Distinguished Conduct Medal: Lance Corporal William Ramsay Young, 27th Battalion, AIF

Distinguished Conduct Medal (Geo V). Impressed edge with recipient's details.

1794 William Ramsay (Ramsey) Young was born in Scotland on 13 July 1894. He worked as a butcher in Adelaide before enlisting in the AIF on 3 May 1915. Posted to the 27th Battalion, Young was promoted to lance corporal shortly after the battalion arrived at Gallipoli in September 1915. After Gallipoli the battalion moved to France where he was promoted to corporal on 1 September 1916, then sergeant on 6 November.

On 1 January 1917, Young was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) for three separate actions as a stretcher bearer the previous year. The recommendation for the award reads:

‘On the night of 5/6th May 1916 two men were hit in NO MAN’S LAND, ARMENTIERES near enemy’s wire. Ptes Young and Schenscher went out a distance of 300 yards and brought both in under a considerable amount of Machine-gun fire.

On night of June 29/30th at MESSINES both these men were engaged all night carrying wounded from the trenches under considerable artillery fire. The stretcher they were carrying was broken by a shell but they procured another and continued to work. Their behaviour on this occasion was beyond praise.

On the night of 4/5th August 1916 during the attack on POZIERES RIDGE both these men behaved with conspicuous bravery as stretcher bearers, and worked incessantly for 18 hours.’

In November 1916, the 7th Brigade participated in an attack on the German lines north of Flers. The 27th Battalion was on the right of the Australian advance, tasked with capturing and holding the heavily defended Bayonet Trench. Rain, deep mud, and bombardments made movement difficult. Trenches that were not obliterated were filled with water. Some of the men, already exhausted from the effort of moving to the jump-off trenches, were bogged and had to be dug out before they could attack.

The attack failed, and hundreds of dead and wounded lay in No Man’s Land. Stretcher-bearers fought through mud and enemy fire to reach the casualties, and many became casualties themselves. A number of wounded died in the open while awaiting collection. Urgent messages were received at brigade headquarters for bearers, stretchers and blankets. The 27th Battalion commander, Lieutenant-Colonel James Slane sent: 'Can you send me some fresh stretcher bearers forward – many of mine have been killed or wounded and there are numerous wounded men awaiting collection and removal. I only have eight stretchers.'

In the brigade’s attack and subsequent withdrawal, the 27th Battalion suffered almost 300 casualties, killed, wounded or missing. For 40 hours, in freezing conditions and under heavy fire, Young worked to bring in the wounded. For his actions, he was recommended for another DCM, but was awarded the Military Medal.

On 12 July 1917 Young was posted to England for duty with training battalions, returning to his unit in France on 9 January 1918. On 10 June 1918, 7th Brigade launched an attack to improve their position between Sailly-Laurette and Morlancourt. The 27th Battalion, on the right of the attack, met little resistance early, but was subjected to heavy opposition as they approached the final objective. During the latter stage, Young accounted for an enemy machine gun post single handed before being wounded. For his actions he was awarded a bar to his Military Medal. He received the ribbon for the award on the banks of the Somme near Lamotte-Brebière on 13 July.

Young was promoted to temporary company sergeant major (warrant officer class II) later that month. The rank was made substantive on 2 September. He was in England in a training role when the war ended. He returned to Australia on 15 April 1919.

During the Second World War he served with training and garrison battalions before being discharged medically unfit on 13 October 1942. Survived by his wife Caroline and two children, Young died on 9 January 1965 at the Adelaide Repatriation Hospital.