William Henry Taylor
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
William Henry Taylor was born in 1888 the son of William a colliery banksman and Mary Ann Taylor née Butler of 29 Browns Croft, Old Basford, Nottingham. His father was born in 1866 in Old Basford his mother in 1857 at Biggleswade, Bedfordshire. Married in 1885, they had eight children, seven surviving infancy - Elizabeth b.1885, John R b.1887, William Henry b.1888, Mary Louisa b.1889, Martha Kate b.1891, Frederick b.1893 and Arthur b.1894. In 1911 they lived at 3 Brown’s Court Old Basford. In the 1911 the family was living at 33 Browns Croft, Old Basford. Frederick and Arthur were miners.
48th Bn William Henry Taylor enlisted on 20th January 1915 in Oaklands, South Australia. He landed with the at Gallipoli on 26th June 1915. After suffering from influenza and dysentery he was wounded, (shrapnel wound to the arm) on 30th July 1915. He was taken off the peninsula and taken to Mudros on 31st July 1915. His dysentery became severe and he was returned to Adelaide Australia to convalesce on 24th February 1916. After recovering from his wounds and illness he went back out to Alexandria and embarked from there on 6th June 1916 arriving at Plymouth on 16th June 1916. He went to France on 25th July 1916 and was taken on strength of his unit on 13th August 1916. He was killed in action on 14th August 1916 his name is Commemorated on Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.
Obituary notice published 11th September 1916: “TAYLOR. – Killed in action, August 14th, 1916, Private William H. Taylor, No. 1742, Australian Imperial Force, aged 29 years. They miss him most who loved him best. His heart was good, his spirit brave, his resting place a soldier's grave. – From mother, father, sisters, brothers, brother in France, brother in Canada.”
