Page 13 - WW1 - 1916

Redditch Local History Society Remembering Redditch Residents & WW1

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The Bromsgrove, Droitwich and Redditch Messenger – Saturday 1 January
1916

Redditch Constable’s Death – Further details are to hand of the death in action at
Gallipoli of Corporal Taylor, of the Royal Marines. He was a member of the County
Constabulary for three years, and divided his time between the headquarters and Redditch.
Recalled to the colours on the outbreak of war he was with those who covered the exodus
from Antwerp. Writing of his death, Lance-Sergeant Phelan says: “The Royal Marines landed
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on April 29 to reinforce a certain regiment. We went into the trenches about midnight. I
can remember Corporal Taylor saying to me ‘Stick it like a brick if it kills you.’ He was the
best friend I had, and did many great deeds. The first night he went out and caught a sniper,
and later, when all his men’s water was gone, he went over open ground to fetch it. The
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men had already been without water for three days. On May 3 , when the New Zealanders
were hard pressed, we went to help them early in the morning. – about 5.30am. We had got
to the top of ‘Death’s Valley,’ where there were some large rocks. Poor Taylor took his men
to the left so as to get to the trenches first, but I took my men to the right of it. When we got
to the trenches Taylor, or ‘Buck’ as we called him was smiling. I went out about midday and
found him and ten others, quite dead. They had been shot through the back with a maxim.
In conclusion the writer says “When I got him I lost my best pal.”

© RLHS 2014 Page: 13