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Australia

Ivo was born at the picturesque coastal town of Lower Heads in Tasmania on the 23rd February 1896 (according to the Launceston Examiner) to Cecil James and Mary Dinah Youl. However, on later enlisting to serve in WWII, Ivo gave his birth date as 24 February 1901. Ivo was the youngest of five sons with brothers Vivian, Raymond Strahan, Keith and Eric. The family had a proud history, with their paternal grandfather, Sir James Arndell Youl, famed for introducing trout and salmon to Australian waters. This task was particularly challenging because of the difficulty in creating artificial conditions on the long voyage from England to Tasmania, then Van Diemen’s Land. (This was eventually solved by packing the fish ova in moss in the ship’s icehouse.) Having left the then Van Diemen’s Land, Sir James returned to England but continued to take pride in and promote Tasmania particularly, and Australia in general, through his founding of the Colonial Society.
In the late 1890’s Mary’s ill-health caused the family to move to Sydney’s warmer climate. There she continued to agitate for women to be given the franchise and was active with many social and political reforms. At that stage Keith, Eric and Ivo were living in Sydney, but Raymond remained in Tasmania where as well as farming, he was a Justice of the Peace.
With the outbreak of WWI, Ivo’s two older brothers, 24-year-old Eric and 25-year-old married brother, Vivian enlisted, Eric on the 11th January and Vivian on March 1916. They became Number 145 and 6339 respectively with Eric placed in the 9th Infantry Brigade and Vivian the 1st Battalion. Both had arrived in England when their 59-year-old father, Cecil died on the 29th November 1916 in Sydney and was buried in the South Head Cemetery, New South Wales. Tragedy followed again the next year when the family learnt of Vivian’s death in the Fargo Military Hospital, England. 27-year-old Vivian had developed pleurisy by January 1917 and was hospitalised before even entering a Theatre of War. Within a week, he developed influenza, then pneumonia, resulting in his death on the 8th January 1917. He left behind a widow, Helen and a daughter of the same name.
By that time, Eric was serving in France until February when he was treated for Gastroenteritis and was hospitalised before being able to return to his Unit in March. A year later in February ’18 Eric was treated for trench fever, a disease caused by the insanitary conditions of warfare and spread by lice, causing fever, muscle and joint pain. He was finally discharged and returned to Australia. At the time, little if anything was known of the effects of trauma on those who experienced war in the front lines. Eric’s return was later described euphemistically that he ‘returned incapacitated’. He married Hilda Stafford in April 1920 at Surry Hills. Unfortunately, the marriage did not survive with a divorce for desertion granted in August ’29, just seven months after the birth of their son.
Ivo’s closest brother, Raymond married Mary Edith in Tasmania in 1919 and they ran a sheep farm ‘Wandilla’, at Eaton. Three years later, in November ’22 Ivo and Rita Aimee Henson married at St Phillip’s Church in Sydney. While living in Collaroy the two had a very busy social life, including being part of a group that donated linen for the Convalescent Home of the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children at Collaroy. This was mixed with playing Bridge and other entertaining games. Rita was also an active social organiser, including of a farewell for a friend, Miss Small who was taking up a placement in Broken Hill as a clinic nurse. The young couple were able to return to Tasmania for a visit early in January ’25, with Ivo keen to show Rita his home state. The trip was done in a leisurely fashion with the two motoring from Sydney to Melbourne and thence to Hobart. By September ’26 Ivo was again re-elected on the Council for the Royal Colonial Institute.
Ivo and Rita’s first child, a daughter arrived in November ’26 but sadly, was still-born. Their son, Cecil George arrived safely at the end of October ’28. By then the family was living at Hunter’s Hill in New South Wales and Ivo was working as the Secretary of the Land and Provident Building Company.
Unfortunately, business and personal challenges arose for the family, with Ivo being confined to a mental hospital. He had assured Rita that £10,000 made from procuration fees from his employment, was transferred to her Bank of NSW. Consequently, Rita purchased a property at Neutral Bay, paying for it with a cheque for £2000, then buying a £550 car which Ivo then acquired. Unfortunately, the bank account was non-existent, and both cheques were dishonoured, culminating in August ’30 with Rita, a company secretary, voluntarily declaring bankruptcy. A very public trial followed with Rita having to declare that “Since August last my husband has been suffering from mental trouble." A year later in August ’31, Rita was discharged from bankruptcy.
