YOUNG, Colonel Frederick de Bude, CMG MiD

Colonel Frederick de Bude Young CMG, MiD

Indian Army,

Anzac Advanced Base (Commandant).

By Robert Simpson

Frederick de Bude Young was born in the North-Western Provence of India at Nynee Tal on 31^st March 1865. He was a son to Henry Elliot Young and Eliza Jane de Bude, who had been married on 17^th August 1848 at Allahabad, West Bengal in India. Henry had been born at the English Church in Funchal, Maderia in Portugal on 22^nd August 1821, a son to Harry Young (a merchant) and Mary Ann Rickitts. He had private education in Maderia and when old enough, he was nominated and recommended for East India Company’s Bengal infantry in 1838. Henry passed the Military Committee in London on 13^th February 1839 and was appointed Ensign on 9^th March of the same year and posted to Calcutta. Eliza had been born on 26^th June 1828 in the North-Western Provence of India. During the campaign of 1842, he was with the 64^th Native Infantry. He was honourably mentioned in detachment orders when commanding the rear-guard in the retreat from Fort Ally Musjid in the Khyber Pass, Cabul on 24^th January 1842. After evacuating the Fort, the enemy entered it at the same time. Henry went back under very severe fire from the Fort and saved the life of Ensign R M Nott of the same regiment, who was lying in a deserted doolee, prostrate from sickness. He also rallied a party of 20 Sepoys and Havildar and commanded them to save the lives of a Native Officer and several Sepoys who were in full view of attacking Afghans. On 5^th April 1842, he took part in the forcing of the Khyber Pass in the drive to relieve the garrison under siege at Jellalabad. The attacking infantry had to scale the steep and rocky hills while facing considerable opposition and finally reached the top and drove the Afghans from the Pass. After another action in April 1842, he was thanked in person by Major-General Sir J McCaskill and Brigadier Wild for his initiative and daring in delivering a despatch of great importance. Three of the Five Sepoys who had accompanied him in running through the gauntlet of Afghans at the top of Lundekhanna Pass in the Khyber had been killed. Henry was awarded the Cabul 1842 medal, which was engraved “Harry Elliot Young Lt 64^th N.I. 5^th April”. In 1857 at Peshawar, his unit was disbanded. He was then Commandant of the Gujranwaia Levy from 1859 to 1859 to 1860 and was attached to the British 104^th Foot in October 1862. Frederick had an older brother, Henry George Young (born 11^th April 1851 in Agra, Bengal) and an older sister, Emily Morton (born 16 January 1861 at Nynee Tal). Henry was promoted to Major on 16^th July 1864. Frederick was baptised on 13^th May 1865 at his birthplace, with the record showing his father as Lieutenant-Colonel, late 64^th N. I. On 9^th March 1865, Henry was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the 64^th Native Infantry Regiment of the Bengal Army, as recorded in the London Gazette of 3^rd October 1865. He retired in 1866. Henry died at Sharjehanpore on 22^nd February 1869. After his father’s death, Frederick was sent to school in England and boarded at Garth Gamon with other scholars while attending Cheltenham College in Gloucestershire as indicated in the 1881 Census. From the Cheltenham College register, he entered the college in September 1878 and was with the Rifle Corps VIII from 1879 to 1881, Royal Military Academy at Woolwich from 1882 to 1884 and was a Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery from 1888.

On 9^th December 1884, Frederick was first commissioned from the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, from Gentleman Cadet to Lieutenant. He was posted to the Depot, Welsh Division, Royal Garrison Artillery at Newport, Monmouthshire. He then returned to India in 1885, where he served with No. 5 Battery RGA at Allahabad and no. 3 Battery, Rawal Pindi in 1887.

He was on the roll for the 1854 India medal with clasp Hazara 1888 while he was in No. 6 Mountain Battery (late 3^rd Battery 1^st Brigade Southern Irish Division Royal Artillery) as a Lieutenant. “The applicants were serving in the Bengal presidency at the time the decoration was earned.” according to the medal roll. He had been promoted to Lieutenant on 9^th December 1888. He was seconded for service with the Indian Army in September 1890, to date from 7^th February 1889, and was transferred to the Bengal Staff Corps. He served with the 6^th Prince of Wales Bengal Cavalry. The London Gazette of 16^th September 1890 stated that his rank of Lieutenant in the Bengal Staff Corps was to be from 9^th December 1884.

