Hi Abbigail,

In may last post I mentioned our ancestor nicknamed "The General." I'll tell you a bit about him.

Your Great Great Grandpa Robert Young lived from 1877 to 1953. He was known as "Pop-Pop" to your Grandpa Francis, who was his grandson. Francis remembers The General only from before he became a teenager. Apparently Pop-Pop was a formidable figure with a fearsome reputation in our family, but Francis discovered that he was not so bad once you spent time with him.

Pop-Pop was a dentist and farmer who was born in England, emigrated to New Zealand when he was young, joined the New Zealand military in 1898, and rose to the rank of Captain just before the Great War broke out. He joined the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) and shipped to Gallipoli by way of Egypt. He fought there, then fought in France, and finally marched into Germany at the end of the war, commanding an infantry brigade with the rank of Brigadier General. After the war he rose further in the ranks to become the General Officer Commanding (GOC), New Zealand Forces. So he started as a company commander, then ended up commanding the whole military. Definitely a man with personality.

You can learn more about Pop-Pop in this Wikipedia article written by your Great Uncle Simon Young:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Young_(New_Zealand_Army_officer)

I found some photos of him online.

1917, France: General Russell, Commander New Zealand Division, talking with members of 2nd Infantry Brigade after troop inspection. Russell has his back to the camera; Pop-Pop (now lieutenant colonel) stands with his hands clasped behind his back.

France, 1917. Pop-Pop is standing in the centre, wearing his lemon squeezer hat.

France, May, 1918. Pop-Pop (at left, now a brigadier general in command of a brigade) watches a steeplechase at a military horse show.

"The Brigadier wins the Officers' Charger Class event at the New Zealand Infantry Brigade horse show, Vaucelles in France. Shows the Brigadier on his horse which receives a ribbon. Photograph taken 20 May 1918..." Apparently Pop-Pop knew his way around a horse.

Pop-Pop at right, posing with General Russell and others.

The Brigadier leads the New Zealand Contigent in the London Victory Parade, 1919, at war's end.

"Portrait of New Zealand officers at Divisional Headquarters in Germany, in 1919. Sitting: General Herbert Ernest Hart, General Andrew Hamilton Russell, General Charles William Melvill. Standing: Colonel Frank Symon, and General Robert Young."

  Here's a close-up from the group portrait. I think Pop-Pop looks exhausted. It was a long war...

Young family lore says The General died at Ōtaki Bowling Club of a heart attack, age 76. 

 Love, Dad