in february 1943 young was one of the chief constables sent to the war office civil affairs training centre for the first course for senior officers. before the course was finished, he was transferred to the instructing staff and in june 1943 he was appointed the first commandant of the new police civil affairs training centre at peel house in london (with a rank as if he was a lieutenant-colonel in the army). he had to set up the training school for policemen and provost officers (military police) who would keep law and order in axis territory as it was liberated by advancing allied forces. just after the centre was opened and its first students through their course, young was made a colonel and moved from the classroom in july 1943 to be senior british police officer in the mediterranean theatre, stationed in north africa awaiting the invasion of sicily.