| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
John was born in Beverley in 1894 and baptised in St Nicholas Church, the son of John Nevison Taylor, a builder, a rat catcher and throughout his 60s and early 70s, the licensee of the Travellers Rest on Beckside, and Edith, John seniors second wife.
John was a tanner's labourer but at the start of the war, aged 20, he enlisted together with a number of his Flemingate and Beckside friends and neighbours with the 5th Yorkshire Regiment, the Beverley Braves, arriving in France on 18 Apr 1915. John's photograph appears in the 17 Jul 1915 edition of the Beverley Guardian reporting he had been wounded. The 5th Yorkshire's War Diary tells they had been billeted in farmhouses at Dranoutre and in the trenches "holding the line" between Ypres and Armentieres. John recovered sufficiently to return to France. His army medal card gives a second service number and shows a transfer to 2/4 West Riding Regiment although it is not clear when this happened.
At the time of the German Spring offensive in Mar 1918 Private John Nevison Taylor was south of Arras at Achiet le Petit, John was killed in action on 26 Mar 1918. The Beverley Guardian reported his death on 13 Apr 1918 and his photograph appeared on 25 May 1918, the caption saying son of John Nevison Taylor of The Travellers Rest and brother of Mrs William Holliday.
John is remembered with honour at Gommecourt British Cemetery No 2, Hebuterne, Pas de Calais. He is also recorded on Beverley Hengate Memorial and on the Independent Order of Oddfellows Memorial in the Memorial Hall, Beverley.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |