Lieutenant-Colonel J.D.S. Young
10th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry

Captain Young remained with the Battalion to the end of the fighting and celebrated his twentieth birthday on 27th December 1918 after 4½ years in the front line! He enlisted at the commencement of the War when fifteen years of age, but as he stood 6 feet 4 inches he doubtless had little trouble in hoodwinking the doctors as to his real age.

(Herbert G. Sotheby, The 10th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 1914-1919 [1931], 104)

Born in 1899 in Troon, Ayrshire, John Douglas Starforth Young was a highly decorated First World War veteran. Although still underage, he had enlisted in August 1914 and was commissioned with the 10th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. While only a lieutenant, in 1918, he earned the Military Cross and the Distinguished Service Order, rare honours for a junior officer.

For conspicuous gallantry and fine leadership on 10 Sept. 1918, near Attilly. Having assembled his company under peculiarly adverse circumstances, he launched an attack at dawn and captured an important and commanding position, which he held throughout the day in spite of danger to his flanks, which were exposed by the failure of supporting troops to reach their objective. He withstood several attacks and finally rout the enemy by a successful counter-attack, and when relived at dawn the next day he handed over the line intact. Throughout the operations he displayed exceptional dash in attack and skill in handling his troops in the defence of an important position.

(D.S.O. citation, 1918)

In the interwar years, Young joined the Highland Light Infantry. He became commanding officer of the 10th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry in October 1943. The unit went into action in Normandy in June 1944 as part of the 15th Scottish Division. He was wounded in late June but remained in command until he was relieved in July and replaced by Major D. Russell Morgan.

Young died in London on 14 December 1961.