Peter Young (historian)
Encyclopedia
Brigadier Peter Young, DSO
, MC
& 2 bars
(28 July 1915 – 13 September 1988) was a British Second World War soldier who served in the commandos, eventually commanding a brigade. Subsequently he went onto command a regiment of the Arab Legion before leaving the Army to become a lecturer at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
. In later life he founded The Sealed Knot
, and became a well-known military historian and author.
and subsequently read for a degree in Modern History at Trinity College, Oxford
. Having joined the Territorial Army
while at Oxford, Young was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant
in 1938 but this was converted (and backdated to 1937) to a permanent commission in the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment
in January 1939.
. Following the Battle of France
, the battalion was evacuated from Dunkirk during which Young was wounded. After he recovered from his wounds Young volunteered to join the Commandos
and on being accepted joined 3 Commando
in time to take part in the first commando operation of the war - Operation Ambassador
- in July 1940. Promoted to Lieutenant
in August 1940, Young was to serve in the commandos for the rest of the war. Following Operation Ambassador and the subsequent operations, Operation Claymore
and Operation Archery
, Young was awarded the Military Cross
(MC).
Promoted to Captain
Young spent some time on the staff of Combined Operations Headquarters before returning to 3 Commando as second in command with the temporary rank of Major. In this role he took part in Operation Jubilee, the Dieppe Raid
, in August 1942 for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
(DSO). Still with 3 Commando, Young participated in Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily where 3 Commando were one of the first units to land. For his part in this operation Young was awarded his first bar
to the MC. After Sicily, Young became Officer Commanding
3 Commando and led them during the invasion of Italy. Young and 3 Commando were withdrawn to England in October 1943 but the intervening period was enough for Young to win a second bar to his MC. In June 1944 Young took part in the Normandy landings, still with 3 Commando but following the Normandy campaign he was promoted to temporary Lieutenant Colonel and posted to the Far East as second in command of 3 Commando Brigade
, a post he held until the end of the war although he did for a while become the Officer Commanding the Brigade.
at Camberley
and a subsequent staff appointment at GHQ Middle East Land Forces
, in 1953 Young returned to the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment as a company commander with the substantive rank of Major. However peacetime duties were not to his liking so he was seconded to the Arab Legion
as Officer Commanding its 9th Regiment, a post he held until 1956 and subsequently recognised by the award of the Jordanian Order of Al Istiqlal. Promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in 1956 he returned to England in staff appointments before retiring from the army in 1959 with the honorary rank of Brigadier.
s and the Napoleonic Wars
. In 1968 he founded the Sealed Knot
, a re-enactment society dedicated to the English Civil Wars. His writing career continued until his death and he also worked as a historical and military consultant on a number of TV series. He was elected as a Fellow
of Society of Antiquaries of London
, the Royal Historical Society
and the Royal Geographical Society
.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
& 2 bars
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
(28 July 1915 – 13 September 1988) was a British Second World War soldier who served in the commandos, eventually commanding a brigade. Subsequently he went onto command a regiment of the Arab Legion before leaving the Army to become a lecturer at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
. In later life he founded The Sealed Knot
The Sealed Knot (reenactment)
The Sealed Knot is a British historical association and charity, dedicated to costumed reenactment of battles and events surrounding the English Civil War.-About:...
, and became a well-known military historian and author.
Early life
Born in London, Young attended Monmouth SchoolMonmouth School
Monmouth School is an HMC boys' boarding and day school in Monmouth, Monmouthshire in south east Wales. It was founded in 1614 by William Jones. It is run as a trust, the William Jones's Schools Foundation, by the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, one of the Livery Companies...
and subsequently read for a degree in Modern History at Trinity College, Oxford
Trinity College, Oxford
The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...
. Having joined the Territorial Army
Territorial Army
The Territorial Army is the part time volunteer force of the British Army. With around 35,500 members, the TA forms about a quarter of the overall manpower strength of the British Army. TA members regularly volunteer to serve overseas on operations, either with TA units, or as individuals...
while at Oxford, Young was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in 1938 but this was converted (and backdated to 1937) to a permanent commission in the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment
The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment was the final title of an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army originally formed in 1688...
in January 1939.
Second World War
Assigned to the 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment, Young went to France with the battalion in 1939 as part of the British Expeditionary ForceBritish Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
. Following the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
, the battalion was evacuated from Dunkirk during which Young was wounded. After he recovered from his wounds Young volunteered to join the Commandos
British Commandos
The British Commandos were formed during the Second World War in June 1940, following a request from the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, for a force that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe...
and on being accepted joined 3 Commando
No. 3 Commando
No. 3 Commando was a battalion-sized commando unit raised by the British Army for service during the Second World War. Formed in July 1940 from volunteers for special service, it was the first such unit to carry the title of "Commando"...
in time to take part in the first commando operation of the war - Operation Ambassador
Operation Ambassador
Operation Ambassador was an operation carried out by British Commandos on 14–15 July 1940 within the context of the Second World War. It was the second raid by the newly formed British Commandos and was focused upon the German-occupied Channel island of Guernsey.The raiding party consisted of 40...
