Dinghy Young

Squadron Leader Henry Melvin "Dinghy" Young, DFC & Bar (20 May 1915 – 17 May 1943) was a Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Bomber Command pilot.

Young was born in London to Henry George Melvin Young, a British solicitor, and Fannie Rowan Young. He was educated at Amesbury School in Hindhead, Westminster School class of 1933, Kent School in Kent, Connecticut class of 1934, and Trinity College, Oxford, where he was part of the winning crew of the 1938 Boat Race.

Though going normally by the name Melvin, he acquired the nickname "Dinghy" after being shot down over the sea twice and surviving in inflatable dinghies.

Operation Chastise
In 1943 he was posted to No. 617 Squadron, where flying a modified Avro Lancaster ED877/G AJ-A (code-named A-Apple), he took part in Operation Chastise, the raid to attack German dams in the Ruhr Valley. The seven-man crew of A-Apple consisted of Young (pilot), Flt Sgt Charles Walpole Roberts (Navigator), F/O Vincent Sandford MacCausland (Bomb Aimer), Sgt David Taylor Horsfall (Flight Engineer), Sgt Lawrence William Nichols (Wireless Operator), Sgt Gordon Arthur Yeo (Front Gunner) and Sgt Wilfred Ibbotson (Rear Gunner). A-Apple flew as part of the first wave which attacked the Möhne Dam. Young was second in command of the raid, which was led by Wg Cdr Guy Gibson flying G-George.

The first three aircraft to attack, Gibson (G-George), Hopgood (M-Mother) and Martin (P-Popsie), all missed the target. A-Apple was fourth to attack and hit the dam, causing a small breach. As this breach was not apparent, a fifth aircraft Maltby (J-Johnny) subsequently attacked the dam and achieved a hit, causing a larger breach.

On the return journey, A-Apple was brought down by anti-aircraft fire, probably by gunners at Castricum-aan-Zee. However, his luck had run out. The bodies of seven crewmen were washed up on the Dutch coast over the subsequent days and were buried in the General Cemetery, Bergen, North Holland.

Honours and awards

 * 9 May 1941 - Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) - Acting Flight Lieutenant Henry Melvin Young (72478), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, No. 102 Squadron.
 * 18 September 1942 - Bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross - Squadron Leader Henry Melvin Young, DFC (72478), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, No. 104 Squadron.

Film portrayal
In the 1955 film The Dam Busters, Young was portrayed by Richard Leech.