Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Parents: -  John Young and his wife Mary resided in Glasgow, Scotland when "Jock" was born, according to family history, Jock's father had served with the Royal Marines. After discharge he took up employment as a  storeman at  James Wallace & Son, Agricultural Engineers, Graham Street, Glasgow.   

Prior to immigrating to Australia, John "Jock" Young had seen service in World War One in the United Kingdom when he enlisted on 7th December 1917 serving in the  Royal Flying Corps as fitter-armourer. He was discharged in 1926 and had experienced first hand the formation of Royal Air Force. John Young (jnr) emigrated to Western Australia, disembarking in Fremantle from London on 29th September 1926 aboard the ‘Benalla.’  Jock was 25 years old and stated his civil employment as a "general farm labourer". He worked on remote cattle and sheep stations in the north west of the state prior to enlistment on 30th July 1940 in Claremont, Western Australia. 

After basic training Private John “Jock” Young was assigned on 27th November 1940 to the 2nd/4th Machine Gun Battalion, ‘A’ Company, No. 4 Platoon. He along with his Platoon embarked for oversea's service arriving in Singapore on the 24th January 1942, just 22 days later he was listed on 15th February 1942 as a prisoner of war held by elements of Japanese Imperial Forces after the fall of Singapore. Along with other members of Allied Forces captured he was eventually "selected" in Singapore to work on the Burma-Thai Railway along with a large number of 2nd/4th Machin Gun Battalion men, they were all transported in crowded small rail trucks from Singapore to Thailand in four days. The Railway was completed December 1943, and all the prisoners of war were evacuated back to 4 or 5 large PoW camps from where the 'fitter personnel' were sent to work in Japan. Unfortunately for Jock he was evacuated to Nacompaton Hospital Camp, Thailand where he died on the 15th August 1945, Nacompaton was a large Hospital Camp with better conditions than those on the Burma Rail line. Private John “Jock” Young had served in two World Wars, for the United Kingdom in the Great War and Australia in World War Two. He died at Nacompaton,Thailand on the last day of World War 2, 15th August 1945, aged 46 years having been seriously ill with beri beri dysentery, malaria and odema. When Jock enlisted, he stated his birth date as 1901, due to the age limit of 40 years.  Private John “Jock” Young was born on 19th July 1899. 

SAFE IN THE ARMS OF JESUS