Thomas Henry Young (1876-1958)
Meadowfield man joins Royal Naval Air Service on his 41st birthday
Thomas Henry Young was born in Durham City on 05-Oct-1876, the son of Thomas Young, a carpenter and Mary his wife. He was one of a family of five made up of his parents and two sisters, Mary and Jane. In 1881 the Young family lived in Allergate, Durham. The family had moved to 16 Tenter Terrace, Framwellgate by the 1891 census at which time Thomas was employed as an Engine Fitter. He was still living with his parents and working as an Engine Fitter at the 1901 census; the family had moved to 32 Atherton Street, Crossgate by this time.
Thomas married Susan Nelson in 1901. She was the daughter of William and Susan Nelson. Her father was a long established Cooper working on his own account from the Post Office yard just off Sadler Street in Durham.
The 1911 census shows the couple living at 3 Low John Street, Meadowfield with Thomas working as an Electrical Engineer at the Co-op Store. Their first daughter Susie was born in Durham in 1902 and a second, Mary Constance, was born in Meadowfield in 1909.
Thomas entered the Royal Naval Air Service the day before his 41st birthday in October 1917. He was given service number F39174 and was signed up for the duration of hostilities. He was given the rank of Air Mechanic 2E carrying out the trade of Fitter. Thomas appears to have been stationed at Crystal Palace, London throughout his service. He transferred to the RAF on its creation on 01-Apr-1918 with the equivalent rank of Air Mechanic 3 serving in the Detail Section. His new service number was 239174.
Thomas’s service record shows the following note, “time to count for pay, pension, etc under general decn N-17 while lent to Messrs Gwynnes Ltd”. Gwynnes Limited of Chiswick, London manufactured Clerget engines, a series of early rotary aircraft engine types of the era that were used on aircraft such as the Sopwith Camel.
Although there is no hard evidence to link Thomas directly it is interesting to note that during WW1 Lieutenant W O Bentley of British Racing Green fame was posted to Gwynnes Ltd to improve the quality and reliability of the aircraft engines they were producing. Bentley successfully squeezed an extra 20BHP out of the Clerget engine and identified several design defects and suitable modifications. It is possible that Thomas was amongst a group of men from the RNAS who helped Gwynnes to maintain the output of engines needed by the service while minimising the engine problems which were causing RNAS pilots and ground crew so many problems.
Thomas was deemed discharged from the RAF on 30-Apr-1920 and returned to his home at 5 John Street South, Meadowfield. He was awarded the British War Medal for his service. Thomas outlived his wife Susan who died 24-Oct-1948 at South View, Meadowfield. In her probate record her husband is described as a “retired engineer”.
The final record for Thomas is his death on 05-Dec-1958 when he was living with his daughter Susie Smith in Whickham.
Armed force/civilian: Air Force
Residence: Allergate, Durham (1881 census)
16 Tenter Terrace, Framwellgate, Durham (1891 census)
32 Atherton Street, Crossgate (1901 census)
3 Low John Street, Meadowfield (1911 census)
5 John Street South, Meadowfield (RNAS service record)
Military service:
Royal Naval Air Service
Gender: Male
Contributed by David Donkin
