Pte 52930 Harry Taylor

• Age: 25
• From: Derby
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Friday 22nd March 1918
• Commemorated at: Pozieres Memorial
  Panel Ref: P21-23

Harry Taylor was born in and resided in Derby the son of William George and Rebecca Taylor (nee Grace) who had married in June 1883. 

On the 1901 census the family are living in 11 Court, house 26 Bridge Gate in Derby.

Father William 39 sadler? for blacksmith, mother Rebecca 37, children Mary A. 18, Elina J. 15, James W. 13 boot lace worker, Charles 11, Harry 8, Emma 7, Ann R. 5, Charlotte E. 3, William L. 1 (All the children were born in Derby).

 His mother Rebecca died in September 1910 aged 46

On the 1911 census the family have moved to 1 Gilman St, Derby. 

Widowed father William aged 49 a blacksmith (had been married 28 years 13 children 12 still alive), children Harry is 19 an iron works labourer, Emma 16, Annie 14 lace factory worker, William 10, Francis 8, Olive 6, Joseph 4.

He enlisted in Derby and was formerly 23155, Nottingham and Derbyshire Regiment. The amount of the War Gratuity suggests that he served for two and a half years, enlisting in about September 1915.His medal index card shows he also served as 24155 in the Lancashire Fusiliers. He was serving in the 17^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 52930 when he was killed in action on the 22nd March 1918 during the German Spring Offensive.  

At the time of his death, the 17th Battalion had been ordered to the defence of the area around Atilly, to try to counter the rapid German advance. At 6.30 am ’D’ Company was sent to help the 2/5th Battalion The Gloucestershire Regiment to counter attack the Germans in the area of Holnon Wood, which it did successfully. Four hours later, the Battalion was ordered to move to a position know as Aviation Wood, to join the Headquarters of the 21st Brigade, but because of heavy shellfire, this move took four hours, and by the time the 17th Battalion had got there, the HQ and staff of the Brigade had gone. Then, as the Germans were making a strong attack at nearby Flesquires, the Battalion deployed around the wood. Eventually at 18.30 orders were received that all 30th Division troops had to withdraw to Ham, and the Battalion accordingly pulled back, reaching the town at around 21.30.

He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial.

The POZIERES MEMORIAL relates to the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and the months that followed before the Advance to Victory, which began on 8 August 1918. The Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918.

The cemetery and memorial were designed by W.H. Cowlishaw, with sculpture by Laurence A. Turner. The memorial was unveiled by Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien on 4 August 1930.

His medals were applied for by Mr W.G.Taylor of 35 Boyer Street, Derby.

We currently have no further information on Harry Taylor, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.