Arthur William Young
Memorial: South Gloucestershire war dead not on a local memorial
Regiment: Royal Marines Light Infantry
Medals: British War Medal, Next of Kin Memorial Plaque 1914 - 1921, Victory Medal
Rank and number: Gunner 16509
Parents: James and Eliza Jane Young
Home address: Mill House, Charfield
Date of birth: 11/07/1900
Date of death: 01/12/1920
Buried/Commemorated at: Buried at Charfield Congregational Chapelyard
Age: 20
Further information:
Arthur was the son of a bone turner and was born in Chalford near Stroud. By 1911 the family had moved to Charfield. Arthur was the second youngest of 9 children with 5 sisters and 3 brothers.
Arthur died at sea from accidental drowning two years after the end of the war. He was sailing at night time with other naval personnel in a small boat (a pinnace) belonging to HMS Queen Elizabeth, when his vessel was run down by another boat, a steam drifter from the battleship Warspite. The second boat was returning in rough weather to Weymouth pier just before midnight carrying a large number of guests who had attended a farewell concert on board the Warspite. The sailors aboard the pinnace were thrown into the water and four of them including Arthur drowned. Arthur's body was not recovered from Portland Harbour until 7 months later.
One of Arthur's older brothers, Francis, died 3 years earlier during the war and is also named on Arthur's gravestone as well as on Charfield Memorial.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
This information has been provided by Sarah Hands, Volunteer Researcher for the South Gloucestershire War Memorials Web Site.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
https://www.cwgc.org/
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/