Private William Thompson Taylor

 

William Thompson Taylor was born on 4 December 1894 at Druminiskill, Florencecourt, County Fermanagh, the second of three children of farmer Guy Taylor and his wife Mary Jane (née Moore). His mother died when he was just five years old. At the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 22 Church Street, Enniskillen, at the home of hardware, grocery, iron and timber merchant Frederick George Gordon, for whom he worked as a grocery apprentice.

Taylor enlisted in the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons Service Squadron between 12 April and 2 June 1915 – probably on 2 June, the date that his brother Fred Taylor joined. He was issued regimental number UD/256. On 6 October 1915 he embarked for France with his squadron, which was then serving as divisional cavalry to the 36th (Ulster) Division.

In June 1916 the squadron joined with C and F Squadrons of the North Irish Horse to form the 2nd North Irish Horse Regiment, serving as corps cavalry to X Corps.

On 10 April 1917 Taylor was admitted to No.139 Field Ambulance with what was described as a tubercule of the lung. He was transferred to a hospital the same day. By the time he was well enough to rejoin his regiment it had been disbanded with most of the men transferred to the 9th (Service) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers – renamed the 9th (North Irish Horse) Battalion. Taylor was transferred to the new battalion in late October or November. He was issued a new regimental number – 41645.

No information has been discovered about his service with the 9th (NIH) Battalion through the latter part of 1917 and during 1918, but he probably saw action with the battalion at the Battle of Cambrai in November and December 1917.

On 6 March 1919 he was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.

After the war Taylor returned to farming at Druminiskill. On 24 March 1920 he married Margaret Anne Crawford in the Florencecourt Church of Ireland Parish Church.

By 1933 he had moved to Belfast, living at 19 Hillsborough Parade, and later at 197 Ravenhill Avenue, and working as a harbour constable. He died on 6 May 1944 and was buried in the Dundonald Cemetery.

 

Taylor's son Frank served as a flight-lieutenant in the RAF during World War 2 (see articles below).

 

Belfast News-Letter, 12 October 1944

 

Belfast Telegraph, 10 February 1947

 

This page last updated 7 May 2023.