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The Young family gather at the Chatsworth Island Cenotaph recently, to pay tribute to Joseph Thomas Young who died 100 years ago to the day, during WWI. Image: Contributed

Family pays tribute 100 years on

Lynne Mowbray | The Young family of Harwood and Chatsworth have paid tribute to one of their own, in a moving memorial 100 years to the day, after his untimely death during World War 1. Joseph Thomas Young was born at Mororo in March, 1897 to Thomas and Janet Young. He enlisted at the age of 18 years old on 13 February 1915. Joseph survived time in Gallipoli, bouts of dysentery and being gassed before losing his life on 10 June, 1918. The family of Joseph Young gathered at the Chatsworth Island cenotaph on Sunday, 10 June, for a memorial service – exactly 100 years after his death. Maclean pipe major Murdo Macleod played The Battle of the Somme and Flowers of the Forest. Author Shirley Walker read extracts from her book on the Young Family ‘Ghost at the Wedding’. The Ryan family sang ‘And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda’ and ‘Black Gold’ and Anthony Young read his poem ‘JT Young 1024’. Joseph’s nephew John Young and wife Julie were in France and laid flowers at a plaque dedicated to Joseph. It is recorded that Josephs mother Janet was seven months pregnant with a son, at the time of Joseph’s death. Janet named that son Joseph Thomas Young, after his older brother. This son was killed in Papua New Guinea during WWII. No more Young’s were ever called Joseph.