GEOFFREY BOWEN YONGE

Second Lieutenant

Geoffrey Bowen Yonge was born at home on 28 November 1898, the son of Duke Mohun Yonge, a solicitor, and Isabella Sydney Yonge of Westpark, Yealmpton.� He was baptised at Holy Cross Church on 28 December 1898.� At the age of 10 he was sent to Mount House School, at that time in Plymouth.� Two years later he went on to Berkhamsted School, where he clearly did well.� He was head prefect and also a Sgt Major in the Officer Training Corps.� In nominating him for a cadetship at the Royal Military College, his headmaster wrote �He is a thoroughly good fellow; he is not clever, but he has the respect of everybody by his sterling worth.�

Geoffrey Yonge joined up on 3 November 1916, just short of his 18^th birthday.� After training he was assigned to C Company, 1/5^th (Prince of Wales) Battalion of The Devonshire Regiment, a territorial battalion based in Plymouth.

As the end of World War 1 approached, the battalion was engaged in the Battle of The Sambre (�The Last Fights in France�) in the area of the �Foret de Mormal�. �Although many German soldiers had by this time lost heart in their cause, there were still pockets of resistance, and this was the case in the Foret de Mormal.� On 5 November 1918 1/5 Devon�s were heavily involved in taking the villages of Le Cheval Blanc and Le Trechon on the northern edge of the forest.� On that day Geoffrey Yonge received a gunshot wound to his right arm, fracturing the humerus.� He was moved to the 8^th General Hospital at Rouen, and died there on 21 November 1918 aged 19.� He is remembered with honour at the St Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen (Plot S.V.K.6)