YOUNG, Richard Kenneth
NAME YOUNG Richard Kenneth RANK Private 114030 1st Canadian Army - II Canadian Corps - 2nd Canadian Infantry Division - 5th Infantry Brigade
REGIMENT Calgary Highlanders
“onward”
Royal Canadian Infantry Corp Residence: Goderich - Ontario Birth: July 17, 1913 - Goderich - County of Huron - Ontario Died: March 2, 1945 31 years 7 months
Cemetery: Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery - Groesbeek - Gelderland - Netherlands
IX A 3
Parents: Mr. Benjamin and Clara Young - Goderich. Brothers: Mr. George Young - Goderich - Ontario Mr. Franklin Young - Goderich - Ontario
Richard was born on July 17, 1913 and grew up with his family on Trafalgar Street in Goderich and attended school until the age of 14. He enjoyed bowling, softball, dancing, movies, cards and his friends. He and his family attended Knox Presbyterian Church in Goderich. He had worked as a Marine Engineer for 9 years and had worked for Algoma Central Steamships as a 4th Class Marine Engineer for two years up until approximately the late part of 1942. The boat he was sailing the Great Lakes on for Algoma Central Steamships was involved in the Great Lakes ore trade.
Canada
On December 30, 1942 he travelled to London and enrolled under the Militia Act - Natural Resources Mobilization Act of 1940. Any man who volunteered could go overseas otherwise you had to serve in the Home Defence of Canada . Upon enrolling he stood 5' 5" tall and weighed 158 pounds. He had a medium complexion with brown eyes and hair. He was then sent to No. 1 Natural Resources Mobilization Act Depot and from there he went to No. 1 District Depot. He was Taken on Strength with the Oxford Rifles who were with 7th Canadian Infantry Divison - 16th Infantry Brigade and were under the command of Home Defence of Atlantic Command.
In the Field
However, when the Japanese invaded the Aleutian Islands in 1942 and there was now urgency in Ottawa and elsewhere about the gravity of this development. It was decided that the Canadians and Americans would have a joint force to deal with this situation and the Canadians contingent would consist of the the Canadian Fusiliers, the Winnipeg Grenadiers and the Rocky Mountain Rangers who were numerically the strongest units from the 8th Canadian Infantry Division of Pacific Command. Their numbers were increased by those who were part of the Natural Resouces Mobilization Act. Private Young went to the Pacific coast and took intense training in preparation for the campaign in the Aleutians. Private Young one on board one of four transport ships that departed from Chemanius and Nanaimo on July 12th and attached to the Winnipeg Grenadiers. The total Canadians of all ranks numbered 4,831 men. While at sea on July 15th he was granted the daily pay rate of $1.50. The Canadians disembarked on July 21st at Adak Island where they would continue with their training. On August 11th the Canadians boarded their ships which then left the harbour on their way to Kiska Island. On August 15th, the Canadian 13th Infantry Mountain Brigade came ashore and for the next two days they struggled inland in the thick fog with machine gun fire and artillery fire all around them. It was then they began to realize they had attacked an island with no Japanese forces on it as they had all left. The Canadian then remained in the Aleutians for three more months and continued with their training. Private young embarked from the Aleutians on January 3, 1944.
Canada
Private Young disembarked in Vancouver and received 30 days leave. He then travelled to Gordon Head near Saanich and on April 4, 1944 he enlisted into the Canadian Army with the Winnipeg Grenadiers. It was then off to the east coast to Nova Scotia and once there he received embarkation leave from May 4-14th. Private Young was Struck off Service of the Canadian Army in Canada and embarked from Halifax for overseas on May 25th.
In the field
One day later out on the North Atlantic he was Taken on Service with the Canadian Army Overseas. He disembarked in the United Kingdom on June 2, 1944. Two more months of training took place before he embarked from the United Kingdom on August 4th and disembarked in France at Juno Beach on August 5th. Two days later he was attached to the Calgary Highlanders and a month later he joined them in the field.On October 7th, the Calgary Highlanders were battling the enemy in the Scheldt and on this day they advanced against the German forces across open and flooded land. They had to contend with booby traps land mines and driving rain and mist. As they advanced the casualties were heavy and one of those wounded was Private Young. He would have received help immediately and then moved to a Field Dressing Station, and then moved to a Casualty Clearing Station. Following this he was taken to No. 6 Canadian General Hospital in the United kingdom and then was moved to No. 17 General Hospital. After recuperating he embarked from the United Kingdom on January 7, 1945 and arrived in the North-West Europe Theatre on January 8th. On January 19 he is attached again with the Calgary Highlanders and Taken on Service with them on February 15, 1945. On February 27 Private Young and the Calgary Highlanders were near Calcor in Germany. The weather on
this day was cloudy and warm.
At 04:00 hours “A & C” Companies moved down the axis as advance contact role. As “A” Company moved
forward the enemy opposition increased. It began to get tougher to advance as heavy German artillery and
mortar fire was now being concentrated on the Calgaries. About mid - morning “C” Company moved forward to their objective on the edge of the Hochwald and now the German opposition was very stiff and very heavy artillery and mortar fire began to fall on “C” Company. Late in the afternoon “A & C” Companies were pinned down by heavy enemy fire, but by nightfall all the Companies were in position and they expected heavy German counter attacks all night – but none ever happened even when they were shelled by artillery and mortars all night. At 22:30 hours that night the men of the Calgaries were able to pause and have a hot meal for the first time in 24 hours.
Private Young suffered serious and eventually fatal abdominal wounds that would claim his life on March
2nd. He was originally bured in Bedburg - Germany. During this engagement the Calgaries lost 12 men to wounds including Private Young along with 4
men being killed.
His step mother Clare received the Memorial Cross. He was awarded the 1939-45 Star, the France-Germany Star, the War Medal along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal + Clasp. Richard is honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of Knox Presbyterian Church in Goderich. He is honoured and remembered on the Goderich Cenotaph. He is remembered in the Calgary Highlanders Regimental Museum in Calgary - Alberta. He is honoured and remembered on the Virtual Canadian War Memorial.
