Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Born on the 14th October, 1919 Edward was one of fourteen children and the second son of John Henry and Phyllis Lucy Young. These included nine daughters and five sons: Phyllis, Rene, Mary, Peggy, Elsie, Violet, Mavis, Betty, and Shirley, Arthur, Edward (Jack), Robert Sydney, Donald McPharlene and Michael. John was a native of Morgan and lived there for his entire life, working for the local Council and being a member of the Buffalo Lodge (RAOB), a group that helped those less fortunate.
Edward, known as Jack, attended the local Morgan school. At the conclusion of each year, a picnic was organised with the children taken to the selected grounds by cars or wagons. This was usually a time for sport and races but at times included very country type events. One year a very popular event, and part of the organised sports program, was catching rabbits, with the children catching over 100.
Post school, Edward became a yardman but with the outbreak of WWII, aged 20, he was one of the early enlistees in July ’40, with parental consent. He was given the number SX8539 and allocated to the 2/48th Battalion. Two of his brothers also enlisted. Robert Sidney, a deck hand enlisted the previous month, also giving his age as 20 and born in January ’20. (This contrasts with his headstone in the Morgan Cemetery which reads his birthdate as 1922 and therefore only age 18 when he enlisted.) He was allocated the number SX4986 with the 2/7th Battalion becoming a gunner. Younger brother, Donald listed as born in January ‘19 also enlisted in January ’41 as SX10899 with the 2/10th Battalion. (Donald similarly was ‘generous’ with his date of birth, in reality being born on the 10th January ’21.) Robert gained proficiency as a Group III Gunlayer towards the end of ’42.
Both Jack and Robert (Bob) were initially housed in the Motor Pavilion of what is now the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds. Their ‘beds’ were straw filled hessian on wooden pallets.
Following eight days of pre-embarkation leave, Jack and Bob both then boarded the Stratheden for the Middle East, in November, arriving on the 17th December. Once in the Middle East, the young men marched to a Staging Camp but during those early days, besides regular army duties was the need to quickly adapt to the locals. Early the following year, Jack enjoyed an extra hour of unofficial leave, but fortunately did not lose any pay. Within months, he was involved in intense conflicts where the reputation of the 2/48th Battalion for being the most highly decorated but decimated battalion was earned. Jack was to become one of the respected and famed Rats of Tobruk.
In July, on the 22nd, Jack was wounded in action with gunshot wounds to his right arm and left leg. That year was to be a challenging one for his battalion. Orders had been received to capture West Point of Tel el Eisa in a dawn attack. In late June ‘42 with Rommel crossing into Egypt, the 2/48th were in an offensive to capture Trig 33, which was achieved on the 10th July. In doing so, over 400 Italian prisoners were taken. The 2/48th battalion then advanced south, capturing the Tel el Eisa station and repelling numerous counter attacks. However, they were eventually forced to withdraw, having suffered over 100 casualties. In all, the 2/48th battalion suffered 215 casualties, including Jack, between the 7th July and 23rd October. Of that number, 64 men were killed and six, died of their wounds. 125 other men were wounded but survived.
In July the battalion was attempting to capture West Point in a dawn attack. In his book, ‘Tobruk to Tarakan’, John G. Glenn described the ferocious encounter.
‘When the troops were well forward of the start-line they came under terrific fire from shells and mortars from the front and left, and suffered heavy casualties. With the slow deliberate movement of perfectly trained soldiers both companies continued the advance in perfect formation, over ground that trembled and erupted with vicious explosions. Through this, sometimes obscured by the smoke and dust, the men moved, and, as they advanced, the fire kept place with them, leaving behind the still shapes of fallen men among the camel bush and sand.’
For almost two months, Jack received medical attention. He returned to his battalion in September via the 9th Infantry Trig Battalion before his return to the 2/48th in October.
Back home, the August edition of the Chronicle carried the names of the killed and injured. Besides Jack, those in his battalion included: Wounded In Action SX6828 Pte Harold R L Baker Adelaide. SX8878 Pte Gerald W Bellinger Millicent. SX9388 Pte Clarence G Brown. Port Wakefield, SX1075 L-Cpl. Eric Brown SX11079 Pte Harold D Brown, Trinity Gardens. SX537 Pte. P. A Carey, Broken Hill. NSW SX7497 L-Cpl Ronald Chinner, Angaston. SX7725 Pte. Cecil Clark, Langhorne's Creek. SX8132 Pte. Cyril H. Fleet, Meningle. SX7417 Pte. Clarence L Gallagher, Murray Bridge. SX7330 Pte. Allen R Harris, Moonta. SX13570 Pte Charles Holman, Broken Hill. NSW. (Later KIA Oct ’42) SX12363 A-Cpl. Harry B. Irwln. Port Augusta. SX8017 L-Cpl. Charles. G. Manuel. Balaklava. SX8138 Pte Albert. V. McKenzie, Minlaton. SX11302 Pte. Walter Sharp, Magill. SX7952 Pte Kevin P Stephens. Adelaide. SX7294 Cpl. Henry P. Stopp. Keith. SX9034 A-Cpl. Noel A Tietzel. North Adelaide. SX8539 Pte Edward J Young Inf., Morgan.
Within days of his return to the 2/48th Jack received his second wound of the campaign with a gunshot wound to his left thigh, resulting in another month of hospitalisation. Back home, the Murray Pioneer reported ‘Wounded in Action Pte. J. E. Young has been reported wounded in action in Egypt. He is the second son of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Young, of Morgan. Enlisting in 1940, he sailed for overseas in November of the same year. He was educated at the Morgan school. He has two brothers serving with the A.I.F.; Bob is still overseas and Don returned a few months ago.’ Many of Jack’s fellow battalion were again in the extensive list published in November in the Chronicle including 28 year old Lieutenant Bowman, SX9327 who was killed.
It was fortunate that Jack’s time in the Middle East concluded in February ’43 enabling him to return to Australia via Melbourne. Both he and brother, Robert, also serving in the Middle East, both headed home to Morgan on leave early in March, with Don joining them two weeks later.
Following leave, Edward then headed to Queensland to train in tropical conditions in preparation for facing a very different enemy in New Guinea. He arrived in Milne Bay in August ’43, serving until February the following year when he returned to Australia via Brisbane. By April that year, Edward had an unofficial five days of leave that proved costly as he was fined pay for that time. From the start of ’45, Edward’s father, John, who had been in ill health for some time, became a patient in the Waikerie Hospital. By March that year he was moved to the Eudunda Hospital, where he later died, aged 60 on the 28th March.’45. He was buried in the Morgan Cemetery. By May of that year, Don, who had received a gunshot wound to his right thigh and buttock, and contracted malaria whist in New Guinea, was transferred to serve at Loveday Internment Camp.
Jack had a further six-month stint in Tarakan, which began in April ’45. By early October that year he was confined to barracks for a week as he had left parade before he was officially relieved. Fortunately, he was at the end of his service days, arriving in Sydney early in November and being discharged on the 19th of that month.
His brother, Robert Sidney was discharged in September ’45, then at the end of the following month, Donald was also discharged.
A huge welcome home celebration was organised in the Morgan Institute, decorated by the Red Cross members in December ’45. Jack and his fellow soldiers, including an ex-POW, were all given a huge ovation and speeches by the local council, Red Cross and the Headmaster of the Morgan School. Each of the men responded, before dancing and games of bridge were enjoyed, followed by a typical country supper.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.