Name
Albert Edward Taylor
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
20/07/1918
20
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
204475
Bedfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TANNAY BRITISH CEMETERY, THIENNES
Plot 5. Row A. Grave 2.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
St Johns Church Memorial, High Cross, Standon War Memorial, St Mary’s Church Memorial, Standon, Puckeridge Memorial Plaque, Standon Village Hall, Standon, Thundridge War Memorial, Not on the Colliers End memorials, We are not aware of any Barwick memorial
Biography
Albert Edward Taylor was a Private, No.204475 in the 1st Battalion, the Bedfordshire Regiment.
He was killed in action 20th July 1918 aged 20 years, and is buried in Tannay British Cemetery, Thiennes, France. His grave reference is: Plot 5, Row A, Grave 2.
Albert was the son of Eliza Jane Taylor (nee Field) and Edmund Taylor. He was born in Colliers End 20th September 1897 and in 1911 lived with his family of three sisters and four brothers in Barwick, probably quite near the Duke of Wellington pub.
In 1871 Albert’s Taylor grandparents and their large family, although all born in Braughing, lived in Puckeridge near the Buffalo’s Head pub . Albert’s mother, Eliza Jane was born in Watton at Stone, where Edmund may have met Eliza, as he was lodging and working as a hay carter in Watton in 1881. They married in 1884. Prior to marriage, Eliza Jane had been a laundress/domestic servant at the mansion of Broxbournebury, which may have something to do with the fact that in 1891 the family were living in Hoddesdon, Edmund earning his living this time as a carman. The family soon made tracks back to the Standon area though, as from 1894, the children were being baptised at High Cross and they were living at Colliers End for a time. Sadly, Edmund died in 1903 not long after the baptism of their last child.
The following obituary from the Herts and Essex Observer tells us more:
"Standon – Death of Private Albert Edward Taylor of Barwick - Only in January last Mrs Taylor, a widow of Barwick, in Standon parish, lost her eldest son, Private George Victor Taylor, and she has now received news of the death of her third son, Private Albert Edward Taylor. The deceased enlisted in the Bedfordshire Regiment in January of last year and went to the front in the following April. He has been gassed and wounded and on recovery rejoined his regiment. The Chaplain of his regiment, in writing to Mrs Taylor, said: “He has given his life for his country. He was killed on July 20th in an attack on an enemy strong point in which all the party fought with the greatest bravery and gained their objective. Your boy has been buried in a cemetery behind the line, the Last Post was sounded and a cross has been erected over his grave.” The Chaplain also enclosed a memorial card with the sympathy of the officers, N.C.O’s and men of the Bedfordshire Regiment. The heroic soldier was only 20 and he has truly died, in this terrible struggle, for freedom and that the virtues and graces of life may not be cast aside. On Sunday evening at the Parish Church the Dead March in “Saul” was played at the close of the service as a tribute to his memory, while the congregation remained standing. Mrs Taylor has another soldier son, who is in the Machine Gun Corps at Salonika."
These newspaper articles were not always correct with their facts because George was not it fact the eldest son, but the second son, and Albert was the fourth son. These details do not change the fact that their mother, Eliza, having lost her husband in 1903 when he was just 41, then lost two sons in the space of seven months in 1918, which must have been a difficult cross to bear.
George Victor Taylor, mentioned in the article above, died 4th January 1918 and rests in Braughing churchyard, where he has a Commonwealth War Graves headstone. He was living in Braughing when he joined the army. The ‘other son’ mentioned, who was in the Machine Gun Corps was the third born son, Charles Taylor, who happily survived the war.
The following extract from the Operational Orders and the War Diary of the 1st Battalion, The Bedfordshires probably describes the last few hours of Albert’s life, as he is likely to have been one of the ‘other ranks’ or ORs as they are referred to rather dismissively in the diary:
Operational Orders: 19th July 1918
The enemy will be cleared from all the ground formed by the triangle between our front line, the Plate Becque and River Bourre. As many prisoners as possible will be captured and brought back alive. ‘A’ company will carry out this operation tonight, 19th/20th with the support of artillery, 6” Newtons, Stokes Mortars and Machine Guns.
War Diary entry 20th July 1918
At midnight, ‘A’ company carried out a raid and attack. The raid was unsuccessful in that it did not yield any prisoners, but the attack was more successful. The enemy was driven back over the Plate Becque, which ran between us and the enemy. Casualties - 2nd Lt H.W. Cornelius killed, 2nd Lt H.M.G. Blakeney wounded, 3 ORs killed, 2 ORs missing believed killed and 10 ORs wounded. Heavy enemy shelling during the raid, a heavy barrage of T.M.s were put up. One enemy balloon brought down by one of our planes.
Acknowledgments
Malcolm Lennox, Pat Bird, Di Vanderson, Jonty Wild
