Biography

Background

Leslie Turner Young's name appears on the 1945 Service Electoral Register for Collingham.

Family background

Leslie Turner Young was born in 1910 in Collingham, the son of Albert Young and his wife, Lily (sometimes Lilly and sometimes Lillie) Young (nee Maude). Leslie's father was an Assessor and Collector of Taxes for HM Revenue. In 1911, the family, Albert, Lilly and Leslie, were living in Langwith Avenue Collingham along with Albert's brother in law, Percy Maude, a dental mechanic. Ten years later, when the 1921 census was taken, Albert, Lilly and Leslie were still in Collingham but now had been joined by Albert's mother Annie Young.

The Young family was deeply rooted in Collingham with Albert moving to the village sometime around 1891. Albert appears on numerous electoral rolls and by 1932 Leslie Turner Young also appears on the roll, living in Langwith Avenue. Until just before the war Leslie continues to be listed in the village electoral rolls. However in 1939, at the time of the National Registration, although his mother, Lilly, is listed living at Briardale, Langwith Avenue, Leslie is not on the roll. He had already started his military career.

Service record

Leslie Turner Young enlisted in the Royal Ordnance Corps in Leeds on the 23rd November 1938. He was 28 years old. When war came in 1939, Leslie was mobilised on the 2nd September at Hilsea Barracks. He was then posted to No. 1 Base Ordnance Workshop at Chilwell and No. 2 Ordnance Workshop Company. On the 21st October 1939, Leslie was posted to No. 14 Army Field Workshop. After a number of short postings to various training units, Leslie went to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force on the 16th February 1940. In April 1940, Leslie had a brief stay in No 5 General Hospital at Le Treport before posting to No. 2 Base Ordnance Workshop on the 15th June 1940, in the time period just after the Nazis had invaded the Low Countries and France. Orders were given to bring the BEF back from France and Leslie's unit (14 Army Field Workshop) returned, in some chaos, from France between the 16th and 27th June 1940.

From the 27th June 1940 until the 19th May 1941, 14 Army Field Workshop were based in the UK, but the unit went to the Middle East theatre on the 20th May 1941. In March 1942 Leslie joined 150 Brigade Group Ordnance Company and on the 11th May 1942, his role was attached to the 2nd Battalion Cheshire Regiment, a motorised machine gun unit with the British Forces in the Middle East and North Africa. At that time the 2nd Battalion Cheshire Regiment were serving in Libya (Battle of Gazala 25th May-21st June) and Egypt (Mersa Matruh (26th June - 30th June); Defence of El Alamein (1st July - 27th July) and Battle of Alamein (23rd Oct - 4th Nov)).

Leslie Young's unit and role must have subtly changed around October 1942, and his parent unit changed from being a unit of the Royal Ordnance Corps to being a member of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) on the 1st October 1942, but he remained attached to the 2nd Battalion Cheshire Regiment. His postings also changed from being part of Middle East Forces to part of the British North Africa Force (BNAF). This marked the Allied advance along the North African coast in March and April 1943 ( Battles at Mareth, Akarit and Enfidaville). In May 1943, the Axis troops were expelled from North Africa and 2nd Cheshire Regiment were pulled back to Egypt, prior to embarkation to take part in the invasion of Sicily in July 1943.

Leslie continued with the REME attached to the 2/Cheshires until 6th November 1943 when he and his unit returned to the UK. At home they started preparing to take part in the Allied landings in France on D-Day, becoming part of 231 Infantry Brigade Workshop, again supporting 2 Battalion Cheshire Regiment, and then (on 9th March 1944) 7th Armoured Division. On the 11th June 1944, a week after D-Day they embarked for the D-Day beaches as a part of 21st Army Group. They remained with that group throughout the drive through France and the Low Countries. Leslie Young eventually returning to the UK after the war had ended on 12th October 1945.

Leslie Young was demobilised on the 14th October 1945.

After the war

After the war, Leslie returned to Collingham and to Langwith Avenue. In 1946 he married Enid Stella Fawcett. Sometime between 1946 and 1950, Leslie and Enid moved within Collingham to live at 56, Brookside, and it was at 56 Brookside that Leslie Turner Young died on the 20th November 1974.

Biography last updated 23 January 2025 16:33:43.