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Remembrance
- The Yorkshire Regiment, First World War Private Robert Henry TAYLOR. 8100 Close window to return to main page |
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Biography provided below.
Private Robert Henry TAYLOR, 8100.
2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Edward and Martha Ann Taylor, of
19, Westfield Terrace, Tadcaster, Yorks. Killed 22 October 1914. Aged 28.
Born Tadcaster (Yorks), Enlisted Tadcaster.
Commemorated Panel 33, YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL.
John Sly (<sly211@btinternet.com>) has researched the career of Private
Taylor in connection with Private Taylor's medals. John has written a short
biography of Private Taylor, and this may be read below.
Army Medal Office rolls confirm the award of the 1914 Star and Bar, giving
his date of disembarkation as 5 October 1914.
He was born 10 April 1886 at Rockcliffe Yard, East Tadcaster, the son of Edward
Taylor, a waterman, and his wife Martha Ann (née Farrar).
When he enlisted at Thornaby 17 April 1905 he stated his age as 19 years,
and his occupation as labourer. He was 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighed 124 pounds,
had a fresh complexion, blue eyes and light brown hair.
He was killed in action 22 October 1914, when 21st Brigade withstood an attack
by the German 54th Reserve Division advancing from Becelaere. C J Atkinson
described how the Germans ‘had bombarded [the 21st Brigade’s]
trenches mercilessly all the morning...and the trenches were terribly knocked
about, men being buried and rifles put out of action. The
destruction of the reserve trenches increased the difficulty of keeping the
firing-line supplied with ammunition; there had been no time to dig communication
trenches, and parties bringing ammunition up by hand lost heavily in crossing
the open.’
2/Yorkshire Regiment lost 27 men killed that day.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records that he was the son of Edward
and Martha Ann Taylor of 19 Westfield Terrace, Tadcaster, and was 28 years
old when he died.
He is commemorated on Panel 33 of the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres.
Soldiers Died In The Great War records that he was born and enlisted in Tadcaster.
(Refs: WO 329/2440 p 136; WO 329/953 p 480
Regimental enlistment records, Richmond General Register Office
The Seventh Division [Atkinson] p 43)
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