Sergeant Robert Gilmour Young (580690) served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. He was the eldest son of Hugh E. Young and Norah K. Young of 24 Strand Road, Derry/Londonderry.
Before the outbreak of the Second World War, he attended Foyle College, Derry/Londonderry and completed preliminary training in the Royal Air Force. A brother, William “Billy” Young, also served in the R.A.F. Robert’s father Hugh E. Young was a well-known Pharmaceutical Chemist in Co. Londonderry. The family attended Strand Presbyterian Church.
Robert died on 17th October 1940 aged 21 years old. Serving in R.A.F. 144 Squadron, he was on Handley Page Hampden X2973 on an operational flight over Merseburg, Germany. Distress calls came from the plane before it disappeared. Records suggest the crash site was over the sea 20 miles north of Terschelling in the Frisian Islands.
Remembering the crew of Hampden X2973
| Last Name | First Name(s) | Rank | Role | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown | John Herbert | Sergeant | R.A.F. 742961. Killed. | |
| Ferguson | John Adam | Sergeant | R.A.F. 645352. Missing Presumed Killed. | |
| Rands | Edward Anthony Gaston | Sergeant | R.A.F. 748785. Missing Presumed Killed. | |
| Young | Robert Gilmour | Sergeant | R.A.F. 580690. Missing Presumed Killed. |
Robert Gilmour Young has no known grave. His name is on Panel 21 of the Runnymede Memorial, Surrey, England. In the years following Young’s death, his parents made donations in his memory to hospitals in the north-west of Northern Ireland.