Young, James (Jim)
Rifleman
No. 582, ‘B’ Company, 13th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles
Killed in action on Saturday 1 July 1916 (aged 28)
No known grave
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Thiepval Memorial, France (Pier and Face 15 A and 15 B)
Newtownards and District War Memorial
Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) Roll of Honour 1914 – 1919 for
Greenwell Street Presbyterian Church Newtownards
Apprentice Boys LOL No.128 Roll of Sacrifice in Newtownards Orange Hall
BIOGRAPHY
James Young was born on 14 September 1887 in the townland of Ballyeasborough and he was a son of Andrew and Mary Young (nee Park, sometimes Parks) who were married on 7 July 1883 in Glastry Presbyterian Church. Andrew Young, a fisherman from Portavogie, was a son of Andrew Young, a fisherman. Mary Park from Glastry was a daughter of David Park, a farmer.
The Young family lived in the townland of Ballyeasborough.
Andrew Young worked as a fisherman and he and Mary had at least two children:
David (born 13 July 1885 in Ballyeasborough)
James (born 14 September 1887 in Ballyeasborough)
Their father, Andrew, was accidentally drowned on 3 January 1894 (aged 31) when he fell into the water at Donaghadee harbour.
Mary Young moved to Newtownards where she lived at 35 William Street and in the townland of Tullynagardy.
James Young worked as a carter and general labourer and he and Annie Wilson were married on 20 December 1907 in Greenwell Street Presbyterian Church Newtownards. James Young (aged 20 years and 3 months), a carter from 35 William Street, Newtownards was a son of Andrew Young, a fisherman (deceased). Annie Wilson, a factory worker from 65 William Street, Newtownards was a daughter of Samuel Wilson, a labourer.
James and Annie Wilson lived at 22 Corry Street, Newtownards and at 44 William Street, Newtownards and they had five sons:
Andrew (born 26 October 1908 in William Street, Newtownards)
James (born 2 July 1910 at 102 Leopold Street, Belfast)
George Burch (born 23 April 1912 in William Street, Newtownards)
Robert (born 17 August 1914 in William Street, Newtownards)
Elliott Thiepval (born 12 October 1916 in William Street, Newtownards)
James Young was a member of Apprentice Boys Loyal Orange Lodge (LOL) No.128, Newtownards, he enlisted in Belfast and joined the 1st County Down Volunteers.
Rifleman James Young went to France in February 1915, served with the 13th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles in 108th Brigade of the 36th (Ulster) Division and he was 28 when he was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Initially James was posted as missing in action and then in September 1916 Annie was informed by the British Red Cross that he was being held as a Prisoner-of-War in Germany.
Finally, in August 1917, it was officially confirmed that Rifleman James Young must be presumed to have been killed in action on or after 1 July 1916. Both his wife Annie and his mother Mary placed Our Heroes – In Memoriam notices in the 25 August 1917 edition of the Newtownards Chronicle and the one from his wife contained the following verse:
When alone in my sorrow, and bitter tears flow,
There stealeth a dream of the sweet long ago;
Unknown to the world, Jim stands by my side,
And whispers these words – Death cannot divide.
God is good, He will give me grace
To bear my heavy cross;
He is the only One Who knows
How bitter is my loss.
The notice from his mother contained the verse:
Forget him, no, I never will,
As years roll on I love him still.
Rifleman James Young has no known grave and he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial in France; on Newtownards and District War Memorial; in the PCI Roll of Honour for Greenwell Street Presbyterian Church Newtownards and on the Apprentice Boys LOL No.128 Roll of Sacrifice in Newtownards Orange Hall.
During the Second World War, Rifleman James Young’s son, Fusilier George Burch Young, served with the Royal Scots Fusiliers and he was killed in action on 29 May 1940.