Frederick married Alice Maude Mary Pirie on 17^th September 1893 at St Andrews Church Aberdeen. He was recorded as a bachelor and a Lieutenant in 6^th (Prince of Wales) Bengal Cavalry, with his father recorded as Henry Elliot Young (deceased), who had been a Lieutenant Colonel in the 64^th Native Infantry and his wife was Eliza Jane nee de Bude. Banns for the marriage had been published on 27^th August, 3^rd September and 10^th September 1893 at Christ Church Harrogate in Yorkshire England. Frederick was of this parish and Alice of the Parish of Peterculter Aberdeenshire. Alice had been born in Torquay, Devon in the last quarter of 1864 to Alexander Pirie (1812-1875), a Scotsman and Charlotte Anne Lindsay (1824-1881) also of Scotland, who were married on 5^th June 1845 in Aberdeen. Charlotte’s father, Martin Lindsay CB, was a Colonel in the British Army who died in Sri Lanka in 1847. Alexander was a paper manufacturer in Aberdeen, where he had a large business. He was listed in U.K. Directories as a paper manufacturer and stationer and he died in Dresden. Frederick and Alice had three sons, Martin Courtland de Bude Young (1894-1915), Arthur Godfrey Lindsay Young (1900-1960) and Alexander Frederick Farquhar Young (1903-1989).

Frederick was promoted to Captain on 9th December 1895 and he also attended the Staff College at Camberley sometime around that time. In 1896, he passed Staff College in India. An entry in The Times of 18^th November 1896 stated that the “following officers are about to complete their course of study at the Staff College” and included Major F de B Young of Indian Staff Corps. After returning to India, Frederick took part in operations on the Samana and in the Kurram Valley during August and September of 1897. He also served as Section Commandant, Lines of Communications from 8^th October to 3^rd December 1897 during the Tirah Campaign of 1897-8 while with the 6^th Bengal Cavalry. He was Mentioned in Despatches for his efforts as part of the Kurram Moveable Column, and this was recorded in the London Gazette of 5^th April 1898. Frederick was involved in actions at Chagru Kotal and Dargai, and the capture of the Sampagha and Arhanga Passes.

The Evening Telegraph and Post of Thursday 2^nd July 1914 had the following article “South Aberdeen Recommended Unionist Candidate. The Political Committee of the Aberdeen Unionist Association have decided to recommend that Colonel Frederick de Bude Young of Cleish Castle, Fifeshire, be adopted as candidate for South Aberdeen in opposition to Mr. G. B. Esslemont, M.P., at the next election. Colonel Young was resent at a meeting of the Political Committee in Aberdeen last night, and addressed a large and representative gathering on current political topics. He created a very favourable impression, and the committee, having considered the matter in private, unanimously agreed to recommend to the Association, that he be adopted as candidate for the South Division of the city at next election. Colonel Young is a native of Fifeshire, having been born in 1865 at Cleish Castle on the banks of Loch Leven, a property which has long been in possession of the family. He commenced what has proved an interesting and distinguished military career by joining the Royal Artillery in 1884. Five years later he transferred to the Indian Army, in which his father, who also attained the rank of colonel, had served before him. For service in the Hazara Expedition he received the medal and clasp; and he was subsequently mentioned in the despatches and received the medal with three clasps in respect of services on the North-West Frontier in 1897-8, including the operations on the Samana and in the Kurran Valley, the Tirah Expedition, and the famous action at Dargai, where the Gordon Highlanders so greatly distinguished themselves. In the South African War, he was in command of the 4^th New Zealand Rifles, and went through the Orange River Colony and Transvaal engagements, being awarded the medal and four clasps. When a major in the 6^th Bengal Cavalry, he married at Aberdeen in 1893, Alice Maud Mary, daughter of the late Mr Alexander Pirie, third son of Mr Alexander Pirie of Waterton and Stoneywood, and sister of the late Mr. A. C. Pirie of Dunecht.” Originally, he first went to South Africa with some of his regiment in 1900 for special duty there. He had been appointed a Special Service Officer on the Staff of the Lines of Communication, graded as a Deputy-Assistant Adjutant-General on 10^th May 1900. In South Africa from 15^th May 1900 to 5^th February 1901, he served as a Special Services Officer and was appointed as Adjutant of the Cavalry and Artillery Depot at Maitland Camp and he only briefly commanded the NZ Regiment after that. Another record stated he “was appointed second in command and adjutant of the Fourth N.Z.R.R.” from 30^th August 1900. Frederick was involved with operations in the Transvaal, Orange River Colony and Cape Colony from 30^th November 1900 to 31^st May 1902 (although he left on 5^th February 1901). He then returned to India, where he was appointed a Deputy Assistant Adjutant General for Instruction in India from 1^st May 1901. Frederick became a Squadron Commander of the 6^th Bengal Cavalry (then known as 6^th King Edward’s Own Cavalry) from 1905, and was promoted to Major on 9^th December 1902 and then Lieutenant-Colonel on 9th December 1910 while he was with the 32nd Lancers and he was their 2^nd-in-Command from 1^st July 1909. In 1908, he was the officiating A.A.G. for the 7^th (Meerut) Division while the regular appointee was on leave.

