John William Taylor (1894–1976)

Corporal

Royal Army Medical Corps 47335  
Royal Engineers WR/567223 & 248877  

Photo courtesy Jenny Smith

Photo of John William Taylor in WW1

Biography
John William Taylor was born at the Derbyshire hamlet of Two Dales, near Darley Dale, on 13th December 1894. He was the oldest of the seven children of Herbert Taylor and Hannah Barker. By 1911 the family had moved from Two Dales to live at Whatstandwell. Prior to his military service John was employed locally as a railway clerk.
He initially served as a Private with the Royal Army Medical Corps before being transferred to the Royal Engineers with whom he served as a Sapper before being promoted to the rank of Corporal. He entered the Western Front on 7th June 1915. In April 1916 during his furlough, John married Lilian Maud Viner at Wirksworth. Family recollections are that John was the first man from the local area to be married in military uniform. They would later have two daughters.
After the war, John and his family moved to the West Riding of Yorkshire where he was employed as the station master at Damems railway station, on the Worth Valley line. Around the time of the Second World War, John was transferred to Leeds City railway station where he served as an inspector until his retirement.
Following the death of his wife in 1972, John William Taylor passed away at Leeds in August 1976, aged eighty-one years.

Medal Roll Index Card
He was awarded the Victory, British war and 15 Star Medals
Entered France 7 June 1915

John’s brothers Herber Taylor and Joseph Henry Taylor are also on the Roll of Honour, as is his brother-in-law, George Andrew Hughes.

CENSUS INFORMATION

1901: Darley Dale

Forename Surname Relationship Age Occupation Where born
Herbert Taylor Head 29 Railway porter Weston Super Mare
Hannah Taylor wife 30   Darley Dale
John W Taylor son 6   Darley Dale
Herbert Taylor son 5   Darley Dale
Joseph H Taylor son 3   Darley Dale
Ada Taylor daughter 2   Darley Dale

RG13 piece 3266 folio 53 page 17

Cannot find him in 1911 unless he is John Taylor born 1894 at Wensley working as farm labourer at Cromford.

1939 Register:
John W Taylor b.13 December 1894; ticket collector LMS railway, traines as guard, fireman & inspector; ARP services railway
Lilian M Taylor b.23 March 1889
two closed records