Brigadier Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...

Peter Young, (28 July 1915 – 13 September 1988) was a

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

officer who, during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, served with distinction with the

British Commandos The Commandos, also known as the British Commandos, were formed during the World War II, Second World War in June 1940, following a request from Winston Churchill, for special forces that could carry out Raid (military), raids against German-occ ...

. Subsequently, he commanded a regiment of the

Arab Legion The Arab Legion () was the police force, then regular army, of the Emirate of Transjordan, a British protectorate, in the early part of the 20th century, and then of the Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, an independent state, with a final Ar ...

, then returned to England in staff appointments. In 1959 he retired from the army as a brigadier and became head of Military History at the

Royal Military Academy Sandhurst The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS or RMA Sandhurst), commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is one of several military academy, military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army's initial Commissioned officer, officer train ...

. In 1968, following the publication of Young’s ''Edgehill 1642'', he founded The Sealed Knot, a Civil War

historical re-enactment Historical reenactment (or re-enactment) is an educational or entertainment activity in which mainly amateur hobbyists and history enthusiasts dress in historical uniforms and follow a plan to recreate aspects of a historical event or period. This ...

society. He also went on to become a well-known military historian and author.

Early life

Born in London to Dallas Hales Wilkie Young and his wife, Irene Barbara Lushington Mellor, Young attended

Monmouth School Monmouth School was a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (Independent school (United Kingdom), independent boarding school, boarding and day school, day school) for boys in Monmouth, Wales. The school was founded in 1614 with a beques ...

and subsequently read for a degree in Modern History at

Trinity College, Oxford Trinity College (full name: The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope (Knight)) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in E ...

. Having joined the Territorial Army (TA) while at Oxford, Young was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1938 but this was converted (and backdated to 1937) to a permanent commission in the

Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment was the final title of a line infantry regiment of the British Army that was originally formed in 1688. After centuries of service in many conflicts and wars, including both the First and Second World W ...

in January 1939.

Second World War

Assigned to the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment, Young went to France with the battalion in late 1939, shortly after the outbreak of the

, as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). The battalion formed part of the 10th Infantry Brigade, commanded by

Evelyn Barker General (United Kingdom), General Sir Evelyn Hugh Barker, (22 May 1894 – 23 November 1983) was a British Army officer who saw service in both the First World War and the Second World War. During the latter, he commanded the 10th Infantry Br ...

, part of the 4th Infantry Division. Following the

Battle of France The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...

in May 1940, the battalion was evacuated from Dunkirk in late May, during which Young was wounded. After he recovered from his wounds Young volunteered to join the

Commandos A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as opp ...

and on being accepted joined 3 Commando in time to take part in the second commando operation of the war–

Operation Ambassador Operation Ambassador was an operation carried out by British Commandos on 14–15 July 1940 within the context of the Second World War. It was the second raid by the newly formed British Commandos and was focused upon the German-occupied Channel ...

–in July 1940. Promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

in August 1940, Young was to serve in the commandos for the rest of the war. Following Operation Ambassador and the subsequent operations,

Operation Claymore Operation Claymore was a British/Norwegian commando raid on the Lofoten Islands of northern Norway during the Second World War. The Lofoten Islands were an important centre for the production of fish oil and glycerine, used in the German war ec ...

and

Operation Archery Operation Archery, also known as the Måløy Raid, was a British Combined Operations raid during World War II against German positions on the island of Vågsøy, Norway, on 27 December 1941. British Commandos of No. 3 Commando, two troops o ...

, Young was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

(MC). Promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

, Young spent some time on the staff of

Combined Operations Headquarters Combined Operations Headquarters was a department of the British War Office set up during Second World War to harass the Germans on the European continent by means of raids carried out by use of combined naval and army forces. History The comm ...

before returning to 3 Commando as second in command with the temporary rank of

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

. In this role he took part in Operation Jubilee, the

Dieppe Raid Operation Jubilee or the Dieppe Raid (19 August 1942) was a disastrous Allied amphibious attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe in northern France, during the Second World War. Over 6,050 infantry, predominantly Canadian, supported by a ...

, in August 1942 for which he was awarded the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, awarded for operational gallantry for highly successful ...

(DSO). Still with 3 Commando, Young participated in Operation Husky, the

Allied invasion of Sicily The Allied invasion of Sicily, also known as the Battle of Sicily and Operation Husky, was a major campaign of World War II in which the Allies of World War II, Allied forces invaded the island of Sicily in July 1943 and took it from the Axis p ...

, where 3 Commando were one of the first units to land. For his part in this operation Young was awarded his first

bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar ** Chocolate bar * Protein bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...

to the MC. After Sicily, Young became

Officer Commanding The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually giv ...

