Taylor HL

Henry Le Tall Taylor (1890 - 1972)

What is known about our Uncle Harry's war experience is best summarised by the following 2005 email from his son Michael, living in Lincolnshire, to Peter. Whereas Harry stayed in England, his parents and other siblings, including JB (Jim) Taylor's father Bernard, all migrated to Australia, between 1912 and 1916.

Dear Peter,

Thanks for yesterday's e-mail. It sounds as if both of our fathers saw through a grim period of history which we had the good fortune to miss. My Dad was reluctant to talk about it as he found the memories difficult to cope with. Also I imagine he found it impossible to communicate the horror of it all to young minds. By comparison our own war time experiences were hardly more than an inconvenience.

I have just looked in Father's old Japan box which contains many old photographs and a few badges and medals. As far as I know he volunteered in 1914 and was drafted into the Middlesex Regiment.I believe he spent the early part of the war in North Africa, particularly in Alexandria where he seemed to have had a good time. I suspect he had a girl friend or two during his time there! I know nothing about any conflict there but he has what I suppose is a campaign medal marked 1914-1915 on the front. Au verso it is inscribed 2607 L.Cpl. H L Taylor Middx R.

Later he was in the trenches on the Somme where he lived with the rest among rats and lice and all the squalor which is often these days portrayed on film and in books. He dreaded the phrase 'over the top' when they had to climb out of their trench and charge towards the German lines. Of course the Germans had machine guns and his mates were cut down on either side of him, but amazingly he survived. He was a sergeant at this time. He did tell me that he found himself isolated with a small group in muddy fox holes, and he wisely organised a small scale retreat! He was slightly wounded once on the chin by shrapnel, and had to go back to a field hospital for treatment. He soon had to go back to the trenches, though.

I believe he did return 'home' on leave once in a bad state - lice & filth etc, but I don't know if he went to Long Sutton as his family had gone, or to his digs in London. Or perhaps the YMCA for whom he used to play football. Anyway he had to go back to the trenches.

At some point, either towards the end of the war or soon after he was sent for Officer training and I have his certificate dated 22.4.1919 inscribed H L Taylor, Second Lieutenant, Land Forces, 'The Norfolk Regiment'. It is also stamped 'temporary', perhaps because he was due for discharge at that time.

I'm sorry this is so sketchy - just my boyhood memories of snatches of conversations when he was persuaded to talk for a moment of his experiences. He also talked of gas attacks, and the 'toffee apples' they used to toss at one another across the trenches. I'll have another look in his box and will tell you if anything else comes to light. You may well be able to tell me more about what happened to the Middlesex Regiment from your research.

I would also be interested to hear of the experiences of your own father in the Far Eastern Theatre in the next war.

That's all for the nonce,

Best wishes, Michael

PS I believe Gallipoli was all Churchill's fault. Sorry!

20 December 2005