Frederick Youens

He seized the live grenades to protect his exposed gun team.

Frederick Youens was born at High Wycombe on 14 August 1892. A scholarship pupil at the Royal Grammar School, he became a teacher before enlisting in the Royal Army Medical Corps in September 1914. He transferred to the East Surrey Regiment and was wounded at Loos in 1915. Commissioned in January 1917, he joined the 13th Durham Light Infantry.

Near Hill 60 on 7 July 1917, Youens was already wounded when he rallied a disrupted Lewis-gun team. He threw an unexploded enemy grenade clear. When another landed nearby, he picked it up, but it exploded in his hand. He died of his wounds that day.

His conduct earned a posthumous Victoria Cross, presented to his mother in August 1917. He was buried in Railway Dugouts Burial Ground near Zillebeke. There was no later career.

Official Victoria Cross citation

For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty. While out on patrol this officer was wounded and had to return to his trenches to have his wounds dressed. Shortly afterwards a report came in that the enemy were preparing to raid our trenches. 2nd Lt. Youens, regardless of his wound, immediately set out to rally the team of a Lewis Gun, which had become disorganised owing to heavy shell fire. During this process an enemy’s bomb fell on the Lewis Gun position without exploding. 2nd Lt. Youens immediately picked it up and hurled it over the parapet. Shortly afterwards another bomb fell near the same place; again 2nd Lt. Youens picked it up with the intention of throwing it away, when it exploded in his hand, severely wounding him and also some of his men. There is little doubt that the prompt and gallant action of 2nd Lt. Youens saved several of his men’s lives and that by his energy and resource the enemy’s raid was completely repulsed. This gallant officer has since succumbed to his wounds.

Fourth Supplement to The London Gazette of 31 July 1917. 2 August 1917, Numb. 30215, p. 7906