Name
Ernest George Taylor
1899
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/10/1918
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
56750
Lancashire Fusiliers
18th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Mercantile Marine War Medal
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
VICHTE MILITARY CEMETERY
II. A. 2.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
THY WILL BE DONE
UK & Other Memorials
Bishop's Stortford Town Memorial,
Pre War
Ernest George Taylor was born in Greenhithe/Swanscombe, Kent, in 1899, the only child of John and Matilda Taylor. On the 1901 Census they were living at Sunderland Wharf Cottages, Swanscombe and his father was working as a coal porter. By the 1911 Census they were living at 38 Chadwell Road, Grays, Essex and Ernest was a schoolboy with his father working as Steam Crane Driver for the Tilbury Contracting Company.
Wartime Service
Ernest enlisted in Romford, Essex and served with the 18th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers. He was originally missing presumed dead on 31 October 1918 but his body, along with five other Lancashire Fusiliers, was located and reinterred in the Vichte Military Cemetery in Belgium. He was killed during an attack on German machine gun posts at Tieghem with the 19th Durham Light Infantry. It was ultimately successful with heavy German casualties, 150 prisoners, and the capture of 30 machine guns. Ernest was one of 13 missing in action that day, there were also 10 killed, including two officers, and 68 wounded.
Additional Information
Mr G W Taylor, 38 Chadwell Road, Grays, Essex ordered the headstone inscription: "THY WILL BE DONE". His father received a war gratuity of £7 10s and pay owing of £20 7s. His mother received a pension of 10 shillings a week from 8 July 1919
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
