The Airmen's Stories - P/O C R Young

Cecil Reginald Young was born on 20th January 1920 to British parents Robert Guy Young (1889-1968) and Margaret Ann Young (nee Davidson) in Kuala Lumpur, Federated Malay States.

His father was born in Penang, Malaya in 1889. In 1917 he travelled to England and joined the RFC.

He trained on DH6, BE2E and Martinsyde aircraft and at Old Sarum in April 1918 he survived a serious crash in a DH9.

In July 1919 he relinquished his commission and, now married, returned to Malaya to start a rubber plantation.

In 1942 he was recalled to the RAF at the age of 52 as an officer in charge of native labourers repairing bombed airfields, this due to his fluency in six local languages.

In February 1942 his wife and other civilians were evacuated to Australia.

After the fall of Singapore he left in a ship that was later bombed and sank, he swam to one of the Sumatran islands but was captured.

Young spent the next 3 years of the war in a prison camp called Falembang in Sumatra. He was transferred to Changi in June 1945 and was a patient in the hospital when the camp was liberated.

Above: his PoW card.

Above material courtesy of Ronnie Taylor – FEPOW Family.

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Cecil grew up at his parents Karak Estate, Bentong, Pahang with his younger brother, Robert A Young.

At thirteen he left Malaya to attend Felsted School in Essex, England where he was an outstanding athlete. After finishing school he joined the RAF on a short service commission and began his initial training at 19 E&RFTS Gatwick on 30th May 1939.

On 8th August 1939 he went on to 11 FTS Shawbury for No.13 Course and was awarded his wings on 25th October 1939. His examiner reported:

Grounded subject to below average, lazy and comparatively low intelligence. An average pilot but lacks concentration. Shows poor sense of responsibility.

This was a typically harsh pre-war assessment, Young had achieved 70.1%.

He arrived at 11 Group Pool, St. Athan on 1st February 1940. He and other pilots were posted away on the 3rd, to make room for twelve Finnish pilots, due to arrive for Hurricane training.

Young went to 601 Squadron, where he may have flown Blenheims as 601 did not convert to Hurricanes until late February.

On 14th May a draft was assembled to reinforce the squadrons in France, Young went to 615 Squadron at Merville with P/O VBS Verity, P/O JEM Collins and P/O M Ravenhill from 229 Squadron and F/O L Ereminsky from 151 Squadron.

He did not fly operationally and on 20th May orders were received to evacuate Norrent-Fontès and withdraw all flyable aircraft to Kenley.

On 30th June 1940 he probably destroyed a Me109 in the Merville area. He destroyed a He111 and damaged another on 16th August, destroyed a Do17 on the 18th and shared in destroying a Do17 on the 20th.

He had become engaged to a WAAF Officer, Beryl Pockett, sometime in June.

Young moved to 607 Squadron at Tangmere on 13th September and on 1st October he damaged a Me110. He joined 46 Squadron at Stapleford Tawney on 18th October and damaged a Cant Z1007 in the Dover area on 1st November.

His combat report starts with him flying at 22000 feet:

I spotted five aircraft going SE about 8000ft below. I called up the leader and reported but they were too far off. One minute later I noticed three more going South-East, reported to the leader but got no reply so broke away in chase. I caught up with enemy aircraft about 20 miles out to sea flying in very wide formation. I attacked the port machine sighting on the port engine which was put out of action. But this enemy aircraft managed to proceed with aid of the other two. I received cross fire from the other two aircraft which was very inaccurate. No return fire from the machine attacked.

On 5th December 1940 a 46 Squadron patrol over the Maidstone Line was bounced by a solo Me109 which dived out of the cloud and shot down Young in Hurricane V7617. It came down Nash Farm in Boughton, Kent. The German was probably Oblt. Kurt Ebersberger of 4./JG26, who was killed on 24th October 1943 in North Africa.

Young is buried in Minster (Thanet) Cemetery.

Above images courtesy of Mr & Mrs RA and JF Young.

Above image courtesy of Brad Evans.