The O'Leary Collection—Medals of The Royal Canadian Regiment

190111 Private William Henry Taylor

91st Canadian Overseas Battalion
1st Canadian Infantry Battalion

By: Capt (ret'd) Michael M. O'Leary, CD, The RCR

William Henry Taylor was born in Birmingham, England, on 11 Dec 1880. Taylor's family, led by parents William and Jane, can be found in the 1881 census for England. Not yet a year old at the time of the census, William Henry joined three older siblings in the household, Mary C. (6), Louisa (5), and Richard (3).

Taylor emigrated to Canada in 1907. He sailed from Liverpool, Eng., aboard the Canadian Pacific liner S.S. Lake Erie on the 3rd of July and disembarked at Quebec ten days later. The passenger manifest for the vessel identified his trade as "plumber" and his intended destination was Hamilton, Ont.

By the time of the 1911 Canadian census, Taylor had moved to Talbotville, Ont. He is shown in the census record as a boarder at the home of George and Annie Powles. Taylor's trade is noted as labourer in "cement work."

At the age of 31, William Taylor married 29-year-old spinster Jennie Gunning at Talbotville on 27 Dec 1911. Jennie was the daughter of William and Margaret (nee Rollins) Gunning of Talbotville. Both bride and groom gave their current residence as the Village of Talbotville.

Taylor attested for service in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (C.E.F.) with the 91st Overseas Battalion at St. Thomas, Ont., on 23 Mar 1916. A 35-year-old cement contractor, Taylor was described on his attestation paper as 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 158 pounds, with a 39-inch chest, a clear complexion, brown eyes, and brown hair. His religious denomination was Methodist. Under prior service, Taylor stated on his attestation paper that he had previously served for seven years with the 5th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, a Militia battalion in England. Taylor identified his wife, Mrs. Jennie Taylor, as his next of kin. On attesting with the 91st Battalion, Taylor was given the regimental number 190111.

The 91st Battalion (Elgin), CEF, was authorized on 22 Dec 1915. The unit recruited in the County of Elgin and was formed at St. Thomas, Ont. On arrival overseas, the 91st Battalion's troops were absorbed by the 12th, 35th, 36th, 37th, 38th and 39th Reserve Battalion(s) from which units most went on to serve as reinforcements for front line units in France and Flanders.

On 8 Jun 1916, three weeks before the battalion sailed for England, Taylor was promoted to Lance Corporal. He and the 91st Battalion sailed from Halifax, N.S., on 29 Jun 1916, crossing the Atlantic aboard the S.S. Olympic.

Commencing July, 1916, Taylor established a monthly Pay Assignment of $20 to be sent to his wife. As a Private in the C.E.F., Taylor was paid $1.00 per day plus an additional ten cents daily field allowance. His pay assignment represented about two-thirds of his monthly pay. Jennie Taylor also received $20 monthly Separation Allowance, which began in May, 1916.

Taylor disembarked at Liverpool, Eng., on 5 Jul 1916. As the battalion was broken up to feed the Canadian Corps' need for individual reinforcements to replace battlefield losses, but not new units, he was transferred to the 36th Reserve Battalion ten days later on 15 Jul 1916.

After nearly six weeks with the 36th Res. Bn., Taylor was transferred. In order to join a draft of soldiers heading for France, on 22 Aug 1916 he reverted to the rank of Private at his own request. This was necessary because units at the front did not need new non-commissioned officers without trench experience. The units promoted from within their own ranks to fill vacancies in higher ranks and they needed new soldiers to replace losses in the ranks.

Once again a private soldier, Taylor was transferred to the 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion on 24 Aug 1916. Two days later he joined the Canadian Base Depot (C.B.D.) at Havre as a reinforcement waiting to join his unit. Taylor left the C.B.D. on 12 Sep 1916 and joined the 1st Battalion in the field three days later while the unit was out of the front line trenches and in Corps Reserve.

The 1st Cdn. Inf. Bn. was one of the units formed at Camp Valcartier in 1914 and sailed to England as a unit of the First Canadian Contingent. The unit was formed from drafts of soldiers from Militia units in South-Western Ontario and many of its later soldiers would come from the same part of Canada. The 1st Battalion was the first infantry unit of 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade of the 1st Canadian Division. Leaving Canada over 1000 strong, the unit required about another 1000 reinforcements for every 12 months it fought on the Western Front.

Taylor reached the battalion as it marched from its billets in Corps Reserve and moved towards the fighting line. As the battalions of the 1st Cdn. Div. marched toward the sound of the guns, they were preparing to reinforce or to relieve the units of the Second and Third Divisions which attacked towards Courcellete on 15 Sep 1916.

The 1st Battalion's turn came again on 20 Sep 1916 when the unit relieved the 4th Cdn. Bn. in the forward trenches that evening. The next day the battalion repulsed two enemy bombing attacks, countering with their own bombers matching the enemy's grenade volleys and followed by the artillery of both sides shelling the respective enemy trenches. The enemy's artillery would take its toll on the battalion over the next few days.

