LEATHERHEAD WAR MEMORIALS - WWI
Private Frederick Benjamin Taylor
3 Bn Royal Fusiliers
Town Memorial P8.R4.C2
Taken, Not Given, Liam Sumption, L&DLHS
PteFrederick B Taylor
3rd Royal Fusiliers
Ypres
May 24 1915
In the May 1915 issue of the Parish magazine of St Mary and St Nicholas, Leatherhead an F Taylor, Royal Fusiliers, is listed under the heading of 'In the Territorial Battalions or New Army'. (2)
His death took place during one of the most horrendous experiences ever to befall British battalion. It was one of the earliest attacks by the Germans using poison gas – against which the troops were practically unprotected.
The 3rd Royal Fusiliers were brigaded with the 2nd East Surreys at the defence of Ypres and that is why their War Diaries bear the same reference number.
The War Diary includes an attached report by Major Baker, the sole surviving officer. This includes the paragraph:
'From 8a.m. onwards I was the only
(officer) survivor. Out of a total of 880 rank and file some 70 men were
collected in a gassed condition in the rear of the line and some 150 men
remained ultimately with me. The remainder were killed, wounded or
missing."
The report was timed 8.30 a.m. and signed EW Baker, Major, Commanding. His report, which sets out what happened from 2.30 a.m. onwards makes grim reading.
At 2.30 a.m. "a thick mist was seen rising
in front of the German lines".
This was the dreaded gas. The bombardment commenced and by 5 a.m. the telephone lines to Brigade had been severed. At 7.45 a.m. Major Johns, the Commanding Officer, was wounded and this was when Major Baker took over the Battalion.
Things got so bad that Major Baker, Captains Worthington and Jackson and the Regimental Sgt. Major had to take hard measures to deal with their own retreating men and "drove them back and forced several of them to occupy part of our trenches and prevent further retirement through our line."
By 8.30 a.m. out of 17 officers, 16 were either killed, wounded or missing, leaving only Major Baker and he says "men brackets (were) passing back to dressing station in incapacitated condition".
This was the dreaded gas. The bombardment commenced and by 5 a.m. the telephone lines to Brigade had been severed. At 7.45 a.m. Major Johns, the Commanding Officer, was wounded and this was when Major Baker took over the Battalion.
Things got so bad that Major Baker, Captains Worthington and Jackson and the Regimental Sgt. Major had to take hard measures to deal with their own retreating men and "drove them back and forced several of them to occupy part of our trenches and prevent further retirement through our line."
By 8.30 a.m. out of 17 officers, 16 were either killed, wounded or missing, leaving only Major Baker and he says "men brackets (were) passing back to dressing station in incapacitated condition".
The War Diary (1) states that four officers were killed, three were wounded and missing, one was missing and eight were wounded.
The Diary is less precise about the casualties sustained by the non-commissioned personnel and simply puts the 'rank and file' as having lost 536 killed, wounded and missing.
Evidently only about 328 out of 880 emerged unscathed. Unfortunately Frederick Taylor was not numbered among them. He had lost his life.
Notes on sources
1. File W0 95–2279 – War Diary of the 3rd. Bn. Royal Fusiliers
2. Parish magazine of St Mary and St Nicholas, Leatherhead: May 1915 issue
Stop press
Soldiers Who Died in the Great War Royal Fusiliers Museum, Tower of London
Frederick Taylor No.9660: Private: killed in action 24/5/15
Born in Leatherhead: Enlisted London (Leatherhead).
Further research
| Private TAYLOR, FREDERICK BENJAMIN Service Number 9660 Died 24/05/1915 Aged 32 3rd Bn. Royal Fusiliers Son of Frederick Bengiman, and Louisa Taylor, of 304, Kingston Rd., Leatherhead Common, Leatherhead, Surrey. Commemorated at YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL Location: West-Vlaanderen, Belgium Cemetery/memorial reference: Panel 6 and 8. image: Leatherhead & Dorking Advertiser 26 June 1915 |
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Frederick enlisted in London on 17 November 1914 when employed as a bricklayer and living at 2 Woodbridge Cottage, Kingston Road, Leatherhead. He joined the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment), 3rd Battalion as a Private, service number 9660.
Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser
Saturday 3 July 1915