Captain, London Regiment
Born: June 3rd 1890
Died: May 21st 1916
Age at Death: 25
Killed in action, France, May 21st 1916
Articles to Messrs Turquand, Youngs & Co., Chartered Accountants.
20th Battalion The London Regt.
Invalided home suffering from shell shock, July 1915. Returned to the front April 1916, killed in action the following month.
Brother to Alan Emilius Young (Ju./Sc. 1905-1913). Son of Emilius Alexander Young (BC 1872-1878), agent to Lord Penryn. Died 22nd Sept, 1910. Son of A. Young Esq of 3 Aberdeen Terrace, Blackheath, London.
A donation to the memorial statue has been made in honour of this soldier by S J Cockburn (Le/Sc. 1953-58), P F Cockburn (Sc. 1959-64), Miranda Grainger nee Cockburn (Fe. 1983-58), Izzy Grainger (Fe. 2007-12) and Peony Grainger (He/Fe. 2009-14).
A further to the memorial statue has been made in honour of this solider by the Tiplady Family.
Obituary, Brightonian XV July, 1916
Young entered the College in September, 1905. He was made a Prefect in September, 1907, and was Head of the School House in September, 1908. He was always a keen solider and first-class shot. He was a Colour-Sergeant in the O.T.C., and represented the College in the Ashburton Teams of 1906-07-03 at Bisley. In April, 1913, he married Amy Petrie, sister of J.A. Petrie, O.B. A senior officer writes of him:- "He never spared himself in any way; he always thought of his men and their comfort before thinking of himself; he was an excellent officer." Another senior officer in describing the action in which he was killed, says: - "Leslie was in the front trench at the time the Bosches attacked it...and those of us who were there know what he did. His Company went up into the trenches on Saturday night over 60 strong. I brought out 16 in the early morning the following day."
Brightonian XV December, 1916
BIRTHS
YOUNG - On September 25th at Horsell Dene, Horsell Rise, Woking to Amy (nee Petrie), wife of the late Captain Leslie A. Young, London Regiment, killed in action May 21st, 1916, a son (stillborn).
Captain Leslie Alexander Young
Leslie Alexander young was born in Bangor, North Wales on 3rd June 1891. He was the eldest son of Emilius [who was an agent,] and his wife Eliza. Initially Young and his brothers were educated in Cheshire but in the 1900s the family moved from Wales to Kidbrook, North London and it is from there that Young and his younger brother Alan, who was also killed in the war, were sent to the College. After leaving school Young became an article clerk in an accountancy practice and lived in Blackheath, London. In April, 1913, he married Amy Petrie, sister of J.A. Petrie, an Old Brightonian.
On the outbreak of war Young was initially enlisted with the 20th (Blackheath and Woolwich) battalion, London Regiment, a locally based territorial unit. However this unit then divided in two with one battalion intended to go overseas and the other to remain in London. Young therefore put himself forward for officer training and received his commission in the 1/20th(overseas service) Battalion, London Regiment. Following heavy fighting at Festubert and Loos in 1915 Young was promoted to Captain. In May 1916 the battalion was heavily involved in fighting in the Vimy Ridge area. Young was killed while defending this area against a major German attack on 21st May 1916. He is buried in the Cabaret Rouge Cemetery in Souchez, France. On September 25th 1916 his wife Amy bore him a son (stillborn).
Source: LEST WE FORGET PROJECT, Brighton College 2014/15
To mark Remembrance in 2023, a Brighton College family visited Cabaret Rouge Cemetery, and placed flowers on Leslie’s grave.