TAYLOR, James Balfour Harcus
| Service Number: | 606 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 5 September 1914, Oaklands, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Second Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 52nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Wilcannia, New South Wales, Australia, 15 July 1893 |
| Home Town: | Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Wilcannia Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in action, Mouquet Farm, France, 3 September 1916, aged 23 years |
| Cemetery: |
Serre Road Cemetery No.1 Plot VII, Row E, Grave No. 20. |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Broken Hill Railwaytown War Memorial, Wilcannia War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 5 Sep 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 606, 12th Infantry Battalion, Oaklands, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 1914: | Involvement Private, 606, 12th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Hobart embarkation_ship: HMAT Geelong embarkation_ship_number: A2 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Oct 1914: | Embarked Private, 606, 12th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Geelong, Hobart | |
| 3 Sep 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 52nd Infantry Battalion | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement 606, 52nd Infantry Battalion |
Help us honour James Balfour Harcus Taylor's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Jim was born in the remote NSW town of Wilcannia in 1893. His Dad was very ill in hospital for much of Jim’s life. His mother, Elizabeth, supported herself and a daughter as a travelling midwife in the Broken Hill-Wilcannia region. In December 1912 Jim was working in the Gas Works at Broken Hill.
Both Jim and his brother Bill volunteered for service and Jim enlisted in September 1914. He went to Morphettville in South Australia and joined the AIF.
From Egypt, Jim was sent to Gallipoli where he took part in the landing on 25th April 1915. A letter to his brother describes his experiences and although he was wounded and sent back to hospital in Cairo to recover, he considered himself very lucky to have survived. In July 1915 he was back on Gallipoli and wrote in another letter that he was now getting used to being constantly under fire from the Turks and no longer so nervous about being hit.
In December 1915 while still in Egypt Jim was promoted to Corporal, then in March 1916 while moving from Egypt to France he was transferred to 52nd Battalion and almost at the same time promoted to Sergeant. On 26 August 1916 he was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant but was killed in action one week later on 3 September 1916, during the heavy fighting at Mouquet Farm.
His remains were discovered during 1923, and his identity disc was returned to his mother during 1924. Two badly damaged watches were also found and his mother also pleaded to be sent them, despite their condition.
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