Thomas Young (VC)

Thomas Young
Born	(1895-01-28)28 January 1895 Boldon, County Durham
Died	15 October 1966(1966-10-15) (aged 71) Whickham
Buried at	St Patrick's Cemetery, High Spen
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1914 - 1921
Rank	Sergeant
Unit	Durham Light Infantry
Battles/wars	World War I
Awards	Victoria Cross

Thomas Young (born as Thomas Morrell) VC (28 January 1895 – 15 October 1966) was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Details

From High Spen in what is now the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. He was 23 years old, and a private in the 9th Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry, British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

During the period 25/31 March 1918 at Bucquoy, France, Private Young, a stretcher-bearer, worked unceasingly evacuating the wounded from seemingly impossible places. On nine different occasions he went out in front of British lines in broad daylight, under heavy rifle, machine-gun and shell fire and brought back wounded to safety. Those too badly wounded to be moved before dressing, he dressed under fire and then carried them back unaided. He saved nine lives in this manner. A memorial to Thomas Young and William Dobson another VC recipient from High Spen was unveiled in July 2007 and can be seen in the grounds of High Spen primary school

The medal

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Durham Light Infantry Museum & Durham Art Gallery in Durham City, UK.

References

• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
• VCs of the First World War - Spring Offensive 1918 (Gerald Gliddon, 1997)

External links

• Location of grave and VC medal (Co. Durham)
• History of High Spen, where Young lived
• Memorial to two village heroes at High Spen Primary School