page_title: Robert Young (soldier)
section_title: Western Front
hierarchical_section_title: Robert Young (soldier) / World War I / Western Front
caption_attribution_description: Photo of the Commander of the New Zealand Dominion component of the 1919 London victory parade. The subject is believed to be Brigadier-General Robert Young of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Other information These photographs are part of the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association: New Zealand official negatives, World War 1914-1918 (PA-Group-00051) collection in the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand.
context_page_description: Major General Robert Young, CB, CMG, DSO was a dentist, volunteer soldier, World War I brigade commander and professional soldier in the New Zealand Military Forces.
  A British immigrant who came to New Zealand as a child, Young later rose to serve as a General Officer Commanding, New Zealand Military Forces from 1925 to 1931. For service during World War I he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, mentioned in despatches, and was one of only 14 members of the New Zealand Military Forces to receive the French Legion of Honour during the war.
context_section_description: After the withdrawal from Gallipoli, the NZEF had sufficient personnel to expand by two additional infantry brigades. These were the newly arrived 2nd Infantry Brigade and the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, which with the original brigade, now designated the 1st Infantry Brigade, formed the New Zealand Division. The division was transferred to the Western Front in May 1916 under the command of Major-General Andrew Hamilton Russell, with Young remaining in charge of what was now designated the 1st Canterbury Battalion. He commanded the battalion as it became acclimatised to warfare on the Western Front at Armentières, and led it during New Zealand participation in the Battle of the Somme in September 1916.
  Young's capabilities as a commander were recognised when he was placed in temporary command of the 2nd Infantry Brigade from 31 December 1916 to 6 January 1917 and then subsequently attached to Divisional Headquarters for liaison work during the Battle for Messines in June 1917. He took temporary command of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade in the rank of temporary colonel on 7 August 1917 when Brigadier-General Francis Earl Johnston was killed in action, but his time as a brigade commander was short lived when he was shot in the neck just two days later and evacuated to London. 
  After recuperating in England, Young returned to the Western Front on 4 December 1917 and assumed command of the 1st Infantry Brigade with the rank of temporary Brigadier-General. He was subsequently shifted to command of the 2nd Infantry Brigade on 19 February 1918, and led it during the German Spring Offensive which began in March 1918. He retained command of the brigade for the remainder of the war and saw further action at the Battle of Bapaume and in the push to the Hindenburg Line which contributed to German capitulation in November 1918.
caption: Young leading the New Zealand Contingent, London Victory Parade 1919
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