Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Seven: Major F. V. Young, Canadian Light Horse, late Manitoba Grenadiers and Royal Canadian Dragoons, wounded at Rietfontein in July 1900

Afghanistan 1878-80, 1 clasp, Peiwar Kotal (1099. Commt. Sergt. F. V. Young) renamed in upright capitals; North West Canada 1885, no clasp (Lieut. F. V. Young, 95th M.G.); Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill (Lieut: F. V. Young, Rl. Candn: Dgns:); King's South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Capt. F. V. Young, Candn. M.R.); British War and Victory Medals (Capt. F. V. Young.); Colonial Auxiliary Forces Decoration, G.V.R., the reverse impressed ‘Major F. V. Young 29th Light Horse’, hallmarked Birmingham 1921, complete with top suspension bar, mounted for display and professionally cleaned and lacquered, very fine or better (7) £1200-1500

Francis Verschoyle Young was born in County Cork, Ireland on 1 December 1857. He served 5 years in the Commissariat Department of the British Army and was present in Afghanistan and the action at Peiwar Kotal. Served in the North West Rebellion of 1885, Virden Home Guard, later 12th Manitoba Dragoons and 95th Battalion Manitoba Mounted Grenadiers. He served in South Africa with the Royal Canadian Dragoons from March 1900 to 26 July 1900, then was attached to the Army Service Corps from 27 July 1900 to 31 July 1902.

Young was mentioned in Lord Roberts’ despatch of 2 April 1901. Roberts had previously written to Lord Minto from Pretoria on 6 July 1900, praising the good work of the 1st and 2nd Battalions of Canadian Mounted Rifles, adding: ‘On June 18 a party of 1st Battalion under Lieut. Young when operating with a force under General Hutton to the northy-west of Pretoria succeeded in capturing two of the enemy’s guns and brought in a herd of cattle and several prisoners without losing a man.’ General Hutton, in his despatch of 20 June 1900, gives a lengthy account of this feat which concludes: ‘The whole incident forms a singular instance of what cool daring and steady courage can do. Nothing could better test the finest qualities in British soldiers than to cut out guns under such circumstances from the very centre of the enemy without the loss of a man or a horse, and Lieutenant Young and his small detachment are deserving of the very highest credit for their achievement.’

Young was wounded at Witklip (Rietfontein) on 8 July 1900, and promoted to Captain on 6 January 1901. He was appointed Regimental Adjutant in May 1904, and transferred to the Reserve of Officers on 1 October 1908. Recalled for service in 1914 as a Lieutenant in the 29th Light Horse, ‘C’ squadron, he served overseas in England from 18 June 1916, and in France from 7 July 1916 to 13 September 1917. He returned to Canada in the rank of Captain later in 1917, being ‘surplus to establishment’ and was demobilized in July 1919. He was promoted to Major (Retired) on 1 February 1921, and was awarded the Volunteer Officers Decoration in June 1922. Major F. J. ‘Barney’ Young died at Victoria B.C. on 11 November 1930, aged 72, and is buried in Ross Bay Cemetery, Victoria.

Sold with an extensive file of documentation.