Captain William Young

Captain  William Barrie Young, Mentioned in Dispatches, 62nd Training Squadron,  Royal Air Force. He was killed in a flying accident on 8th August 1918 aged 24 He had been combat flying in France before reurning to the U.K. as a Flying Instructor which was often more dangerous. He was the son of Dr and Mrs John Young of The Thorpe, Earlston and is buried in Earlston Churchyard. His Squadron flew the two seater Bristol F2B Fighters known to the crews as “Biffies”.   Instructors often referred to their pupils as Huns because of the casualties they caused amongst their Instructors. ( There were more fatalities in flying accidents than were lost in combat) The photograph shows an example of a Bristol Fighter currently in the Imperial War Museum.

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