Taylor, W E

,

William Ernest Taylor

Family/Last name:
Taylor
Forename(s) and initial(s):
William Ernest
Nationality:
British
Military Unit:
British Army, Royal Army Ordnance Corps
Camp
Stalag VIIIB Lamsdorf / Stalag 344
Data sources
Other Sources (Relative's report)
View a commemorative certificate for this prisoner

From: Steven Taylor
Date: Sun, December 7, 2014

My father, William Ernest Taylor, was captured and taken to Stalag VIIIB
during WW2. He stated this while alive. He was assigned to the UK Royal
Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC), Glasgow Highlanders (Highland Light Infantry)
Division and, according to the copy of his war records that I obtained
from the UK Ministry of Defence, he was declared “Missing on evacuation of
Unit to UK” on 7th June 1940. This would have made him part of the British
Expeditionary Force and probably in the landings at Dunkirk. Later, during
the PoW period, the RAOC was renamed Royal Electrical and Mechanical
Engineers (REME).

As is usual for so many, my father spoke very little to his children about
his wartime experiences. However, he did say that he had escaped from
Stalag VIIIB and was on the run for an un-stated period. During this time, he
(and possibly others) made their way to a farm in the country, and had to
eat pig-swill. He was re-captured and made to stand on parade in the snow
overnight. He worked in one of the coal mines and spent the rest of the
war at the PoW camp/in a work group. I do not know if he took part in “The
Death March” but he did say he was liberated by Patton’s Army; presumably
that would have been in Germany? – suggesting he had already travelled
from the camp to Germany by that stage.

I and my sisters certainly hope to find out more about our father’s
movements and experiences at Stalag VIIIB/Lamsdorf and we are all happy for
his name to be put onto the Pow lists at your website.

This is a photo of my father and some of his compatriots; William
Ernest is at top-left of the photo as we look at it (standing).

William Ernest Taylor, Standing Far Left

William Ernest Taylor, Standing Far Left

The reverse of the photo is stamped “Stalag VIIIB Gepruft Nr. 24” and shows
him at the early stage of the war – he would have been about 22 years old
and looking youthful. Please feel free to use that photo on your site as
well. (Second photo not included).

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