Frederick was appointed Commandant of the 32^nd Lancers on 11^th October 1914. The 32^nd Lancers remained in India at the beginning of the war, but Frederick was given a special appointment (graded as GSO 2) from 12^th July to 5^th August 1914. He was appointed as Deputy Secretary of Military Finance to Lord Kitchener until the offensives in August 1915. From 6^th August 1915 January 1916, he was Commandant of the Anzac Advanced Base on the beach area of Anzac Cove and North Beach. He was then appointed to the General Staff as GSO 1^st Grade from 3^rd August 1916 to 22^nd November 1916. It would appear he kept this position and rank on staff for the rest of the war. He was Mentioned in Despatches published in the London Gazette 5^th September 1916. He was posted to England for home duties for the rest of the war where he became Chief Staff Officer of the 1^st Cyclist Division based in Norfolk and Suffolk.

He was appointed a Companion of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (CMG) as a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Indian Army as recorded in the London Gazette of 23^rd November 1916 “For services rendered in connection with Military Operations in the Field, to be dated the 3^rd June, 1916.”

The Medal Index Card for Frederick shows he was issued the 1914-15 Star by the Government of India with his rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Indian Army, and it was recorded in the medal roll India /1B on page 1. His British War and Victory Medals were issued by Indian Office Military Authority with is rank as Colonel CMG and recorded in roll 1/0/101B page 4. His wife applied for his medals on 26^th May 1921 with her address being Ripley House in Ripley Surrey. There was also a note of correspondence from “Comrades of Gt. War. Mitcham & Merton re presentation of medals by Col. F deB. Young C.M.G.” with an address of Old National Schools, Cricket Green, Mitcham also on the back of the card.

Frederick retired from the Indian Army on 13^th September 1919.

Alexander Frederick Farquhar Young was born on 20^th July 1903 at Portsmouth, Hampshire. He was educated at Cheltenham College. Alex was commissioned in the 5^th Battalion The Queens Royal Regiment in 1924 and in September 1939 was appointed to command the 2/5^th Battalion. They went to France in 1940 and after returning to England, trained the Battalion until July 1942, when he left for another appointment and was made an OBE. An Efficiency Decoration was also conferred on him in 1942. He was appointed as a senior General Staff Officer at the Combined Training Centre for the Normandy landings. After WW2, in the early 1950’s, he became a Director of Redland, a company that made roof tiles, aggregate for roads and bricks. His father had started the company after WW1. It became one of the largest construction companies in UK. He was a Chartered Accountant and never married. Alexander was described as shy, but dedicated to his work. The business also had shares in a German company doing similar things and in a partly owned Australian subsidiary. Frederick travelled to Australia until they sold their interests in 1956 for shares in the company. He wrote in their annual report of the transaction, “….the effect of this share exchange is greatly to diversify our interests in Australia instead of confining them to roofing tiles only, and also gives us a marketable investment in Australia which we can reduce or increase in the future, as the best interests of the company may determine. It will also obviate for some time to come the necessity for the frequent visits to Australia which I have had to make for the last eight years. Although these journeys have had to be made in a great hurry and are always tiring, I regard their cessation with mixed feelings as I have made many good friends in Australia, but control at a long distance could never be satisfactory”. He travelled on the Queen Elizabeth from Southampton to New York in September 1953 and was listed as a Director of Redland Tiles Ltd. In Redhill Surrey. The company continued to make acquisitions and partnerships into the late 1960’s. The London Gazette has the following listing “Lieutenant-Colonel A F F Young OBE TD (21740) having exceeded the age limit, ceases to belong to the T. A. Reserve of Officers on 20^th September 1958 and retained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.” He died in early 1989 in Surrey.

