CREW MEMBER PROFILE |
||||||
Surname: |
YOUNG |
First Name/s: |
Albert Henry "Bert " |
 |
||
|
||||||
Service No/s: |
1424699 189427 |
Service: |
RAFVR |
Branch: |
Pilot |
|
|
||||||
Awards: |
DFC |
|||||
SERVICE RECORDS |
|||
Date |
Event |
Aircraft Flown |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
01 Mar 1941 |
Enlisted at No.1 Recruiting Centre, Penarth as AC2. Exact date tbc. |
||
|
01 Dec 1941 |
No.28 Elementary Flying Training School, Wolverhampton tbc. Date tbc. |
Tiger Moth |
|
|
01 Oct 1943 |
No.28 Operational Training Unit, Wymeswold. Young crew formed. Date tbc. |
Wellington |
|
|
01 Dec 1943 |
No.1656 Heavy Conversion Unit, Lindholme. Exact date tbc. |
Halifax / Lancaster tbc. |
|
|
26 Feb 1944 |
No.576 Squadron, 'B' Flight, Elsham Wolds. Date tbc. |
Lancaster |
|
|
01 May 1944 |
Commissioned as Warrant Officer. Exact date tbc. |
||
|
23 Nov 1944 |
Commissioned as Pilot Officer on probation (emergency) (London Gazette 06 Feb 45, page 746) |
||
|
01 Feb 1945 |
Blind Landing Experimental Unit, Woodbridge. Date and unit tbc. |
Lancaster |
|
|
07 Feb 1945 |
Set Rank from Flight Record |
||
|
10 Mar 1945 |
No.170 Squadron, Hemswell. Exact date tbc. |
Lancaster |
|
|
16 Mar 1945 |
Shot down on his first operation of his second tour on 170 Sqn in Lancaster ME307 TC-O over Nuremburg. The rear gunner was killed but the other crewmembers baled out, however five were captured and only Young successfully evaded. |
Lancaster |
|
|
24 Apr 1945 |
Managed to make contact with the Allied forces at 6 Army Group and returned to the UK. |
||
|
23 May 1945 |
Promoted to Flying Officer (war substantive) (London Gazette 22 Jun 45, page 3266) |
||
|
01 Jan 1946 |
Bombs Ballistic Unit (BBU), Martlesham Heath. Date tbc. |
Lincoln tbc |
|
|
01 Nov 1947 |
Flying Officer rank made substantive (seniority 23 Nov 45) (London Gazette 27 Jan 48, page 654) |
||
|
23 May 1948 |
Promoted to Flight Lieutenant (London Gazette 22 Jun 48, page3641) |
||
|
01 Jun 1948 |
Trials Section, Long Range Weapons Establishment, Woomera, SA, as a rocket trials controller. Date tbc. |
||
|
10 Sep 1949 |
Commission resigned retaining the rank of Flight Lieutenant (London Gazette 15 Nov 49, page 5416). |
||
576 Squadron FLYING RECORDS |
|||||||
Date |
Aircraft |
Code |
Flight Details |
T/O |
Land |
Flt Time |
Crew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
15 Mar 1944 |
LM439 |
UL-X2 |
STUTTGART |
1835 |
0245 |
8h10 |
P1 Flt Lt G.S. Morgan |
NOTES: |
Built-up Area. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 96x 30lb incendiaries, 750x 4lb incendiaries |
||||||
|
18 Mar 1944 |
LL830 |
UL-R2 |
FRANKFURT |
1910 |
0130 |
6h20 |
P1 Flt Sgt A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 108x 30lb incendiaries, 1062x 4lb incendiaries |
||||||
|
22 Mar 1944 |
ND385 |
UL-N2 |
FRANKFURT |
1910 |
0140 |
6h30 |
P1 Flt Sgt A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 108x 30lb incendiaries, 1062x 4lb incendiaries. |
||||||
|
24 Mar 1944 |
ND385 |
UL-N2 |
BERLIN |
1900 |
0305 |
8h05 |
P1 Flt Sgt A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 108x 30lb incendiaries, 924x 4lb incendiaries. Intercepted by an Me109 in the target area. The starboard mainplane and starboard inner engine were badly damaged. The port inner engine was also hit and the port mainwheel punctured. The aircraft was also hit by flak at some stage. The rear gunner, Sgt Parkins, opened fire but no claim was made. The aircraft made it back as far as Wittering where it suffered a crash landing and listed as Category B. None of the crew were injured. The combat report is reproduced below. |
||||||
|
26 Mar 1944 |
UL-U2 |
ESSEN |
nk |
nk |
0h00 |
P1 Flt Sgt A.H. Young |
|
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 108x 30lb incendiaries, 1170x 4lb incendiaries. Did not take off due to a burst tyre. Aircraft not known. |
||||||
|
30 Mar 1944 |
ND783 |
UL-C2 |
NUREMBURG |
2200 |
0600 |
8h00 |
P1 Flt Sgt A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 108x 30lb incendiaries, 1020x 4lb incendiaries. |
||||||
|
10 Apr 1944 |
ND362 |
UL-Q2 |
AULNOYE |
2330 |
0450 |
5h20 |
P1 Flt Sgt A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: Marshalling yards. Load: 12x 1000lb, 4x 500lb |
||||||
|
20 Apr 1944 |
ND362 |
UL-Q2 |
COLOGNE |
2345 |
0500 |
5h15 |
