Sgt 23876 Henry Young

• Age: 22
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 20th April 1918
• Commemorated at: Tyne Cot Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 31-34

Henry Young was born in the June quarter of 1895 in Liverpool, the eldest son of Samuel James Young and his wife Emma Jane (née Reynolds). Both from Liverpool, they married in 1893 and had nine children, of whom four died young. Henry had an older sister Margaret, born in 1893.  Catherine, born in 1894 (died in infancy, the family then living at 108 Lovat Street).  He had younger siblings Elizabeth, born in 1896 (died in infancy), Emma 1898, Samuel 1900 (died at two months), Robert 1901, Ellen 1903, and Janet Douglas in 1904 (died at age 2).

The 1911 Census shows the family are still living at 86 Lovat Street. Henry as a 15 year old and his occupation is shown as an assistant in a wallpaper warehouse. His mother is the head of the houshold, she is widowed and 37 years of age. Henry has 4 siblings all  born in Liverpool; Margaret 18, Emma 13, Robert 9 and Ellen 7. 

Henry enlisted in Liverpool  joining the 20th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 23876. His regimental number and the amount of the War Gratuity suggests that he enlisted in November 1914.

Formed in November 1914 the 20^th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29^th January 1915 they moved to the hutted accommodation purposely built at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 20th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. He arrived in France on 07^th November 1915.

He achieved the rank of Sergeant and at some point, probably in February 1918 when the 20th Bn was disbanded, was posted to the 18th Bn K.L.R., and served in No.4 Company.

He was killed in action on the 20^th April 1918 aged 22 during the German Spring Offensive. 

He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial in Belgium.

Those United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after August 16th 1917 are named on the Tyne Cot Memorial, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war.

The Tyne Cot Memorial now bears the names of almost 35,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Herbert Baker with sculpture by Joseph Armitage and F.V. Blundstone, was unveiled by Sir Gilbert Dyett on 20 June 1927.

The memorial forms the north-eastern boundary of Tyne Cot Cemetery, which was established around a captured German blockhouse or pill-box used as an advanced dressing station.

Henry's death was reported in the Liverpool Evening Express on 15th July 1918:

Sergt.H.Young, K.L.R., aged 23, is reported killed in action on April 29th. He had been in France 2 and a half years. Any information respecting his death will be thankfully received by his mother at 14,Owen-street,Edgehill,Liverpool.