Name
Marcus Ernest Young
1898
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
24/03/1918
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Second Lieutenant
Royal Field Artillery
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
CHAUNY COMMUNAL CEMETERY BRITISH EXTENSION
Sp. Mem. Inscription @Buried in this cemetery, act
France
Headstone Inscription
HE BEING DEAD YET SPEAKETH TO THOSE WHO LOVED HIM
UK & Other Memorials
Tring Town Memorial, St Peter & St Paul Church Roll of Honour, Tring, WW1 Memorial, Bedford Modern School, Bedford.
Pre War
Marcus Ernest Young was born in Tring in 1898 to George Thomas Young, estate clerk, and Eleanor (nee Wilson).
On the 1901 Census the family of parents, George Walter (born 1897) and Marcus were living at 15 High Street, Tring.
On the 1911 Census Marcus was listed as a boarder at the Modern School, Bedford. His parents were still living at 15, High Street, Tring with his younger brothers Albert Edward (born 1902) and Jack (born 1905).
Marcus, while at Bedford Modern School was a member of the Officers Training Corps becoming a Cadet Lance Corporal (Section Commander No 6 Section).
Wartime Service
Marcus left school in 1916 and attended a Royal Field Artillery course in Nov 1916 and was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant in Mar 1917, going to France in Jun 1917. He was posted to X/58 Trench Mortar Battery in 58th (2nd London) Division. In Mar 1918 the Germans launched their Spring offensive and his division was involved in this fighting during the Battle of St Quentin (21-23 Mar 1918) . Marcus was posted as Missing and his death was presumed to have occurred on 24 Mar 1918 (some records 21 Mar). He is remembered on the Special Memorial in the British Extension of Chauny Communal Cemetery (south of St Quentin).
From the Parish Magazine 1919: “Marcus Ernest Young, 2nd/Lt R.F.A. left the Modern School Bedford in July of 1916, and joined the Army in November of the same year, going through a course of training at the R.F.A Barracks at St Johns Wood. In the following March he was appointed to the Special Reserve of Officers and in June 1917 received orders to go to France. On March 22nd 1918 he was reported missing, and subsequently, through the Red Cross in Geneva, he was said to have been killed on that date and buried between La Fere and Fargniers.
The Captain of his battery, when writing to his parents, said that: :He went over the top with an N.C.O in order to get information about the guns which had been captured earlier in the day. He did not return nor did the N.C.O. It was a very plucky thing to do and was done on his own initiative. R.I.P."
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £5 and arrears of £77 0s 8d was paid to his father who also received probate of £203 15s 5d. Brother George Walter served with Yorkshire Regiment as Captain and was Killed in Action on 27 May 1918.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer, Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild, Tring Local History
