Major-General Hugh Andrew Young (3 April 1898 – 21 January 1982) was a Canadian military officer and civil servant who served as the

commissioner of the Northwest Territories The commissioner of the Northwest Territories (french: Commissaire des Territoires du Nord-Ouest) is the Government of Canada's representative in the Northwest Territories. Similar in certain functions to a lieutenant governor, the commissioner s ...

from 1950 to 1953.

Military career

Young was born in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

, to Andrew Young and Emma Florence Nesbitt, and was of Irish descent. He graduated from the

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.Mukluks Mukluks or kamik ( iu, ᑲᒥᒃ ) (singular: , plural: ) are a soft boot, traditionally made of reindeer (caribou) skin or sealskin, and worn by Arctic aboriginal people, including the Inuit, Iñupiat, and Yup'ik. Mukluks may be worn over a ...

. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, he served with distinction with the

Canadian Expeditionary Force The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was the expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed following Britain’s declaration of war on Germany on 15 August 1914, with an initial strength of one infantry division ...

. In the Second World War, Young became a senior staff officer at the Canadian Military Headquarters in London. From 1942 to 1943, he commanded the

6th Canadian Infantry Brigade The 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Canadian Army that fought during World War I and World War II. Raised in 1915, it formed part of the 2nd Canadian Division and fought on the Western Front during World War I before ...

. From 1943 to 1944, he served on the general staff of

II Canadian Corps II Canadian Corps was a corps-level formation that, along with I (British) Corps (August 1, 1944 to April 1, 1945) and I Canadian Corps (April 6, 1943 to November 1943, and April 1, 1945 until the end of hostilities), comprised the First Canad ...

, before returning to command of the 6th Brigade for the rest of the war. Following the end of the war, Young oversaw the return of Canadian forces to Canada and succeeded without any stray casualties. He was awarded the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typ ...

in 1944 and appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1946. Young retired from the army with the rank of

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

in 1947 and joined the Civil Service at the request of Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent. He was

Commissioner of the Northwest Territories The commissioner of the Northwest Territories (french: Commissaire des Territoires du Nord-Ouest) is the Government of Canada's representative in the Northwest Territories. Similar in certain functions to a lieutenant governor, the commissioner s ...

from November 14, 1950, to November 15, 1953. He was Deputy Minister of Public Works for 10 years until 1963, serving under five different Ministers of Public Works. He died in Ottawa in 1982.''Ottawa, Canada, Beechwood Cemetery Registers, 1873–1990''

References

External links

Generals of World War II
1898 births 1982 deaths University of Manitoba alumni People from Winnipeg Canadian Expeditionary Force officers Canadian Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Canadian Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Commissioners of the Northwest Territories Canadian Army generals of World War II Canadian generals Canadian military personnel from Manitoba Canadian people of Irish descent {{NorthwestTerritories-politician-stub