The Soldier's Details

Taylor enlisted AIF 23 July 1940 a butcher by trade and residing with his parents at George St, Queens Park.   Later joining 2/4th’s ‘B’ Company Headquarters as a driver under Commanding Officer Capt. Bunning.

As a POW in Singapore Taylor was sent via Japan ‘B’ Party Korea departing 16 August 1942 firstly to Keijo (blast furnace 25/9/1942-13/9/1943) followed by Konan (warehouse 14/9/1943-21/9/1945) from where he was recovered.

Sometime in March 1943 a postcard from Jack arrived at the Taylor home in George Street, Queens Park to the absolute thrill for his mother ‘Pearl’ Taylor.  This card was the first confirmation Jack was alive.  The card was titled ‘Service de Prisonniers de Guerre’ translated to  ‘Service of Prisoner of War’ was inscribed with Japanese characters and sent from Chosen (the Japanese name for Korea).  This was about 4,700 km from Singapore where Jack had been taken POW.

It began with he words:

‘My darling mother’

It contained several short sentences:

‘I am interned Chosen (Korea) War Prisoners Camp.              I am in the best of health.                                                        I go out on working parties and receive pay.                            I wrote to you from Singapore in June.                                    I am allowed to receive letters and parcels.                Sergeant Fitzpatrick was killed in action. (WX9039 Richard Newell, a driver with Headquarters Company)                        Take care of Dorothy.                                                       Send my love to her and the rest of the family.                Jack Taylor’

In comparison to the postcards written and sent from Burma, Thailand etc, POWs in Korea were permitted to write a lot more information – although I imagine the sentences were set out by the Japanese for the men to chose.

Jack’s family would not hear from him again until Japan’s surrender in August 1945.

Read further – Korea – Destination for Ted Roots, Jack Taylor, Jim Clancy, Bill Gray and Hubert ‘Dutchy’ Holland.

Read Jack’s affidavit prepared for War Crimes Commission re the beating of Private Arthur Clarke by Lieutenant Tenada, Taylor v Tenada.

Jack Taylor WX4986 was sent from Singapore to Keijo onboard ‘Fukai’ Maru in 1942 arrived Keijo and began working at the blast furnace 25 Oct 1942 through to 13 Oct 1943. (he was then moved to Konan warehouse from 14 Oct 1943 to 21 Sept 1945.

 

Members of 8th Platoon From rear left R E Carruthers, D N Russell, G H Edwards, J A Taylor (B Coy HQ)  and L H Lee.

 

 

Below:  news of Jack and Bill Gray.

 

Jack was born Greenbushes in 1914 to George Taylor and Florence Victoria  (Pearl) Raison who married Armadale 1901.  Jack was youngest of 8 children.

Below:  Jack’s maternal grandmother Emily Raison died in 1932.

George Taylor died Queens Park in 1956 and Jack’s mother Pearl  died Mt Lawley in 1970.

According to 1949 Electoral Roll, Jack and Dot were residing 74 Bishopsgate St, Carlisle and he was again working as a butcher – his trade prior to enlisting in 1940.

Jack Taylor enlisted at Claremont with his mate ‘Blue’ Ernest Edgar Hambley who was issued with number WX4991.   Their friendship continued throughout the war and later the two men became business partners – Hambley & Taylor, Grocers.  They later developed a co-op with other independent grocers and the Foodland chain was developed.  They had 3 shops, the first, largest and most successful continued to exist in 2015, owned by Blue’s son Alwyn.

 

Sadly Jack developed alzheimers and spent his final days at Lemnos Hospital where his wife and family visited daily to feed and tend to him.  Several 2/4th mates visited Jack regularly including Ron Badock and John Gilmour.

Jack Taylor passed away Anzac Day, 25 April 1980 aged 65 years. His devoted wife Dot passed away 22 June 2012.  Jack Taylor and Jessie Dorothy ‘Dot’ Strang married at St Andrews Church, Adelaide Tce, Perth on 15 December 1945.

 

 

 

Height 5′ 7″

 

 

Printed Western Mail Perth 3 January, 1946.