Private
Gordon Benjamin Young
Gordon Young was born on the 3rd of February 1919 to Mr Hedley Gordon Young and Mrs Mabel Frances Young (nee Spray) as the eldest of their 4 children. His three younger siblings were, Harold, Marjorie and Frank.
| Service Number: | Q28988 |
| Place of Enlistment: | Southport |
| Age of Enlistment: | 22 Years 1 Month |
| Date Of Enlistment: | 2nd April 1941 |
| Embarked: | Brisbane, 2nd of December 1942 |
| Transport Ship: | HMAT ‘K’ for 8 MD New Guinea |
| Medals: | 1939-45 Star, Pacific Star, War Medal, Australian Service Medal |
| Place of Death: | Killed in Action, Battle of Sanananda Road, Papua New Guinea, 7th of December 1942 |
| Resting Place: | Bomana War Ceremony, Port Moresby B5. C. 17, New Guinea |
| Unit: | 49th Australian Infantry Battalion |
Additional Information:
Gordon Young was born on the 3rd of February 1919 to Mr Hedley Gordon Young and Mrs Mabel Frances Young (nee Spray) as the eldest of their 4 children. His three younger siblings were, Harold, Marjorie and Frank. His father Hedley, was a veteran of the First World War who served in the 9th Australian Infantry Battalion at Gallipoli and Pozieres. He was Wounded in Action in both battles. It was after his second time Wounded in Action that Frank met Mabel in England before his return to Australia. Prior to his enlistment in the 49th Battalion, Australian Milita Force, Gordon lived in Coomera where he worked as a farm labourer.
The 49th was a militia battalion that was sent to Papua as there were no AIF troops available at the time. Initially used to garrison Port Moresby, the 49th Battalion saw extensive action against the Japanese in Papua, notably at Sanananda.
The Battle of Sanananda Road on the 7th of December 1942 was a costly and unsuccessful attack against well entrenched Japanese positions. In five hours, the battalion lost 14 officers and 215 men killed or wounded. This amounted to nearly 60 percent of the attacking force.
Anzac Day Service Bomana War Cemetery 2023 - Video Defence Australia Youtube
Medals & Awards
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The 1939–45 Star is a campaign medal awarded to Australians who had served between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945 for a minimum of 6 months, or two months for air crew personnel.
The Pacific Star was awarded for operational service in the Pacific Theatre of Operations between 8 December 1941 and 2 September 1945.
The War Medal 1939-45 was awarded for 28 days full time service in the armed forces over the duration of the Second Word War.
Civilians who worked with the armed services as well as those who served in military hospitals also received this medal.
The Australia Service Medal 1939-45 was instituted in 1949 to recognise the service of members of the Australian Armed Forces and the Australian Mercantile Marine during World War II.
49th Infantry Battalion unit patch
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