Whilst the Bankruptcy Court hearing was underway, Ivo’s mother left in November ’29 on her second trip to England to visit her niece. Sadly, she died there on January 7th ’31. Her life and achievements received much publicity back in Tasmania for her exceptional work with Red Cross during WWI and her part in achieving the vote for women in New South Wales.
By the early 1940’s Ivo had moved to South Australia and lived in Mount Bryan. This was a country area just north of Burra, initially known for its quality Merino sheep studs. With the outbreak of WWII Ivo became the third of the Youl brothers to enlist to serve Australia.
On the 4th July 1940, he claimed to be 39 years old, ‘removing’ five years from his age in order to be under the required enlistment upper age limit. He was given the number SX7820 and allocated to the 2/48th Battalion where he eventually rose to the rank of Corporal. He nominated his older brother, Raymond as his next of kin.
Ivo was soon on his way to the Middle East, facing the dust, heat and constant bombardment with his battalion. However, the thoughtfulness of those back home was particularly appreciated. By August ’41 Ivor had taken the time to write and thank the Mt Bryan Unit for the work done by the Comforts Fund, adding a very generous donation of £1 to their funds. He wrote “Dear Friends — Very many thanks for your parcel of socks, handkys and bag from the Mt. Bryan Comforts Fund, which was very acceptable. The socks bore Mrs. Jarmyn's name and were most comfortable. It is without doubt that too great praise and thanks cannot be given to the Fighting Forces Comforts Fund, For since joining up our boys have everything that it is possible to have, both in the matter of shorts, singlets, socks, handkys, tobacco, cigarettes, matches, fruit and tinned vegetables, papers and boot polish. We can never be grateful enough for the wonderful effort you good folk have made and never have we found anything going astray. Anything one might read about misapplication of the funds is totally wrong as far as we in this Battalion are concerned. The desert sand storms or rather dust storms are fairly deadly while they last but the last two or- three days have been typically South Australian weather. Again thanking you for your kindness. — Yours truly, Ivo Youl”
The following week, his sister in law, Mary Edith Youl, living in Wycherley, Victoria, had also contacted the Mt Bryan F.F.C.F. writing; “To the Secretary, Dear Madam — I have been asked by my brother, Pte. Ivo Youl, to draw from his pay £2 and send it to your fund. He has twice benefitted greatly from the Comforts Fund and in his last letter mentioned receiving something from the Mt. Bryan Fund. He would particularly like it known how much the soldiers appreciate the comforts. — Yours faithfully, R. S. Youl."
By April, ’41 the 9th Division had fallen back to the Tobruk port, which they continued to hold for the next eight months. In August that year Ivo was wounded and was evacuated to hospital. It was not until February the following year that he was able to re-join the 2/48th Battalion.
News of Ivor being injured was shared through the September ’41 issue of the Chronicle. Others from his 2/48th Battalion who were also injured were listed. They were Pte. Ivo Youl, SX7820, Mount Bryan; Pte. John K. Stone, SX7740 Willowie ( John was later killed in action and died on 17 July ‘42,); Pte. Ronald J. Little, SX1O507, Keith and Pte. Jack H. Abraham, SX8280, Moonta Mines.
Back home, the Burra Record reported that ‘Word has been received that Pte. Youl, of Mt. Bryan, who was recently reported as having been wounded is recovering rapidly. It appears that Pte. Youl received two pieces of shrapnel in his arm, but he will soon be on the active list again, if he's not there already.’
John Glenn in ‘Tobruk to Tarakan’ described how the battalion moved out to the Blue Line, where the headquarters were at the Pimple and had established in time to shelter from a driving sandstorm. A brief time was allowed for the men to visit the sea, to bathe and wash before they were again on the move. They had just two days at the flea-ridden Airente before being back at the Pimple. This was the target for accurate shelling. On the 30th August ’41 a direct hit was made on the G Office and the runner for C Company, Private Ron Leggett, SX7714 in moving to a sanger to shelter, was wounded, later dying. Glenn noted that ‘Private Ivor Youl was also hit and evacuated’.
Ivo, by then a Corporal, was eventually discharged on the 19th July ’48. With the war behind him, Ivo returned to Balgowlah in New South Wales. In December ’51 his only son, James announced his engagement to Helen Rubensohn, a former nurse at the Royal Prince Albert Hospital with the two marrying in May ’53.
Just two years later, Ivo’s older brother, 69-year-old Raymond who had been listed as next of kin, died suddenly at Wedderburn in July ’55.
Aged 82, Ivor died on the 2nd of May 1983.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.