On the evening of 22 Sep 1916, the 1st Battalion went forward in the attack to capture Courcellette. By morning, the new line held was to the east of the town and the enemy's effort were split between digging their new trench line where they had been pushed back and conducting bombing raids on the new Canadian lines. In the early morning hours of 24 Sep 1916, The 1st Battalion was relieved in the trenches by the 3rd Cdn Inf Bn. and marched to billets in Warloy and within a few days, to rest billets in Halloy les Pernois. The month of September had been costly for the 1st Battalion, the War Diary noting casualties that month included nine officers, and from the ranks: 68 killed, 332 wounded, and 40 missing.

A return to the Corps Reserve role kept the 1st Battalion away from the dangers of the front line between 24 Sep and 4 Oct 1916. During this period the unit spent a few days on the march as it changed sectors of the battlefield and over 130 new reinforcements were absorbed into the battalion's ranks to replace some of the previous month's losses.

On the evening of 5 Oct 1916, the battalion returned to the front line trenches, relieving the 21st Cdn. Inf. Bn. Relieved in turn by the 4th Battalion, the 1st Battalion moved into Brigade Support trenches on the night of 7 Oct 1916. In this role they worked to improve their positions and dug new trenches to consolidate the new front line sector.

Returning to the front line on the night of 9 Oct, the battalion's War Diary reported "Considerable activity by artillery during night." One of the wounded was Pte. William Taylor and on 9 Oct 1916, he was admitted to the 1st Australian General Hospital suffering from a Shot Wound ("S.W.," which could refer to injury by bullet shrapnel ball, or shell splinter) caused by shrapnel that is described in his records as "perforating superficial wound of left forearm."

A cable was sent to his wife to inform her of Taylor's wounding and status. Despatched on 16 Oct 1916, it read "Admitted to No. 1 Australian General Hospital, Rouen, 9th Oct 1916, Wounded, left arm." Taylor was evacuated to England aboard the hospital ship H.S. Caris Castle and on 17 Oct 1916, he was admitted to 1st Southern General Hospital, Birmingham

On evacuation from the continent, Taylor was transferred from the 1st Cdn. Inf. Bn. to the Canadian Casualty Assembly Centre (C.C.A.C.). This administering unit was responsible for soldiers while they were assessed for either further treatment or return to duty. Within the 1st Southern General Hospital's network, Taylor was transferred again and admitted to Harborne Hall Auxiliary Hospital (Birmingham) on 20 Oct 1916. he remained here until 16 Nov 1916 when he was sent to the Canadian Convalescent Hospital at Woodcote Park, Epsom.

As Taylor's physical condition improved, he continued to move through the medical system. On 5 Dec 1916 he was discharged from the Convalescent Hospital and attached from the C.C.A.C. to the Canadian Casualty Depot (C.C.D.). Three days later, his medical category was assessed as "A1," fit for active service.

On 31 Jan 1917, Taylor was discharged from the C.C.D. at St. Leonard to the 4th Reserve Battalion. Instead of proceeded back overseas to France, he remained with this unit throughout 1917. On 24 Apr 1917, he was appointed to the rank of Acting Lance Corporal, initially without the additional pay for the rank, but then receiving the pay after 1 Jun 1917. Taylor was promoted again, to Acting Corporal (with pay), on 16 Nov 1917.

Taylor was admitted Connaught Hospital at Aldershot on 3 Jan 1918. His condition was assessed as seriously ill with a diagnosis of broncho-pneumonia. The following day a cable was sent to Jennie Taylor informing her of her husband's condition. One day later she received another cable, this one informed her of his death.

The case notes recorded at Connaught Hospital summarize Taylor's disease and demise:

"Disease: Miliary T.B., Broncho-pneumonia.

"Patient was admitted with extreme cyanosis and dsypnoea [shortness of breath], temp 104°. He had bad broncho-pneumonia and died on the third day after admission. There was history of cough since August 1917 and postmortem revealed extensive miliary tubercules. Lungs showed [??] old cavity at apex and tubercular broncho-pneumonic foci also in spleen and kidneys."

William Henry Taylor died of pneumonia at Connaught Hospital, Aldershot, on 5 Jan 1918. He is buried in the Aldershot Military Cemetery. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission register for the cemetery includes this entry for him: "TAYLOR, Cpl. W.H., 190111. 1st Bn. Canadian Inf. (Western Ontario Regt.). 5th Jan., 1918. Husband of Jennie Taylor, of Talbotville Royal, Ontario. AA. C.17."

For his service in the C.E.F., Taylor was entitled to receive the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. These were despatched to Jennie at Talbotville on 10 Jan 1923. She also received the Memorial Plaque and Scroll and a silver Memorial Cross. Taylor's mother, Mrs. T.H. Taylor, 46 Summer Rd., Erdington, Birmingham, Eng., would also receive a silver Memorial Cross. The plaque and crosses would be despatched in 1923.

After Taylor's death, his wife Jennie was eligible to receive a War Service Gratuity of $180. This was decreased by the amount of $80 which she had previously received as a Special Pension Bonus. The remaining $100 was sent to her on 29 Jul 1920.

For many years, a large memorial tablet was displayed in the Talbotville United Church. This tablet named three soldiers from the parish who died during the Great War, these were William Taylor, 190099 Pte. Elmer C. Yeandle, and 190158 Pte. Guy H. Clark. All three men had enlisted with the 91st Battalion. The plaque is currently in the collection of the St. Thomas Military Museum.

Pro Patria

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