P1 Flt Sgt A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Built-up areas to the North and West of the city centre. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 108x 30lb incendiaries, 1062x 4lb incendiaries. |
||||||
|
22 Apr 1944 |
ND362 |
UL-Q2 |
DUSSELDORF |
nk |
nk |
0h00 |
P1 Flt Sgt A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area to the North of the city centre. Load: Load: 1x 4000lb ‘cookie’, 108x 30lb incendiaries, 1170x 4lb incendiaries. Did not take off. Aircraft swung on take-off and collided with ED767 UL-G2. No injuries to the crew. |
||||||
|
24 Apr 1944 |
LL796 |
UL-T2 |
KARLSRUHE |
2135 |
0355 |
6h20 |
P1 Flt Sgt A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. Load: Not established. |
||||||
|
26 Apr 1944 |
ME703 |
UL-N2 |
ESSEN |
2235 |
0345 |
5h10 |
P1 Flt Sgt A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. Load not yet determined. |
||||||
|
27 Apr 1944 |
ME703 |
UL-S2 |
FRIEDRICHSHAFEN |
2135 |
0605 |
8h30 |
P1 Flt Sgt A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: Marshalling yards. Load: To be determined Load: 1st Wave: 1x 1000lb, 1x 500lb bombs, 84x 30lb and 1050x 4lb incendiaries. 2nd Wave: 1x 4000lb ‘Cookie’, 30x 30lb and 600x 4lb incendiaries 3rd Wave: 1x 1000lb, 1x500lb bombs, 84x 30lb and 960x 4lb incendiaries. One (unidentified – possibly T2?) aircraft lost an engine in the target area due to flak – target still attacked. |
||||||
|
03 May 1944 |
ND362 |
UL-Q2 |
MAILLY LE CAMP |
2155 |
0345 |
5h50 |
P1 WO A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: Military depot and tank training centre. Load: 1x 4000lb ‘cookie’, 16x 500lb bombs. |
||||||
|
06 May 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-Q2 |
AUBIGNE-RACAN |
0015 |
0505 |
4h50 |
P1 WO A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: Ammunition Depot. Load: 11x 1000lb, 5x 500lb bombs |
||||||
|
07 May 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-Q2 |
RENNES |
2130 |
0230 |
5h00 |
P1 WO A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: St Jacques Luftwaffe airfield and ammunition dump. Load: 1x 4000lb ‘cookie’, 16x 500lb bombs. |
||||||
|
09 May 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-Q2 |
Training |
1415 |
1725 |
3h10 |
P1 WO A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
'Y' (H2S) cross-country navigation exercise and practice bombing. |
||||||
|
11 May 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-Q2 |
HASSELT |
2150 |
0150 |
4h00 |
P1 WO A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: Marshalling yards. Load: 11x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. The Master Bomber was unable to identify the target visually and instructed all aircraft to return to base with their bombs. |
||||||
|
22 May 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-Q2 |
Training |
1500 |
1830 |
3h30 |
P1 WO A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Fiskerton - Hunsdon - Woodbridge - Fiskerton. Purpose of flight nk. |
||||||
|
02 Jun 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-Q2 |
CALAIS |
2240 |
0150 |
3h10 |
P1 WO A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: Coastal railway battery. Load: 11x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. Most aircraft could not bomb due to cloud cover and brought their bombs back - it is not known what this crew did. |
||||||
|
03 Jun 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-Q2 |
WIMEREUX |
2300 |
0250 |
3h50 |
P1 WO A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Coastal gun battery. Load: 1x 4000lb ‘cookie’, 15x 500lb bombs. |
||||||
|
05 Jun 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-Q2 |
ST MARTIN DE VARREVILLE AND CRISBECQ |
2130 |
0130 |
4h00 |
P1 WO A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: Coastal gun batteries. Load: 18x 500lb bombs. This was the bombardment of the coastal defence guns on the eve of D-Day. It is not known which one of the two batteries was attacked by the Young crew. |
||||||
|
06 Jun 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-Q2 |
VIRE |
2145 |
0300 |
5h15 |
P1 WO A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: Two aiming points: a road/rail bridge, and the marshalling yards. It is not known which target was designated for the Young crew. |
||||||
|
10 Jun 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-Q2 |
FLERS |
0005 |
0520 |
5h15 |
P1 WO A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: Luftwaffe airfield. Load: 18x 500lb bombs |