- in July 1940. Promoted to Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in August 1940, Young was to serve in the commandos for the rest of the war. Following Operation Ambassador and the subsequent operations, Operation Claymore
Operation Claymore
Operation Claymore was the codename for a British Commandos raid on the Lofoten Islands in Norway during the Second World War. The Lofoten Islands were an important center for the production of fish oil and glycerine, used in the German war industry. The landings were carried out on 4 March 1941,...
and Operation Archery
Operation Archery
Operation Archery, also known as the Vaagso Raid, was a British Combined Operations raid during World War II against German positions on Vaagso Island , Norway, on 27 December 1941....
, Young was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(MC).
Promoted to Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
Young spent some time on the staff of Combined Operations Headquarters before returning to 3 Commando as second in command with the temporary rank of Major. In this role he took part in Operation Jubilee, the Dieppe Raid
Dieppe Raid
The Dieppe Raid, also known as the Battle of Dieppe, Operation Rutter or later on Operation Jubilee, during the Second World War, was an Allied attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe on the northern coast of France on 19 August 1942. The assault began at 5:00 AM and by 10:50 AM the Allied...
, in August 1942 for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(DSO). Still with 3 Commando, Young participated in Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily where 3 Commando were one of the first units to land. For his part in this operation Young was awarded his first bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
to the MC. After Sicily, Young became Officer Commanding
Officer Commanding
The Officer Commanding is the commander of a sub-unit or minor unit , principally used in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. In other countries, the term Commanding Officer is applied to commanders of minor as well as major units.Normally an Officer Commanding is a company, squadron or battery...
3 Commando and led them during the invasion of Italy. Young and 3 Commando were withdrawn to England in October 1943 but the intervening period was enough for Young to win a second bar to his MC. In June 1944 Young took part in the Normandy landings, still with 3 Commando but following the Normandy campaign he was promoted to temporary Lieutenant Colonel and posted to the Far East as second in command of 3 Commando Brigade
3 Commando Brigade
3 Commando Brigade is a commando formation of the British Armed Forces and the main manoeuvre formation of the Royal Marines. Its personnel are predominantly Royal Marines, supported by units of Royal Engineers, Royal Artillery, The Rifles, and the Fleet Air Arm, together with other Commando...
, a post he held until the end of the war although he did for a while become the Officer Commanding the Brigade.
Post war
Under the complicated British army system of substantive, acting, temporary, brevet and war substantive ranks, Young ended the Second World War as a substantive Lieutenant but also with the war substantive rank of Lieutenant Colonel and the acting rank of Brigadier. It was not until August 1945 that he was promoted to the substantive rank of Captain. After attending the Staff CollegeStaff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
at Camberley
Camberley
Camberley is a town in Surrey, England, situated 31 miles southwest of central London, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorways. The town lies close to the borders of both Hampshire and Berkshire; the boundaries intersect on the western edge of the town where all three counties...
and a subsequent staff appointment at GHQ Middle East Land Forces
Middle East Command
The Middle East Command was a British Army Command established prior to the Second World War in Egypt. Its primary role was to command British land forces and co-ordinate with the relevant naval and air commands to defend British interests in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean region.The...
, in 1953 Young returned to the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment as a company commander with the substantive rank of Major. However peacetime duties were not to his liking so he was seconded to the Arab Legion
Arab Legion
The Arab Legion was the regular army of Transjordan and then Jordan in the early part of the 20th century.-Creation:...
as Officer Commanding its 9th Regiment, a post he held until 1956 and subsequently recognised by the award of the Jordanian Order of Al Istiqlal. Promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in 1956 he returned to England in staff appointments before retiring from the army in 1959 with the honorary rank of Brigadier.
Later life
Upon leaving the army, Young became Head of Military History at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst between 1959 and 1969 before he retired to concentrate on a writing career. His first two books, both autobiographies, Bedouin Command and Storm from the Sea had been published while he was still in the army but his lifelong interest in history and with the position at Sandhurst he became to write history books particularly on the English Civil WarEnglish Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
s and the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. In 1968 he founded the Sealed Knot
The Sealed Knot (reenactment)
The Sealed Knot is a British historical association and charity, dedicated to costumed reenactment of battles and events surrounding the English Civil War.-About:...
, a re-enactment society dedicated to the English Civil Wars. His writing career continued until his death and he also worked as a historical and military consultant on a number of TV series. He was elected as a Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of Society of Antiquaries of London
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
, the Royal Historical Society
Royal Historical Society
The Royal Historical Society was founded in 1868. The premier society in the United Kingdom which promotes and defends the scholarly study of the past, it is based at University College London...
and the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
.