‘Burnley Express’ (11 May 1918)
(Kindly supplied by the website: Burnley in the Great War)
[Photograph caption]
Another missing soldier since March 21st is Pte. John Wm. Taylor, of the East Lancashire Regt., 241832, whose home is at 69 Brougham-street, Burnley. He is 23 years of age and single, and joined the Army on January 20th 1916, going out in June, 1917. He was formerly a weaver at Grays’ Livingstone Mill, and was connected with St. Saviour’s Sunday School. He first went out to Egypt, but was invalided home suffering from dysentery.
‘Burnley Express’ (01 January 1919)
(Kindly supplied by the website: Burnley in the Great War)
INFORMATION WANTED
Mr. Taylor, 69, Brougham-street, Burnley, would be glad of information regarding his son, Pte. J.W. Taylor, 241832, 1st East Lancashire Regt., “D” Coy., 13 Platoon, who has been missing since March 21st last.
HISTORY OF THE EAST LANCASHIRE REGIMENT IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918 (Littlebury Bros. Ltd. 1936)
1st Bn. East Lancashire Regiment
1918
At 5 a.m. on March 21st the expected storm burst. A terrific bombardment was heard from the direction of the front line. The battalion at once stood to, ‘C’ and ‘D’ Companies occupying the firing line of the 3rd system of defence, ‘A’ and ‘B’ Companies supporting them. So far as the battalion was concerned, the bombardment was not severe, the enemy concentrating his energies upon the front line. For about 3 or 4 hours it was a case of wait and see. At about 9:30 the bombardment of back areas increased and the battalion began to suffer casualties in ratio. It soon became obvious that the line about Bullecourt was broken, but not a word came from the front line: looking back at events it seems remarkable that the usual stragglers and walking wounded from the battle-front were conspicuous only by reason of their absence. At about 10 a.m. ‘D’ Company was ordered to form a defensive flank to the right.
In a dug-out at L’Homme Mort were situated the forward H.Q.’s of the 59th Division, the 175th and 176th Brigades. At about 1:30 p.m. the Commanding Officer received an order to report to the G.O.C. the 176th Brigade . . . The subsequent interview revealed the fact that there were no troops, that is to say no British troops, in front of Brigade H.Q. and that, in order to create a more healthy situation, it was proposed to deliver a counter-attack with two battalions against the enemy in the direction of Ecoust, the 1st East Lancashire Regiment on the left, some other battalion on the right. Colonel Earle, having received his orders, returned to his battalion to find that, during his short absence, ‘C’ and ’D’ Companies had become so involved as to forbid their withdrawal. Undismayed, he collected ‘A’ and ‘B’ Companies . . . These he led by the sunken road to the neighbourhood of L’Homme Mort and again reported to the G.O.C. 176th Brigade. Happily the battalion which was to have co-operated in the proposed counter-attack, was not forthcoming and ‘A’ and ‘B’ Companies were, therefore, ordered to occupy the untenanted firing line of the 3rd system in front of L’Homme Mort, extending to the right as far as the Mory-Ecoust road. These two companies, admirably led, reached their position in the nick of time, forestalling the enemy by a matter of seconds. Any hesitation on their part would have proved fatal. Thanks to these two gallant company commanders and the brave men who followed them, not only were very heavy casualties inflicted upon the enemy, but the H.Q. of the two brigades also were saved, who, covered by these two companies, were able to retire unmolested with all their papers and returns, if with no troops.
Never was nightfall more blessed by an officer commanding a battalion of which one half was serving in one division, the other in another.
[John William Taylor was killed in action on the 21st March.]
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