TAYLOR, James Lindsay
| Service Numbers: | 3402, PX68 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 22 March 1917 |
| Last Rank: | Major |
| Last Unit: | 34th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Alexandria, New South Wales, Australia, 25 January 1901 |
| Home Town: | Waverley, Waverley, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Bondi PS and Sydney Technical High School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Student |
| Died: | Goroka, Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea, 1987, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Sydney Technical High School WW1 Roll Of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 22 Mar 1917: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3402, 34th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Jul 1917: | Involvement Private, 3402, 34th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Melbourne embarkation_ship_number: A16 public_note: '' | |
| 16 Jul 1917: | Embarked Private, 3402, 34th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Port Melbourne, Sydney |
World War 2 Service
| 4 Nov 1942: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Major, PX68 |
|---|
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Sydney Technical High School
James Lindsay Taylor (1901-1987) was born on the 15th of January 1901 in Alexandria, Sydney to James Taylor and Sarah Ann, he attended Sydney Technical High School from 1913 to 1915 achieving the Intermediate education certificate. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on the 22nd of March 1917 at only 16 years of age(1), however, he turned 17 before entering active combat. He was assigned to be a part of the 34th Battalion and embarked from Sydney in July of that year.
Taylor disembarked at Liverpool in September 1917 and the following month and attended Musketry School at Tidworth. He was appointed a Lance Corporal in early December 1917 and while completing a rifle course. He served at Depot in England and found himself in trouble AWL for a few hours on 9th March and he reverted to the rank of Private. He proceeded overseas to France in 12 March 1918. He was wounded on 31st March and was treated in hospital followed by time at a convalescent depot. He returned to the field 22nd April 1918. He was wounded again, this time gassed 27th May 1918. He rejoined his unit 6th July 1918. In October 1918 he was detached to the Postal Corp and returned to England. He was granted leave from 26th March 1919 until 4th October 1919 to attend Kings College at the University of London
After his discharge from the AIF in 1920 he worked as a police officer in New South Wales before transferring to Papua New Guinea in 1926. He followed his passion of exploration in Papua New Guinea leading major expeditions in the area(6). He worked there until the break of World War II where he re-enlisted for a second time in 1942(9). He served in the Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit (ANGAU) where he rose to the rank of major by 1945(7). After resigning from the AIF in 1949, he remained in New Guinea, working in many different jobs such as administration, mining and coffee farming. He also married a woman named Yerima, who was from New Guinea, they lived near Goroka, a town in New Guinea and he fathered two daughters, Daisy and Meg as well as adopting a son named Jason further increasing family ties.
Bibliography
Ken Stevenson, Research on Google Drive
Virtual War Memoria, James Lindsay Taylor https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/318279
Australian War Memorial, James Lindsay Taylor https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R2250255
National Archives of Australia. World War I Service Records, James Lindsay Taylor. (NAA: B2455, Taylor J L).
Nelson, H. (1990). “Taylor, James Lindsay (1901–1987).” Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/taylor-james-lindsay-15678
Memories: James Lindsay Taylor Life Story. https://app.memories.net/memorials/jameslindsay-taylor-56709
Papua New Guinea Association of Australia. Vale: James Lindsay Taylor. (September 1987). https://pngaa.net/Vale/vale_sept87.htm
Wikipedia contributors. “Jim Taylor (explorer).” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Taylor_(explorer)
Endnotes
1. James Lindsay Taylor’s birth date (15 January 1901) and early schooling at Sydney Technical High School are recorded in the Australian Dictionary of Biography (Nelson, 1990).
2. His enlistment in the Australian Imperial Force on 26 March 1917 and service in the 34th Battalion are detailed in his service record, National Archives of Australia (NAA: B2455, Taylor J L).
3. The battles of Passchendaele, Villers-Bretonneux, Amiens, and St Quentin Canal are listed in the 34th Battalion’s unit history and war diaries, held at the Australian War Memorial.
4. Taylor’s wounding in March 1918 by a shell splinter is confirmed in his military service records (NAA).
5. His post-war study at King’s College, University of London in 1919, and later police and patrol officer career in New Guinea, are described in the Australian Dictionary of Biography.
6. Taylor’s leadership of the 1933 Wahgi Valley patrol and the 1938–39 Hagen–Sepik patrol are covered in his entry in Wikipedia and expanded on in Papua New Guinea Association of Australia records.
7. His re-enlistment in 1942 and promotion to Major in 1945 while serving in ANGAU are listed in military service summaries (NAA; AWM).