Berkshire Chronicle Reading 03-1915

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Ex-Serg'1~nt •

"'Ta;1~or;' ;Jr, ~e "M:ilj:tllr'y
Mounted 1l()J,j,ce,
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<'l:~)'lor!. ()f _BE
, 'gent;
8Iroo\" Real~8i hav,r .~,a~8e" t,q " l>e, P.TOlla. of.

who are g ..l1a,n tIy s'!r;v-,qg ~~~ii~
co~ntry, Beading &"amlili 0l~u& ~.yJor'
the t:o,:p~~ de,~troyoa~.
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in the frunous fig1i~ \ll: the, '
of
land, whi1~ Ithll. younger- "j>n.
T.aYWf, 56t~ }i' i.eld <fori1p~n.T of
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smOOTS. has recently ,boon
dispatches. Ha h8.d (&8 already
the :
" C:hronic~n PJ;evjously :.!!'Ceive~( .:~a:~ fr!lm the ,
Major-Gener al co~ma~~lM th~ &i~J8lonl ' ,8.t~tiDg
thai he ha? l'6CelVed"t~O 'r~~rt of hte conspICUOUS
bravery :wlth m\l,c.p - pleaaure" lIP_ct h&:d forwa.rded
< 'it to hillher authori.t,,-,o,," :r~~gnition:', Th~ !>r\\ve
deeq winch wDD _him ,lhe lionour "from Sir J~n
, French was io ·
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Constructing wiro. ~eangle'Jneri'ta in front of
the GOrdons' 'treD<lheS,. e enemy being only~30
yards '1way.
T~el e emy r cl>iild actuillly' be
. h~ard tall<lDg, a'!ii "
was ' ,~ee~. .'t q fight his,
pipe.
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ThIS 'work .... r,n ed tile mentlcn '-;;"' <Â¥spatcbes for
Corporal Taylor !,nd. Sergeant B~l~ock.
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, SEAMA,N'S B~ANIQ:i' nJJ;iIlI:'ED.
Seaman Tayl?r. who ~ aLso 'secondclass. gun.laJ'!lr, who has ju;it been hon:;,& f-or &even
days' leave, was, ' like ' his br~tlier, etlucated .. t
Newtown . Council ' School. Readihg, aDd 81 member o~ .the fO?tball te!"m. , He went as a ' boy on
.. traIDmg Ship, and 18 .nV:W 25.,' ,~T./:Iis is hil3.:iret "
leave sinoe April, ,for .. priq.I;.:.tO ' th~ ~r ' he . 'f88
eng.~ed. with his . ~hii>, o/f'-.thi" c~asi 'of _!J;lsq,r,
watching the gun·runni,og. The · ;An:iol¥ic!ide was
heavily engaged in the flsM' iii 'the ' Bigp't qf Hell·
goland. but n-ot on. of the, cre.w was ,injitrQd, ' an'd
' tlfe shiJl returned" safely to port.,. It i,Ij note··
worthy tba.t tho' W""I<,t in,. T ..ylor's hammock was.
, rr iddled with . bullete.
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Corporal Taylor was a\"o:pn lea..o , reCently. but
since his return to the tr~pehes he hM Again been',
in some severe figbth\/l: ,;;!t is , ~iIte"elitiiig that
both h . and ' Se'rgel;'nt '1'. P . N9trie ,ishouJd' have
been melltio,!oo , in ~i~VBt(!bes; .'f~·' C<><:.J!~r .. t -T!,y,:
'lor (!\S well 9B hiB B"'l~~ b.rB~h·er). :wM'Jormerly in
St. Bartholomew,'.. chOl'r,' !!oDd . l~ hta l~ t~!'8 he'
frequ.enUy mentions' that be , h",!, , ~e.en ' " " l'OTnll)Y :' ,
, ~Orr1S. IlIl thl\t very . popuIin , 'lollng. &Q~d.Ier IS '
<lesignat2<f. Corpora1 1l'a:ylor hl\ll take~ ,p.art in
. seven engagements, beginning at; .the" pattle . of .
Mons. and on one occasion · Cltorl1ioo la ' w~)Unded ·
soldier on the back of h is ' licycte, .lov some,. d",.
Lance. H e is 22 years of, age and h88 6~~D four
years' service.
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EXTRACTS FROM' DIARY;' '
WhIle he ws.s 1\1. the f~ont prio;
c6ini ng home
on leave he kept a diary, and 8~"e ex..~i~lie, ~hel'e·
from will be in~e\'es ting, e/)De<!ially &S_ .they .. w,o\v
the dangera whleh ,have to be faced by· tlie brave '
"men who belong to the Royal E ug~neer8 . ' . ,
Auguat 22nd.- Entered Belgium; . . t~emendoU8
receptioll . 9-orman monoplane 8et.1On fire by rifle '
tire. Put Mons in a. state of defence. rifle 'piti!, '
tete.
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August 23rd.- Batlle 'of Morts ' oolnmencJJ at 9
B.m. Attached to Middj cs~ x R eg-imenli', ~ ' .No·: 4
~ect,on d etall ed for, d ~molition of, ,!>ridge, " Noth·
Ing &,een of them SInce.
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Octo her . 2oth .-Section Plit entanglement
. front of 'trenchcs I\t nigh t.
Myself and
sappere it work . in Irish Rifles. '
1"",1 h eavily IdU,rin~ the ~BY.
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. Octobe,r 27.tll.-No. 2 ' Section built pontoon
b ~ldde
, Nellvre 'Chappelle bomb~rded .to
a heap of ruills .
Night work abandoned. Stood
t.) _ armS all ' night.
Oct.obor 2Bth.-Br ought wounded man on back
off:my bicycle to dressmg station.
Fired lIt by
sniper.
Sh ~ts hit road just behind my oicycle.
Octooor 2()th ....:....This was sOID-2what Il fateful
,day. . NQS-.._l and 2 - Seclions adva.nce to burn
down houses, u nder h eavy ... rtillery fire.
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S!\ge a,lo,ng- m~ill roOd rendered, difficult ~ IIhe1l
and riOc fire .
Sections actually in· firmg line
trencheB .
One killed '; thr~e wounded. '
Oc~'ler ~Otli."":'Preparirig . en'tan~le.mentB by
dav. . Sbelled out of "i11ag,~ in the afternoon.
,.N~~bmoer l lRt.":"~d· a mOllt comfortable sleep
cowshed with two cows.
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-N,Jve,mller I 5th:-O;t -<iil/ging support trenches.
cannonade.in great ba.ttle. ,
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9th':-Work in 'front of trenches at
ment. . Very risky job.
"".-,,",,1 wor'rfed bif 8hells! "J lick
CI\Hed which ' m .. ke Ruge craters.
ot Wi lts Regi.ment. · Comijlunica·
[OsS road.
Digging in water. '
iJ(,~~:;P'~~;;; on way back.
Spare bul·