YOUNG, William Stevenson
| Service Number: | 4614 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 12 September 1915, Warwick Farm, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 1st Machine Gun Battalion |
| Born: | Towamba, New South Wales, Australia, 1894 |
| Home Town: | Towamba, Bega Valley, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Towamba Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 4 October 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient) |
World War 1 Service
| 12 Sep 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Warwick Farm, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Jan 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4614, 2nd Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: RMS Osterley embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 15 Jan 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 4614, 2nd Infantry Battalion, RMS Osterley, Sydney | |
| 4 Oct 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4614, 1st Machine Gun Battalion , Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 4614 awm_unit: 1st Australian Machine Gun Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-10-04 |
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Billy embarked at Sydney on 15.01.1916 on RMS Osterley destined for Egypt. On 27th March 1916 he left Alexandria on SS Saxonia to join the British Expeditionary Force and disembarked at Marseilles. He was taken on strength with the 1st Machine Gun Battalion on 5th Sept 1916. During his time o/seas he contracted enteric fever, influenza, typhoid and mumps and was hospitalised for these illnesses. On 1st November 1916 he was transferred to England for further treatment. From 4th January to 17th Feb 1917 he was at No 1 Command Depot and then transferred to Aust Machine Gun Training Depot at Grantham. He departed from Folkestone on 1st March 1917 and rejoined the 1st Machine Gun Battalion on 15th March 1917.
On October 4th 1917 when Billy's battalion was engaged in attacking the enemy at Broodseinde Ridge, he was reported as wounded in action, On November 3rd 1917 officials amended this to read " Previously reported as wounded in action 4/10/17 - now reported wounded and missing in field 4/10/17"
Lieut H E Ewins:-
‘I was in command of ‘D’ Section, of which Pte Young W S No 4614 was a member. On the morning of the 4th October 1917 we were at the assembly point prior to the attack on Broodeseinde Ridge. There was a good deal of Artillery Bombing, and rifle fire going on in our vicinity. Private Young and other were taking shelters in a shell hole, when Pte Norris drew my attention to the fact that Pte Young had been wounded. Seeing a stretcher bearer handy I instructed him to examine Pte Young which he did, and reported the case as hopeless as Pte Young had received a gun shot wound through the stomach. Pte Young appeared to be suffering great agony at the time and never spoke. As the first wave of Infantry were advancing I was obliged to go forward with them and have seen or heard nothing more of Pte Young.'
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