Martin Courtland de Bude Young was born at Naini Tal, St John, Bengal in India on 8^th September 1894. He was baptised in the same place on 24^th September 1894. By the 1901 Scotland Census, he was living at Coutnesswells House in Peterculter Aberdeenshire with his mother’s brother’s family, and he was a scholar. An entry from the University of Toronto shows he was educated at Heswall, Cheshire, Royal Naval College Osborne, Elizabeth College Guernsey, Trinity College School, Trinity College 1913-14 and O.T.C. Elizabeth College. Martin attended Elizabeth College on Gernsey, where his college number was 3199. He was enrolled there from 1908 until 1913.

The College record shows he was with the Private Sportsmen’s Battalion (It may mean he joined the Sportsman’s Battalion, Royal Fusiliers as a Private at the outbreak of war.). He then obtained his commission. As a 2^nd Lieutenant in the 7^th Service Battalion King’s Own Scottish Borderers, Martin entered France on 10^th July 1915 with his Battalion as part of the 15^th (Scottish) Division. The Battalion attacked the German trenches on the morning of 25^th September 1915 at 6.30am. He was wounded at Hill 60 (according to his college entry, but it was actually Hill 70, that was their objective as noted in the Battalion War Diary). Immediately “the advance started casualties were very heavy (especially among officers) from Shrapnel and Machine Gun fire”, as recorded in the war diary. A description of the attack said they “had a difficult start to the attack. The gas hung in their own trenches and for a moment the soldiers’ will to go over the top hung in the balance. 2^nd Lieutenant Martin Young cried out to his piper, Daniel Laidlaw to play the men forward.” Another record stated he said “Give the boys a skirl.” Climbing onto the parapet Laidlaw took off his own gas mask and struck up Blue Bonnets over the Border. “The skirl of the pipes rallied the men and all went forward following the piper. A shell wounded Laidlaw but he kept going until a second shell brought him down and killed Young.” (Another record said “shortly afterwards he was wounded. When the stretcher-bearers came to take him up he told them to take one of the Privates instead, and started to walk to the dressing station. The effort cost too much, and he died from loss of blood shortly after.”) “Daniel Laidlaw was awarded the Victoria Cross – he survived the war.” Martin died of his wounds on 26^th September 1915. He was one of four officers to die of their wounds from that day. Martin was buried at Noeux-les-Mines Communal Cemetery. He is buried in grave 1 A 29 with a Private E W Martin of the Bedfordshire Regiment. The headstone reads “His life for liberty, his soul to God.” There is no religious emblem on the headstone. The Army register of soldier’s effects showed that Frederick was issued over 60 pounds, which was money, allowances and war gratuity owed to Martin for his service. Frederick applied for his son’s medal, the 1914-15 Star on 28^th January 1919. His address was noted as Devonshire Club St James SW. His death was recorded in The Times of 30^th September 1915. Alice applied for the British War and Victory medals on 10^th March 1921. Her address was noted as Ripley Home Ripley Surrey. They were all sent on 20^th May 1921.

A painting of the action involving Martin Young and Daniel Laidlaw.

Arthur Godfrey Lindsay Young was born 12^th September 1900 in India and was baptised on 21^st September in Bengal. He enlisted in the Royal Air Force in 1918. After the war, he left for Teneriffe in the Canary Islands in December 1920, where he intended to permanently live. He was listed as a clerk. For most of the 1920’s he travelled between Teneriffe and England, where he stayed at his parent’s house. His occupation changed to fruit grower in 1922, and then estate manager from 1923. He travelled first class. The only other record for him is in 1953, where he left England with his family to go to Barbados (obviously for a holiday as his permanent home was in Scotland). His address was Cleish Castle Kinross Scotland. (The Young family bought the castle in 1795, but was derelict before 1840. Around 1870 it was restored with an Edinburgh architect contracted to reconstruct it. Apparently, the castle is for sale, with offers over 1.5 million pounds.) Arthur’s occupation was listed as landowner. He died on 11^th February 1960 in London, but his address at the time was St. Martin, Island of Guernsey.

Cleish Castle

Frederick was proposed to join the Astolet Lodge No. 2658 and joined on 6^th May 1919. He resigned in August 1920. This information is recorded in the register of members of Old Cheltonian Lodge No. 3223. He was a co-opted member of the Surrey territorial Force Association, and in 1917 he was a founder of the Comrades of the Great War Association, which was one of the original four ex-service associations that amalgamated in 1921 to form The British Legion.

