Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Samuel Henry YOUNG
Born: 5 June 1895, Parish of Baulkamaugh, VIC
Died: 18 August 1920, Grahamvale, Shepparton, VIC.
Occupation: farmer

Samuel was the eldest child of ten children born to Henrietta Kate PARKER and Walter YOUNG. He was born at home with his grandmother Mary PARKER assisting Mrs LEAK, the nurse.

Sam as he was known started life on his parent's farm at Baulkamaugh, VIC and when he was 2 his parents moved 80 kilometres south to Bunganail to a 500-acre farm that Walt's father owned. Bunganail is about 10 kilometres northeast of Nagambie, VIC.

Sam most likely attended the Bunganail State School number 1440 and when he left school worked with his father on the farm.

At the age of 20, Sam enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force, Army on 21 June 1915 at Nagambie, service number 2922. As he was under 21 he had to have written permission from his parents to enlist.

After his basic training at the Broadmeadows camp, north of Melbourne, Sam embarked for England with the 6th Battalion where he would have done more training.

By December Sam was in Egypt when he became ill with mumps and ended up in hospital in Cairo on 16 December He returned to his unit on 7 January 1916.

On 2 April 1917, Sam embarked with his unit to Marseilles, France aboard the troopship ‘HMAT Ballarat’. In July 1916 the 6th Battalion was involved in the Battle of Pozieres where they lost 102 men and suffered horrific casualties. A 6th battalion member Corporal Thomas later wrote,” Pozieres will never be forgotten – a Valley of Death….it was awful, dozens being killed, blown to bits.” They also fought the Second Battle of Bullecourt.

On 1 August 1917, Sam ended up in hospital with scabies and then on 1 September was off having dental care.

In September 1917 the 6th Battalion was involved in the Battle of Menin Road. On 20 September Sam was wounded with a gunshot wound to the left thigh.

According to their unit dairy, they were at Zillebeke, just outside of Ypres. At 0540 hrs the enemy barrage fell and the whole battalion advanced. Almost immediately a few casualties were caused by their own shells falling short which they did throughout the whole advance. It is unknown if Sam’s injuries were caused by enemy fire or friendly fire.

In a letter that Pte G.W. COULTER from Wahring wrote home in 1917 to his mother, he said, “Our machine gun team was detailed to go on the right flank of our lot. Sam Young was on the gun, and six more of us carried the magazines for it. Well, at daybreak it started, but we rushed, and away went Sam with the gun, and the rest of us alongside of him. Then the fun started; you could not see for smoke and fire, and the noise was terrific. Everything went well for a start, then two of the team dropped dead, three more were wounded, Sam Young among them, and the gun was sent sky high. That only left me and another chap to carry on. After that I cannot remember much, as we were right among the Germans, and the men were yelling, shouting and doing bayonet fighting like devils. It was over at last, and we had taken our objective”. In another part of his letter he said, “Sam Young was wounded, but not seriously, as he was able to walk off the battlefield without assistance”.

Sam ended up in the 4th British General Hospital at Camiers, France and later moved to the 3rd British Convalescent Hospital at Le Treport. France.

Sam returned to his unit in December 1917 but was back in hospital at Boulogne with a hernia in June 1918, re-joining his unit in October 1918.

In another letter that Pte G.W. COULTER wrote in 1918 to his mum, he said, "Sam Young got over his operation, and is just about to come out of hospital again”.
On 18 January 1919 Sam returned to England in preparation to return to Australia when he became ill and was hospitalised with Gonorrhoea.

Sam finally left England aboard the ‘SS Port Darwin’ arriving in Sydney on 27 July 1919.

Sam was discharged on 25 September 1919 and moved back to his parent’s home.

On 15 October 1919 Sam applied under the Discharged Soldier Settlement Act for 25 acres of land at Grahamvale near Shepparton. The land was part of section 73C, Parish of Shepparton and according to the application, the land belonged to his grandfather, also named Samuel YOUNG.

According to the application, there were already 15 acres of fruit trees, 6 acres of three-year-old trees and 9 acres of one-year-old trees. The balance of 10 acres was sewn with millet.

Sam signed the lease on the land on 31 July 1920.

Sam died on 18 August 1920 at the Gilford Private Hospital, Shepparton after a lengthy illness. He died from Polyorrhomentitis, Toxemia and Exhaustion (Polyorrhomenitis is a medical term referring to a rare inflammatory condition characterized by the simultaneous inflammation of multiple organs or body systems). He was only 25 and is buried in the Shepparton Public Cemetery.

Sam’s parent’s Walt and Henrietta, who had been looking after the property since Sam had been ill took over the lease and moved to live on the property.