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Series 22: 7. Will Young

British pop icon, actor and activist Will Young goes in search of his family history. He’s concentrating on his father’s side of the family, as he never knew his grandfather Digby Young, who died before he was born. He’s heard intriguing snippets about his life – how he came from Australia, was a prisoner of war during World War II, and found it hard to hold down a job afterwards – now Will wants to find out more. \n\nWill starts his investigation by visiting his Aunt Wiggy. Her father, Will’s grandfather Digby, died when Wiggy was a teenager, but she remembers him as a charming, kind man. She recalls he never talked about his war experiences. Wiggy also shows Will some miniature portraits of more Young ancestors – Aretas William Young and Sarah Cox, who married in 1798. Will decides to start his investigation at University College, Oxford, where Digby came to study medicine when he left Australia. At the college, Will discovers that Digby seemed to spend more time doing sport than studying, winning lots of swimming trophies but graduating with a fourth-class degree. However, he also joined the Royal Air Force Reserves, and when the Second World War broke out in 1939, he joined up full time.\n\nAt RAF Cosford, Will meets aviation historian Victoria Taylor, who shows him a display model of the type of plane Digby piloted. Will reads through the war diaries that record Digby’s missions, which reveal bombing raids that took Digby all the way to Berlin. Will finds out that 51 per cent of Bomber Command airmen died during World War II and sees an account of how Digby’s plane suffered engine failure and was hit by anti-aircraft fire. Digby managed to evacuate all of his crew and bale out himself before being taken prisoner in Germany. \n\nFor Will, the next stop is Stalag Luft III, the German prisoner-of-war camp where his grandfather spent much of the war, now in modern day Poland. At the site of the former camp, Will sees where Digby would have lived and is moved to discover a letter written by his grandfather from the camp. Will learns that Digby and his fellow prisoners were used as human shields towards the end of the war as the Nazi army retreated to Berlin and were forced to march in the harshest of winter conditions. Will reads an account from another prisoner of war which describes how one of the German guards was close to death as frostbite had turned to gangrene. Digby saved the guard’s life by amputating his foot with nothing but some kitchen knives and alcohol. Will then learns that Digby finally found his way back to England with a friend by bribing a Russian guard and cycling to freedom. \n\nAs Will comes to the end of Digby’s story, he’s deeply moved, feeling he’s gained a grandfather. All he had before was a black-and-white photo and a sense of someone who was perhaps a bit of a disappointment to the family, but now he knows the true story. Will wants to delve further back into the Young family history.\n\nAt Hereford library, he meets genealogist Rachel King, who has traced the Young line back generations. Moving back through his ancestors, he comes across Hugh Le Despenser, his 18-times great-grandfather. Rachel tells him that he owned a castle just down the road from Hereford at Goodrich. This is Will’s next stop. At Goodrich Castle, Will meets medieval historian Chris Given-Wilson, who tells Will that his ancestor Hugh Despenser was one of the most notorious villains in British history. Will learns how he was a favourite of Edward II, extorting money and property out of his enemies, becoming the most powerful man in the kingdom. He also learns about his downfall and gruesome death. Will is both fascinated and appalled by the behaviour of his ancestor. \n\nChris tells him that despite the ignominy of Hugh Despenser’s death, his widow made a tomb for him in Tewkesbury Abbey. Will visits the abbey and learns how Hugh’s widow Eleanor de Clare used her wealth and influence to try and rewrite history, commemorating her husband in a stained-glass window and tomb. There’s one final reveal. A scroll shows that his 18-times great-grandmother Eleanor de Clare was the granddaughter of Edward I, making Edward Will’s 20-times great-grandfather. \n\nFor Will, it’s been an extraordinary journey, taking him from one of history’s villains to one of England’s great kings. But the most moving part of his journey was uncovering his grandfather Digby Young’s story.

Source: BBC 1