3 Commando and led them during the

Allied invasion of Italy The Allied invasion of Italy was the Allies of World War II, Allied Amphibious warfare, amphibious landing on mainland Italy that took place from 3 September 1943, during the Italian campaign (World War II), Italian campaign of World War II. T ...

. Young and 3 Commando were withdrawn to England in October 1943 but the intervening period was enough for Young to be awarded a second bar to his MC. In June 1944 Young took part in the

Normandy landings The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and ...

, still with 3 Commando but following the Normandy campaign he was promoted to temporary lieutenant-colonel and posted to the Far East as

second-in-command Second-in-command (2i/c or 2IC) is a title denoting that the holder of the title is the second-highest authority within a certain organisation. Usage In the British Army or Royal Marines, the second-in-command is the deputy commander of a unit, f ...

of the 3rd Commando Brigade, a post he held until the end of the war although he did for a while become the officer commanding the brigade.

Post-war

Under the complicated British army system of substantive, acting, temporary, brevet and war substantive ranks, Young ended the Second World War as a substantive lieutenant but also with the war substantive rank of lieutenant-colonel and the acting rank of brigadier. It was not until August 1945 that he was promoted to the substantive rank of captain. After attending the Staff College at

Camberley Camberley is a town in north-west Surrey, England, around south-west of central London. It is in the Surrey Heath, Borough of Surrey Heath and is close to the county boundaries with Hampshire and Berkshire. Known originally as "Cambridge Tow ...

and a subsequent staff appointment at GHQ Middle East Land Forces, in 1953 Young returned to the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment as a company commander with the substantive rank of major. Peacetime duties, however, were not to his liking so he was seconded to the

as OC of its 9th Regiment, a post he held until 1956 and subsequently recognised by the award of the Jordanian Order of Al Istiqlal. Promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 1956 he returned to England in staff appointments before retiring from the army in 1959 with the honorary rank of brigadier.

Later life

Upon leaving the army, Young became Head of Military History at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst between 1959 and 1969 before he retired to concentrate on a writing career. His first two books, both autobiographies, ''Bedouin Command'' and ''Storm from the Sea'' had been published while he was still in the army but his lifelong interest in history and with the position at Sandhurst he began to write history books particularly on the

English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...

s and the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

. In 1968 he founded the Sealed Knot, a re-enactment society dedicated to the English Civil Wars. His writing career continued until his death and he also worked as a historical and military consultant on a number of TV series. He was elected as a

Fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...

Society of Antiquaries of London The Society of Antiquaries of London (SAL) is a learned society of historians and archaeologists in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1707, received its royal charter in 1751 and is a Charitable organization, registered charity. It is based ...

, the

Royal Historical Society The Royal Historical Society (RHS), founded in 1868, is a learned society of the United Kingdom which advances scholarly studies of history. Origins The society was founded and received its royal charter in 1868. Until 1872 it was known as the H ...

and the

Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...

. Young died at Twyning Manor, Twyning, near

Tewkesbury Tewkesbury ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the north of Gloucestershire, England. The town grew following the construction of Tewkesbury Abbey in the twelfth century and played a significant role in the Wars of the Roses. It stands at ...

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

, on 13 September 1988.

Personal life

Young was married in 1950 to Joan Duckworth (1916–1991; the daughter of Ellis Heys Sanderson Duckworth). The marriage was childless. The Sealed Knot Book of Remembrance
/ref>

Selected publications

* ''Bedouin Command'' (memoirs, 1959), with foreword by

John Bagot Glubb Lieutenant-General Sir John Bagot Glubb, KCB, CMG, DSO, OBE, MC, KStJ, KPM (16 April 1897 – 17 March 1986), known as Glubb Pasha (; and known as Abu Hunaik by the Jordanians), was a British military officer who led and trained Transj ...

* ''Storm from the Sea'' (memoirs, 1968) * '' Edgehill 1642: the Campaign and the Battle'' (1968) * ''

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially ...

'' (Batsford, 1962) "Makers of Britain" series * '' Marston Moor, 1644: The Campaign and the Battle'' (Roundwood Press, 1970) *'' Naseby 1645: the Campaign and the Battle'' (Cornerstone, 1985) *''Decisive Battles of the Second World War: an Anthology'' (ed.) (Arthur Barker, 1969) *''D-Day'' (Bison Books, 1981)

References

Bibliography

* * *

External links

Generals of World War II
{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, Peter 1915 births 1988 deaths Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Recipients of the Military Cross British Army brigadiers of World War II English military historians British Army Commandos officers Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment officers Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society Fellows of the Royal Historical Society Military personnel from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea People from Kensington People educated at Monmouth School for Boys Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford Academics of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst English male non-fiction writers

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley 20th-century English male writers