Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

St John Graham Young GC (16 June 1921 – 24 July 1944) was a decorated

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

officer of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He was posthumously awarded the

George Cross The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, has been ...

, the highest British (and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

) award for bravery out of combat, for his heroism in rescuing his comrades from a minefield in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

on 23 July 1944. He was serving with the

Royal Tank Regiment The Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) is the oldest tank unit in the world, being formed by the British Army in 1916 during the First World War. Today, it is the armoured regiment of the British Army's 12th Armoured Infantry Brigade. Formerly known as th ...

, attached to the Central India Horse, part of the

Indian Armoured Corps The Indian Armoured Corps was a unit of the British Empire's Indian Army. The Corps was formed on 1 May 1941 to administer existing armoured units within the Indian Army. Its headquarters was located at Ferozepore. Upon partition in 1947, the unit's ...

. Notice of the award was published in the ''

London Gazette London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

'' on 20 July 1945. Young had been leading a night patrol on 23 July 1944, when he and his men found themselves in an enemy minefield. He received the full force of a mine explosion, severely injuring both legs. Despite his wounds, his encouragement enabled the majority of his men to reach safety. One of them, Sowar

Ditto Ram Sowar Ditto Ram of the Central India Horse (21st King George Vs. Own Horse), Indian Armoured Corps, in the Indian Army during World War II was posthumously awarded the George Cross for his gallantry in helping a wounded comrade on 23 July 1944 ...

, was also posthumously awarded the GC for his actions in the same incident. Young was born in Esher in

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

, educated at Bloxham School in

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...

and commissioned into the RTR in 1942. He is buried in

Arezzo War Cemetery Arezzo War Cemetery is a war cemetery operated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, to the North West of the city of Arezzo, Italy. It was established in November 1944, to house the remains of Allied casualties from World War II. The rema ...

References

* Kempton, Chris, The Victoria Crosses and George Crosses of the Honourable East India Company and Indian Army, Military Press, 2001, * King George V's Own Central India Horse. The story (continued) of a Local Corps. Volume 2 by Brig. A. A. Filose. {{DEFAULTSORT:Young, St. John Graham 1921 births 1944 deaths British recipients of the George Cross British Indian Army officers Royal Tank Regiment officers British Army personnel killed in World War II People educated at Bloxham School People from Esher Indian Army personnel of World War II Burials at Arezzo War Cemetery Military personnel from Surrey