The London Gazette of 19^th February 1920 had the entry that the promotion of Officers in the Indian Army to the rank of Colonel as notified in previous Gazettes was antedated as follows – Colonel F. de B. Young, C.M.G., to 9^th October 1915. The Gazette of 5^th October 1920 had the following entry “The KING has approved the retirement of the following officers: – Col. F. de B. Young, C.M.G. 13^th Sept. 1919.” Another entry in the Gazette of 4^th June 1920 recorded that he “retires on ret. pay on account of ill-health caused by wounds. 27^th ASpr. 1920.”

Frederick passed away on 1^st November 1920 in the registration district of Godstone in Surrey England. At the time he was living in Ripley House in Ripley. He was buried on 4^th November in the burial ground at Saint Mary the Virgin Church of England, Ripley in the County of Surrey. A monument was erected at the church, which includes other family members. The gravestone reads “Col Fred de Bude Young CMG 32^nd Lancers. Younger son of Col H E Young of Cleish. Died 1^st Nov 1920 aged 55. Solider rest thy warfare o’er. Dream of fighting fields no more. Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking morn of toil nor night of waking.” Probate for Frederick de Bude Young “of The Devonshire Club St. James street Middlesex died 1 November 1920 at King’s College Hospital Surrey Probate London 20 December to Alice Maude Mary Young widow.” The effects were over 5800 pounds. The Times of 4^th November 1920 had an entry for a Memorial Service for Frederick in the Deaths list “A memorial service for the late Colonel F de B. Young, C.M.G., chief builder-up and County Commander of the Surrey Division of the Comrades of the Great War, will be held at St. John’s Church, Wilton-road (near Victoria Station), next Saturday, at 12.30. All comrades and other friends will be welcome.”

The monument at the church also has the following details: – Also his wife Alice Maud Mary de Bude Young youngest daughter of Alexander Pirie Esq. of Stoneywood Aberdeenshire died 16^th January 1935 aged 70 years. Sacred to the memory of Martin C Bude Young Sec Lt 7^th K. O. Scottish Bors. Eldest son of Colonel F. deB. Young C.M.G. and Alice M. M. Pirie He was wounded at the taking of Hill 70 battle of Loos on Sept 25 1915 and died next day. He was buried on Sept 27^th 1915 in the British Cemetery at Noeux Les-Mines, France. Aged 21. Ducle et Decorum est pro Patria mori. Arthur Godfrey Lindsay Young 1900-1960. Alexander Frederick Farquhar Young 1903-1989.

His service records are held at National Archives UK in 59 – British Library: Asian and African Studies (previously Oriental and India Office Library) – IOR/L/MIL/10/102 f.16 – Young, Frederick De Budé Bengal Staff Corps, but is not online.

Frederick’s recreational activities included membership in the Cavalry Club of Devonshire, big game shooting, polo, golf, tennis and fishing. He was listed in Who Was Who of 1916 to 1928, but they note he only had two sons, obviously missing Martin who was killed in 1915.

His sword was for sale in 2011 for 850 pounds with the following description: – British Victorian Royal Artillery Sword 1882 pattern made by Henry Wilkinson of London, proved on 19^th November 1884 and embossed on 29^th November 1884. An 88cm slightly curved single edged blade with spear point. The blade is etched with the Victorian Royal cypher VR between two thistles above the Royal Artillery motto “Ubique” and Prince of Wales feathers. On the reverse is a device comprising winged thunderbolts with the inscription Royal Artillery, and the family crest of the Young’s which is an upraised arm holding an arrow and their motto “Press Through”.

Frederick’s medals are CMG; Indian General Service Medal 1854 with clasp Hazara 1888; Indian Service Medal 1895 with the clasps Punjab Frontier 1897-8 Samana 1897 and Tirah 1897-8; Queen South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Transvaal, Orange Free State, and South Africa 1901; 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal with oak leaf. (It appears he was issued 2 IGS medals with Hazara clasp).

 

His portrait by C E Butler is held at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst.

Photo of the portrait with thanks to RMA Sandhurst.

ANZAC Biographies

On our website you will find the biographical details of ANZAC (as well as British) servicemen & women whose medals or other memorabilia form part of the collection on display at the Maryborough Military & Colonial Museum, Maryborough, Queensland, Australia.