Son of Thomas and Lily Young, of 30 Ewesley Road, Sunderland.
Linda Gowans has submitted the following:-
Thomas Wilfrid (not Wilfred as the records have it) was born in Sunderland in 1898, the son of Thomas Young and Lily (née Reynard) who married at Lily’s native Ripon in 1891.
In the 1901 census the family is at 2 South Boldon Road, East Boldon. Father Thomas, born Boldon, is Surveyor to the District Council. Children at home are Edith born Winlaton, Thomas W. born Sunderland, and John R. born Boldon.
In 1911 the family is at 10 Bridle Path, South Boldon and there have been two new births, George L. and Muriel, at Boldon. When Thomas was killed in 1917 the family were living at 30 Ewesley Road, Sunderland.
Little is known about Private Young’s service. A previous number 29935, East Riding of Yorkshire Yeomanry, is recorded, also service with 6th Yorkshire Light Infantry before the 2nd/4th, but no dates are given. He should not (according to the rules) have served overseas for more than a few months, as his 19th birthday would have been earlier in 1917.
The 2/4th landed at Le Havre on January 15th 1917, and engaged in various actions on the Western Front. We do not know when Thomas joined his Battalion, but on November 20th 1917 the Battle of Cambrai began, in which the 2/4th was involved. It seems to have been there, a week later, that he lost his life. The Cambrai Memorial commemorates more than 7,000 servicemen who died in the battle and have no known grave.
The Sunderland Echo 08/12/1917 reports:-
Mr T. Young Surveyor to Sunderland Rural District Council has received a letter stating that his eldest son Pte. T.W. Young KOYLI was killed in action on November 27th 1917. He was 19 years and before joining the Army was in the clerical department of the County of Durham Electrical Lighting Co. at the central offices at Newcastle.
Thomas Wilfrid Young is remembered at Newcastle upon Tyne on NUT081 and at Sunderland on S140.009, S140.010 and S140.048 part 4