Jack Youll VC, Great War Hero

John (‘Jack’) Scott Youll (June 1897- 27 October 1918) was a colliery electrician from a small village near Hartlepool, County Durham, before volunteering for the Army in 1915. Joining 1st Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, he showed early promise and was selected for officer training. He first saw action on the Western Front and was mentioned in dispatches for his conduct during the heavy fighting around Polygon Wood in the Third Battle of Ypres. But it was after redeployment to Italy that he earned the Victoria Cross for his exceptional valour and leadership near Asiago, during the Third Battle of the Piave.

The medal citation for 2nd Lieutenant Youll describes how throughout the fighting ‘his complete disregard of personal safety and very gallant leading set a magnificent example to all’. This was during an extended action which included his single-handedly charging an Austrian machine gun post that had his unit pinned down, killing most of the crew and turning the weapon on the enemy. Tragically, Lieutenant Youll VC was killed soon after during the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, the final battle of the Italian campaign, just twenty-four hours before the ceasefire on this front and a mere fortnight before the end of the wider war.

Jack Youll’s example of dutiful service, leadership and courage has hitherto received little recognition beyond a dignified graveyard memorial in his hometown. This well-researched and detailed account, written by his relative , Nina Youll, and historian Paul Chrystal, provides at last a fitting testimonial to a true hero of the Great War.