Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Harold James Young #5437 25th Battalion

Harold “Jimmie” Young was the only son of James and Sarah Young of Macrossan Avenue Coorparoo. He had been born at Coorparoo and attended Coorparoo State School from 1899. At the time of his enlistment on 15th February 1916 he was 22 years old and employed as a carter in the timber industry. His name appears on the Roll of Honour of the Coorparoo Methodist Church where he was a member of the congregation.

Jimmie was originally drafted into a depot battalion at Enoggera but was subsequently posted into the 14th reinforcements for the 25th Battalion. He embarked from Brisbane on 8th August 1916 on the “Itonus” and arrived in Plymouth two months later.

After a period of training in England, Jimmie joined the 25th in France on 14th December 1916. The winter of 1916/17 was particularly bitter and the 2nd Division (of which the 25th was part) had to withstand freezing conditions as they rotated in and out of the line. As spring 1917 approached, the Germans began a tactical withdrawal eastwards towards the defences they had prepared during the winter, called the Hindenburg Line. The 2nd Division cautiously followed the German withdrawal along the Somme Valley arriving at the Hindenburg Line at Bullecourt.

After Bullecourt, Jimmie Young was admitted to hospital sick. His records do not indicate the illness but given the length of convalescence (six months) that followed it was likely one of the infectious diseases that infantrymen were prone to such as typhoid or trench fever. By the time Jimmie rejoined his unit, the 25th was wintering around Messines in Flanders.

On 20th December 1917, just two weeks after rejoining the battalion, Jimmie was Absent Without Leave for five hours and was fined 5 days pay. One month later he was granted three weeks leave in England from which he failed to return. Jimmie was apprehended by the Provosts and returned to his unit where he was fined a further 28 days pay.

On 21 March 1918, Ludendorff launched his final gamble to break the stalemate on the Western Front. The timing was critical as the Germans had a number of divisions available after the collapse of the Eastern Front which were hastily transferred to the Western Front. The operation needed to succeed before General Pershing’s U.S. Forces, which were arriving on the Western Front, could be deployed and swing the course of the war in the allies’ favour. Operation Michael caught the British Forces in the Somme by surprise with the speed and efficiency of the advance west from the Hindenburg Line and the British gains of 1916/ 17 along the Amiens - Peronne axis were quickly surrendered by Gough’s forces.

The German advance was stemmed at Villers Bretonneux on 25th April and the Australian Corps (now the largest corps on the western front) engaged in a series of actions designed to unsettle the enemy while plans were being made for a counter attack. One such action was a small but successful attack by the 25th Battalion on the ridgeline around Morlancourt which nestled in a triangle formed by the junction of the Ancre and Somme Rivers. The 25th advanced and captured the German trenches during the night of 10/11 June. During this action, the 25th battalion suffered 180 casualties (battalion strength by this time was down to less than 500) and was awarded one DSO, 2 Military Crosses and 10 Military Medals.

Whilst consolidating the gains made, it was reported that Jimmie Young was killed in action. Red Cross witness reports state that Jimmie was sniping across no man’s land when he received a bullet wound to the head, killing him instantly. He was buried behind the trench line and a cross was erected at the site.

The Imperial War Graves Commission, in consolidating burials in the area re-interred Jimmie’s remains at Beacon British Cemetery near Morlancourt. His personal effects (Wallet, photos and rings), as well as medals, photo of his grave and a memorial scroll were sent to his parents who had moved to Leicester Street Coorparoo in 1920.