Lance Corporal John Buchanan Young, 34th Battalion, AIF
Australian War MemorialJohn Young was born in 1895 in the town of Wiamangaroa, on New Zealand’s South Island. Known as “Jock”, he was one of ten children born to miner John Buchanan Young senior and his wife Selina. Jock grew up in New Zealand, and moved to Australia with his family when he was 12 years old. The Young family settled in the Hunter Valley town of Weston, where Jock and his siblings attended the local public school. Jock was a member of the school’s cadets program, and on completion began volunteering in the local militia. At the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, Jock was working as a coal miner at Hebburn Colliery in Weston.
Jock Young enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 22 January 1916. He was assigned to C Company of the 34th Battalion and commenced a short period of training in Australia. He embarked for active service at the start of May, sailing from Sydney on board the troopship Hororata.
Private Young arrived in England on 23 June 1916. He continued training alongside other new recruits, and was promoted to lance corporal in early August. He travelled to France at the end of November 1916, and his unit entered the front lines a few days later, just in time to spend a bitterly cold winter in the trenches.
Young’s arrival in France was marked by the German strategic withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line. Their retreat was followed by allied units who seized their opportunity to push the enemy further back. In advancing on the Germans, these units were confronted by well-prepared rear-guard defences and booby-trapped towns which resulted in a series of bloody clashes.
The 34th Battalion was not involved in the vicious battles around Lagnicourt and Bullecourt during this period. Instead they were forced to wait until operations shifted to the Ypres Salient in Belgium before it could join the fighting. Lance Corporal Young’s first and last major battle of the war took place here, when his unit attacked enemy positions at Messines.
The battle began in the early hours of the morning on 7 June 1917, when 19 mines laid beneath German lines were detonated. The explosion destroyed the enemy’s front line, creating massive craters and allowing the allies to advance on their objectives almost unopposed. Private White, who also fought at Messines, described the attack, writing:
“At ten minutes to three we heard, felt and saw one of the largest explosions the world has ever seen. The earth simply rocked like a boat at sea when Messines hill went up in earth, smoke and flames. Another minute and we were over the top … our boys with bombs, rifle and bayonet soon had Fritz at their mercy and after the awful gas attack he had just put upon us you can bet your life we did not spare him. The heat was terrific and we were following from within 50 yards of our barrage and the heat from the bursting shells was like a furnace … we worked all day strengthening our position, shells screaming, bursting and tearing the earth all around us.”
Over the week that followed, the gains made around Messines were consolidated, resulting in the overall success of the operation. Despite this, Allied units suffered nearly 25,000 casualties. Of these, nearly 7,000 were Australian. Among the missing was Lance Corporal Jock Young. His father, desperate for news, wrote to base records:
“I have a son at the front and he was missing since June and I ask you for God’s sake to assist and to find out if he is alive or dead. If we knew it would be a relief to know his fate. Please do try and get news of him and let us know at your earliest convenience and you will earn the lasting gratitude of his distracted parents.”
Over the months which followed, the Red Cross made enquiries to find out what had happened to Lance Corporal Young. None of his comrades had seen him since they went over the top in June. Private Durham stated:
“It was well known in the battalion that Young was blown to pieces by a shell at Messines. There was nothing left of him to bury.”
By November 1917, no further news of Young had come to light. A court of enquiry later determined that he had been killed in action during his unit’s attack at Messines on 6 June. His commanding officer, Lieutenant St Clair [pron. Sinclair] Finlay wrote to Young’s father:
“I feel it is my duty to write to you and tell you how deeply I feel the loss of your son. An officer is not supposed to have any favourites but I must say he was always my favourite and I do not remember one single occasion that I saw him that he did not have a smile to greet me. He was a grand little soldier and we all miss him greatly.”
Young never received a final resting place. His family instead paid tribute to him in a memorial notice placed in the Newcastle Morning Herald. It read:
“Sleep on brave son in a distant land
In a grave we never may see
But as long as life and memory last
We will remember, ever think of you.
We prayed for your safe return,
And longed to clasp your hand
But alas our hopes are blighted,
Until we meet in that better land.”
Lance Corporal John Young was 20 years old.
- AWM Honour roll https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1679350
