Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

James Alfred TAYLOR, known as Jim, was born 23 Oct 1874 in the Ashton on Lyne district of Lancashire the child of Joseph and Jane Taylor. Other than his baptism I have not found anything about this man until his arrival on the Wooroolin Electoral roll in 1913. His father was living in the town of Ossett, Yorkshire per Jims Army file.
Jim Taylor enlisted in the Australian Army at Brisbane in Mar 1916 at the same time as other young men from Wooroolin. A photo was taken of Jim with Harold Stanton and another yet unidentified soldier and sent to their friend Hilda Hubbert whose family owned the Commercial Hotel at Wooroolin. Thanks Betty Fielder for giving me a copy of your Mums photo.
He was assigned to the Machine Gun Company 7, Reinforcement 4 and his unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board RMS Orontes on 16 August 1916.
His army records show that 41 year old James was 5ft 7 inches tall with dark complexion, hazel eyes and black hair. His distinguishing features were 2 Vacs on left arm and a scar on left foot and he was Church of England denomination.
Jim was transferred to 11th Machine Gun Company in Nov 1916 and served in both France and Belgium. Whilst at Ploegstraat, Belgium on 10 Jun 1917 Jim received a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was struck by a Shrapnel bullet in the left pubic region and went down downwards into the left thigh. Jim was sent to No 1 AAH, Harefield to be operated on and recover.
Another learning curve for me! No 1 AAH, Harefield was Harefield House Hospital (No. 1 Australian Auxiliary Hospital).
In November 1914 Mr and Mrs Charles Billyard-Leake, Australians resident in the UK, offered their home, Harefield Park House and its grounds, to the Minister of Defence in Melbourne for use as a convalescent home for wounded soldiers of the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF). The offer was accepted by the Commonwealth Defence Department and the property became the No. 1 Australian Auxiliary Hospital in December 1914. It was the only purely Australian hospital in England. In 1919, Middlesex County Council bought Harefield Park to provide additional sanatorium accommodation for the Middlesex County Hospital for the use of tuberculosis patients, with the Government contributing £38,400 towards the cost. After becoming part of the NHS in 1948, Harefield first became a general hospital and then a specialist heart and lung centre. Courtesy https://houseandheritage.org/2018/08/29/harefield-park/
Originally it was estimated that the house would accommodate fifty soldiers under winter conditions and 150 during spring and summer. At the height of its use it accommodated over 1,000 beds and had a large nursing and ancillary support staff.
On 31 Jul 1917 Jim was considered unfit for general service and temporarily unfit for home service for 6 months by the Officer in charge of Hospital and returned to Australia on-board the “Borda” on 26 Sep 1917. He entered the 6th Australian General Hospital on 26 Nov 1917 and was discharged from the army on 29 Dec 1917.
During his service Jim committed two “crimes”! Smoking on Deck for which he was fined 1 days’ pay and overstaying furlough by 1 day for which he was fined 2 days pay.
After his release from hospital Jim Taylor returned to Wooroolin and he was very active in the RSSLIA branch that was formed in 1919. There are several articles where he represented the Wooroolin Tingoora branch at the district conferences during the 1920’s at Pialba, Howard and Kingaroy. He even nominated Wooroolin to hold one during 1921/22 which was recorded in an article in Maryborough Chronicle in Jan 1922.

In Jun 1926 at a Diggers Ball held at Weicks Hall in Wooroolin, J Taylor, an old friend of the Cavanagh family, responded to a speech at the presentation of a gift to Kate Cummings, nee Cavanagh, as a thank you for her continued help for all patriotic and soldiers needs both during and after the war. Kate’s brother John Cavanagh enlisted 3 days after Jim Taylor and served in the 4th Machine Gun Squadron during WW1.

The Wooroolin Tingoora RSLLIA group closed due to lack of members in the late 1920’s perhaps early 1930’s. It had been recorded in the article on the 1927 district meeting that many of the very active workers had left the district.
Jim Taylor moved to Bundaberg sometime between 1928 and 1932 where he died, aged 58. Jim is buried at Bundaberg General Cemetery.

This story started with a photo shared by Betty Fiedler of 3 young soldiers, one being James Taylor. After some research I found Harold Staton Service No 332 who is also on the Wooroolin WW1 Honour Board and was also in the Machine Gun Company 7 and embarked on the same ship. The third man is still a mystery.
Lest We Forget