||||||
|
12 Jun 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-Q2 |
GELSENKIRCHEN |
2235 |
0255 |
4h20 |
P1 WO A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: The Nordstern synthetic oil plant (Gelsenberg AG). Load: 1,4000lb ‘cookie’, 16x 500lb bombs. |
||||||
|
14 Jun 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-Q2 |
LE HAVRE |
2020 |
0020 |
4h00 |
P1 WO A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: Docks and E-boat pens. Load: 11x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. |
||||||
|
16 Jun 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-Q2 |
STERKRADE |
2255 |
0325 |
4h30 |
P1 WO A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: The Ruhr-Chemie AG synthetic oil plant at Holten. Load: 1x 4000lb ‘cookie’, 16x 500lb bombs. |
||||||
|
17 Jun 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-R2 |
AULNOYE |
2330 |
0450 |
5h20 |
P1 WO A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: Road/rail bridge near the marshalling yards at Aulnoye-Aymeries. Load: 18x 500lb bombs. The Master Bomber told crews to bomb the TI’s if visible through the low cloud, and if not, to go home. Most crews returned with bombload intact. It is not known if the Young crew dropped their bombs or not. |
||||||
|
22 Jun 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-Q2 |
MIMOYECQUES |
1350 |
1710 |
3h20 |
P1 WO A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: V3 cannon launch site. Load: 18x 500lb bombs |
||||||
|
23 Jun 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-Q2 |
SAINTES |
2140 |
0515 |
7h35 |
P1 WO A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: Marshalling yards. Load: 11x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs |
||||||
|
25 Jun 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-Q2 |
FLERS |
0125 |
0505 |
3h40 |
P1 WO A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: V1 'flying bomb' launch site. Load: 18x 500lb bombs. |
||||||
|
27 Jun 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-Q2 |
CHATEAU DE BERNAPRE |
0110 |
0500 |
3h50 |
P1 WO A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: V1 'flying bomb' launch site. Load: 18x 500lb bombs. |
||||||
|
29 Jun 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-Q2 |
DOMLEGER |
1120 |
1425 |
3h05 |
P1 WO A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: V1 'flying bomb' storage and supply depot. Load: 11x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. |
||||||
|
30 Jun 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-Q2 |
OISEMONT / NEUVILLE AU BOIS |
0530 |
0930 |
4h00 |
P1 WO A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
V1 'flying bomb' launch site. Load: 11x 1,000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. |
||||||
|
02 Jul 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-Q2 |
DOMLEGER |
1150 |
1535 |
3h45 |
P1 WO A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: V1 'flying bomb' storage and supply depot. Load: 7x 1,000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. |
||||||
|
07 Feb 1945 |
PD232 |
UL-O2 |
KLEVE |
1910 |
0015 |
5h05 |
P1 Fg Off A.H. Young |
NOTES: |
Target: Enemy strongpoints. Flown in support of the 1st Canadian Army and the 15th Scottish Division attacking the town. Load: 1x 4000lb ‘cookie’, 16 x 500lb bombs. |
||||||
PERSONAL INFORMATION |
|
Details |
|
|
Albert Henry Young was born on 31 October 1918 in Sevenoaks, Kent. His first marriage resulted in two daughters, and he had 5 children by his second. He acquired the nickname of 'Crasher' and/or 'Pranger' having allegedly crashed seven aircraft, and became a member of the Caterpillar Club. This has to be confirmed. His DFC was Gazetted on 17 October 1944, page 4751 'in recognition of gallantry and devotion to duty in the execution of air operations' while serving with 576 Squadron. Following his retirement from the RAF, he continued to work in Australia where he had settled as a civilian trials controller at the Woomera rocket range and testing facility. Bert passed away in 18 April 1973, in Perth, WA. |
|
PHOTOS & DOCUMENTS |
|
Details |
|
The young crew; L-R back: Perkins, Fox, Smith, Cookson. Front Pennington, Young, Ray |
|
Pencil Sketch entitled 'Warrant Officer Young - pilot. Captain Q2 S.576 (crew has done 30 trips)Imperial War Museum |
|
Young's civilian pilot certificate issued on 26 Feb 1945 |
|
