Robert (Bert) William Young (SN 3485) was born in Geelong but was living with his parents in Ballarat when he enlisted there on April 20th 1917. The 24 year old tailor received a few weeks training at Broadmeadows before joining the 58th Battalion, 9th Reinforcements, as it embarked for overseas duty from Sydney aboard the Port Melbourne in early June. A couple of days before arriving in England, he was admitted to hospital suffering from mumps and nearly a month elapsed before he was fit enough to join the 15th Training Battalion near Salisbury. In January 1918 he was finally posted to France with the 58th Battalion but was injured at the end of May, suffering a sprained ankle. This presumably did not respond well to treatment as, two weeks later, he was evacuated to hospital. At the beginning of August, he was invalided to the UK suffering the same complaint. He returned to Australia aboard the Sardinia In October 1918 and was discharged as medically unfit on January 25th 1919.

His younger brother Jack also served in the AIF and is honoured with the neighbouring tree in the Avenue.