George Albert Taylor

Household Cavalry and Cavalry of the Line, incl. Yeomanry and Imperial Camel Corps (CWGC). He joined the South Notts Hussars at the age of 17. He died from malaria and dysentery in the 1st Canadian Stationary Hospital, Salonika. He was buried in Salonika (Lembet road) Military Cemetery (grave ref 525). A memorial service was held in Addison Street Congregational Church, Nottingham, on 15 October 1916. 1/1st Nottinghamshire Yeomanry(South Notts. Hussars) • August 1914 : moved to Diss (Norfolk), brigade coming under orders of 1st Mounted Division. By the end of the month the brigade had moved to South Stoke and in November went on to Norfolk. • September 1914 : brigade transferred to 2nd Mounted Division. • 9 April 1915 : sailed from Avonmouth for service in Egypt. On arrival at Alexandria on 24 April was dismounted. • 18 August 1915 : landed at Suvla Bay (Gallipoli). • December 1915 : evacuated from Gallipoli and returned Egypt. • January 1916 : 2nd Mounted Division broken up. • February 1916 : moved to Salonika, with brigade retitled as 7th Mounted Brigade. Historical Information: 'At the invitation of the Greek Prime Minister, M.Venizelos, Salonika (now Thessalonika) was occupied by three French Divisions and the 10th (Irish) Division from Gallipoli in October 1915. Other French and Commonwealth forces landed during the year and in the summer of 1916, they were joined by Russian and Italian troops. In August 1916, a Greek revolution broke out at Salonika, with the result that the Greek national army came into the war on the Allied side. The town was the base of the British Salonika Force and it contained, from time to time, eighteen general and stationary hospitals. Three of these hospitals were Canadian, although there were no other Canadian units in the force. The earliest Commonwealth burials took place in the local Protestant and Roman Catholic cemeteries. Salonika (Lembet Road) Military Cemetery (formerly known as the Anglo-French Military Cemetery) was begun in November 1915 and Commonwealth, French, Serbian, Italian and Russian sections were formed. The Commonwealth section remained in use until October 1918, although from the beginning of 1917, burials were also made in Mikra British Cemetery. After the Armistice, some graves were brought in from other cemeteries in Macedonia and from Scala Cemetery, near Cassivita, on the island of Thasos. There are now 1,648 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. The Commonwealth plot also contains 45 Bulgarian and one Serbian war graves.' (Source: CWGC) Research Simon Williams

The De Astonian Magazine records his death as follows: “George Albert Taylor (Bert) died of dysentery in the 1st Canadian Stationary Hospital at Salonica on October 16th 1916. At the age of seventeen he joined the South Notts Hussars at the the outbreak of the war. He went with his Regiment to Egypt in May last year, and some months later to Salonica. No further information is to hand with regard to his military career, but his death appears to have been very sudden, as a letter was received from him after the sad news had reached his home, saying that he was in good health. We wish to express our sympathy with his relations and friends. 'G A Taylor was at De Aston from June 1907 until December 1910. He was only 19 when he died. Two of his brothers, Horace and Charles, also old De Astonian, are at present in the Army.” Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Roll of Honour’, 14 October 1916: ‘Taylor. On October 5th, 1916, of dysentery, Corporal GA (Bert) Taylor, South Notts Hussars, aged 19 years, youngest son of Mrs Taylor, 32, Addison-street, Nottingham, and the late JJ Taylor, of Sandiacre. Memorial service, Addison-street Congregational Church, to-morrow, 5.30.’ (www.britishbnewspaperarchive.co.uk)