Category: Military
Rank: Private
Regiment or Ship: 3rd Southdown Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment; Army Service Corps.
Service Number(s): S4/3726; M/353226
Occupation: Ironmonger’s shop assistant
Date of Birth: 1896
Place of Birth: Battle, Sussex
Date of Death: 1983
Place of Death: Hastings and Rother district
Address: 47 Windor Road, Bexhill
Photos and newspaper articles
Click on any image to see a larger version
Family Information
Parents: William Harry Young, b. 1874 in Bentley, Worcester, d. 1944 in Battle, and Martha Matilda Young, nee Turner, b. 1870 in Battle, d. 1953 in Hastings.
Siblings:
Lilian Daisy Young, b. 1901 in Tunbridge Wells.
Perlet Irene Young, b. 1903 in Tunbridge Wells.
Robert Jack Young, b. 1904 in Battle.
Lily Rose Young, b. 1908 in Battle.
Michael Young, b. 1910 in Battle.
William and Martha married in 1894 in Battle and in 1901 the family were living at 4 Burlington Cottages, Tunbridge Wells. By 1911 they had moved to Spittal Hill, Battle, where William was employed as a carpenter. Reginald was living with his family in Battle in the 1911 census but by March 1915 he was lodging at 47 Windsor Road, Bexhill. In 1911 Reginald was working as a stationer’s errand boy but by 1915 had moved into ironmongery.
First World War Experience
Reginald completed his attestation form on 13th January 1915 and a very good photograph of him appeared in his uniform in the Bexhill Observer on 27th March of that year.
From his attestation form we learn that that he was a British subject living at 11 St. Mary’s Terrace, Battle. He was 19 years and 3 months old and unmarried. He was 5’ 4½” tall, with a chest measurement of 36” – expanded by 2”.
Reginald was posted to the 3rd Southdown Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment in 1915 and was later (we do not know exactly when) was transferred to the Army Service Corps. He developed dysentery and, being classed as having a 100% disablement, was discharged on 17th December 1919. His total army service was 4 years and 339 days – with 1 year 9 months of foreign service.
During his illness he was in the Bermondsey Military hospital, Ladywell Road, Lewisham, S.E. London, and that was were he was noted as “no longer physically fit for War Service”. He was awarded a pension of 40/- per week to start on 18th December 1919 with a review time of 26 weeks.
Reginald was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.