THE VICTORIA CROSS AWARDED TO CAPTAIN DAVID YOUNGER VC, 1ST BN, GORDON HIGHLANDERS, HAS BEEN ACQUIRED BY THE LORD ASHCROFT VC COLLECTION.
2023


( select to enlarge )
Medal entitlement of Captain David Younger,
1st Bn, Gordon Highlanders

  • Victoria Cross
  • India Medal ( 1895-1902 )
    • 3 clasps:
    • "Relief of Chitral 1895"
    • "Punjab Frontier 1897-98" - "Tirah 1897-98"
  • Queen's South Africa Medal ( 1899-1902 )
    • 4 clasps:
    • "Cape Colony" - "Paardeberg"
    • "Driefontein" - "Johannesburg"

    Image courtesy of the Lord Ashcroft Collection, IWM


The Victoria Cross and accompanying campaign medals awarded to Captain David Younger, 1st Bn, Gordon Highlanders, have been acquired by the Lord Ashcroft VC Collection.


( London Gazette, 28 September 1900 )

Recommendation: Captain David Reginald Younger. The Gordon Highlanders, in recognition of the conspicuous bravery displayed by him on the same occasion ( 11th July 1900 ), would have been recommended to Her Majesty for the Victoria Cross had he survived.
At this time no posthumous awards of the Victoria Cross could be made until overturned by King Edward VII in 1902.


For the award of the Victoria Cross

[ London Gazette, 8 August 1902 ], Near Krugersdorp, 2nd Boer War, South Africa, 11 July 1900, Captain David Reginald Younger, 1st Bn, Gordon Highlanders.

This Officer, during the action near Krugersdorp, on the 11th July 1900, volunteered for and took out the party which successfully dragged a Royal Artillery waggon under cover of a small kopje, though exposed to a very heavy and accurate fire at only 850 yards range. He also accompanied the second party of volunteers who went out to try and bring in one of the guns. During the attempt he was mortally wounded, dying shortly afterwards.

His cool and gallant conduct was the admiration of all who witnessed it, and, had Captain Younger lived, the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief in South Africa, would have recommended him for the high award of the Victoria Cross, at the same time as Captain William Egleson Gordon, of the same Regiment.


David Younger died following his VC action and was bured in the Kurgersdorp Cemetery, Transvaal, South Africa.

Acquisitions

Go to VC UK flag Home Page

Iain Stewart, 11 August 2023