mary’s Church, Kidderminster, where she was born. She was a winder in the carpet trade, living in Baxter Avenue in 1911. They returned to Canada and lived in Montreal. They had two children – John and Marjorie.

John was posted to the Quebec Regimental Depot in Ripon, Yorkshire on 28th April. He was allocated to A Company on 1st May. He returned to Canada aboard RMS Baltic arriving back in Halifax, Nova Scotia on 21st August. He returned to working as a tobacco packer in Montreal. He joined the Militia and reached the rank of sergeant. He was a member of the Canadian Red Cross. He died of tuberculosis at Ste-Agathe Sanatorium, Ste-Agathe-des-Monts, Laurentian Mountain, Quebec on 7th November 1929. He was buried in Mount Royal Cemetery, Outremont, Montreal, Quebec and is also named on a family headstone there.

John is commemorated with Young Close in Kidderminster, and a VC commemorative stone placed at St Mary’s Church, Kidderminster on 3rd September 2018, is named on the VC obelisk in Barrie, Ontario, with plaque no 21 at York Cemetery VC Memorial in Toronto, and a plaque near Dury Crucifix Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.

In March 2012, the VC of John Francis Young was acquired by the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa. The whereabouts of his British War Medal 1914-20 and Victory Medal 1914-19 are not known.

LOCATION OF MEDAL: CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM, OTTAWA, CANADA.

BURIAL PLACE: MOUNT ROYAL CEMETERY, MONTREAL, CANADA.

SECTION L2, PLOT 2019