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John Young

Sergeant, 2nd Battalion, Imperial Light Horse – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Orange Free State, Transvaal and South Africa 1902 to 1315 Sjt. J. YOUNG, IMP. LT. HORSE

John Young was born in Kirriemuir, Forfarshire, Scotland in about 1877 the son of John Craik Young a Factory Linen Warper and his wife Mary Lindsay.

The 1881 Scotland census reveals that a 4 year old John was living with his parents in the Wellgate area of Kirriemuir and that he had two sisters Annie (12) and Margaret (10)

At the time of the 1891 Scotland census the picture had altered somewhat. John, now a lad of 14, was already employed as a Flax and Jute Winder and was a Boarder in the house of Mr William Storrier at 20 South Street in Forfar. Depressingly, so too were his two sisters with Ann now 22 and Margaret 20 – indicative of the fact that the family had perhaps fallen on hard times.

The Scotland census of 1901 revealed further that John, now a Jute Mill Overseer aged 24 had moved back in with his parents who had moved to 6 Melrose Terrace in Dundee. It was almost a reunion of sorts with his two older sisters back at home and, ominously perhaps, not yet married at the ages of 32 and 30 respectively. Together with younger siblings Betsy (17) David (15) and Frederick (13)

Quite what decided Young to emigrate to South Africa we will never know – possibly it was a sense of adventure? The Boer War had been raging since October 1899 with no immediate end in sight and there was always an opportunity for a young man to slake his thirst for action by joining one of the many Colonial outfits that had been raised with the objective of assisting the Regular British Army chaps.

Whatever the case may be Young made his way south and, on 4 February 1902 enlisted with the 2nd Battalion of the by now famous Imperial Light Horse for service at Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape. His Attestation form revealed that he was a Scotsman aged 24 and, surprisingly, a Baker by occupation (one doesn’t know what happened to the Jute Overseer job) he had previous service of 6 months with the 3rd Volunteer Battalion of the Royal Highlanders and was a Presbyterian by way of religious persuasion.

Physically he was 5 feet 4 inches in height, weighed 130 pounds and had a dark complexion, blue eyes and dark hair. He provided his mother Mrs Mary Young of 6 Melrose Terrace, Dundee, Scotland as his next of kin and confirmed that he was insured for £10 with the Prudential Assurance Company. (This raises an interesting question as to whether active service would have been covered by the policy in the event of his death). He was also single.

Since taking the field the 2nd ILH had been almost wholly employed in the Eastern Transvaal, where they had done good work under Major-General Smith-Dorrien, Major-General F. W. Kitchener, and other leaders. They had fighting on many occasions and sometimes losses.

In his Despatches of 8th March and 8th April Lord Kitchener described the great combined drives in the north east of the Orange River Colony, in which a large number of prisoners, over 1500, were captured. The work of the ILH was specially singled out in the account of the Press Association correspondent. They stopped one very determined rush, when the enemy tried, in the darkness, to break through the line at their part.

In the despatch of 1st June 1902 Lord Kitchener details the operations undertaken in the Western Transvaal to clear that district after the disasters suffered by Lord Methuen. Troops were taken from "other districts, and the ILH recrossed the Vaal. On 11th April Colonel Kekewich had heavy fighting. Soon after starting in the morning the advance guard under Von Donop was attacked: the enemy "advanced rapidly to close quarters in very compact formation, the Boers riding knee to knee, and in many places in two ranks, whilst their attack was supported by a heavy fire from skirmishers on both flanks. Many of the men of our advanced screen in forward positions were ridden over by the enemy, who pressed on rapidly to within 700 yards of the main body and convoys, keeping up an incessant magazine-rifle fire from their horses as they approached.

Here, however, they were checked by Lieutenant Colonel Greenfell's troops which were at the head of the main body, the Scottish Horse, 5th IY, and South African Constabulary dismounting and moving forward steadily on foot to meet the coming charge. This was the crisis of the fight, and it was one which terminated quickly with the complete repulse of the Boers and the death of their Commandant, Potgieter, who was conspicuous in leading the attack until he fell, only 90 yards in front of our troops. So far, however, it was only a repulse, but the arrival of Lieutenant Colonel Briggs with the ILH, detached upon the enemy's right flank from Sir H.Rawlinson's force, turned the repulse into a rout". Colonel Briggs, hearing the heavy firing, of his own initiative took the ILH to the scene of the action. Fifty-one dead and 40 wounded Boers were found on the ground, and in the subsequent pursuit by the 1st ILH and troops of Colonel Kekewich two 15-pounder guns, one pom-pom, some vehicles, ammunition, and 36 unwounded prisoners were captured.

Further successful drives took place in the south west Transvaal in which the ILH were engaged.

As can be seen Young and his comrades were kept busy. He took his discharge from the I.L.H. on 24 June 1902 – some 3 weeks after the surrender had been declared. For his efforts he had been promoted to the rank of Sergeant and was awarded the Queens Medal with clasps Orange Free State, Transvaal and South Africa 1902.

Young’s movements after the war are not a matter of public record but we do know that, like so many others of his era, he wasn’t destined to live a long life. The Transvaal Archives house his estate file revealing that he passed away on 2 September 1913 at “Rockingham” in Sabie in the Lydenburg district of the Eastern Transvaal. His age is estimated at 35 and no one seems to have known much about him other than that he was a Mine Owner and was unmarried. His Last Will and Testament, signed on the day of his death (suggesting that it was through illness and not a sudden one) bequeathed all his worldly goods to his sister Margaret who was still living in Scotland.

Glynn’s Lydenburg Gold Mine was the largest in the Sabie/Pilgrim’s Rest area and Young owned a considerable number of shares in the mine which translated into a sizable estate of £950.

That is a particularly nice example of the medal itself, I think that so many collectors fail to understand what was actually happening in the final months of the war, they proved to be really the most brutal of the entire campaign, it took me a long time to find a similar medal to the 2nd Leinster's, which I had been after for a few years.
Of the SAMIF, the ILH, Scottish Horse and the KFS are well worth having for this period and took part in some very serious and hard work in the Transvaal, wretched Christiaan Beyers proved to be a real thorn.

Great Research again Rory......

An estate of 950 Pounds would be 120,000 Pounds in buying power today so a very large estate.....

Checked my two ILH and both died very early in the war never got to the Transvaal......

Mike