Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Captain

Unit:

2nd Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment, 16th Infantry Brigade, 8th Division, Corps Palestina

Awarded on:

December 22nd, 1939

"On 3 September 1939, 2nd Lt Taylor was in command of Fardet, the platoon detached at Umm-al-Faraj, north of Acre. Early that morning Fardet has rescued three Arabs from a well near the village of Tarshiha. On their way to another well, they were fired on by four rebels and killed one and captured a second. Fardet then set out to confront a band of rebels in the castle of Khirbet Jiddin. Carefully planning the operation, 2Lt Taylor called for an RAF airpin of the village, summoned a vehicle-borne 'flying column' from Acre and set out with his men across country to Jiddin. When his empty vehicles were attacked by large numbers of the enemy, using Very light signals and wireless he skilfully diverted the RAF airpin aircraft and flying column to the transport party to whom his own group was rapidly returning when it too came under attack. This was decisively beaten off. In failing light it proved impossible to search the ground for enemy casualties, of which it later transpired nine had been killed and thirteen wounded from a force of about a hundred rebels. There is no doubt that 2Lt Taylor's energetic, incisive and brave leadership was decisive in inflicting heavy loss on the enemy with negligible casualties on his own side."
Recommended by Lt Col M.K. Wardle DSO MC, CO 2nd Bn The Leicestershire Regiment
Recommended" - Brig C.E.N. Lornax D.S.O. M.C., Comd 16 Inf Bde
"Seen and signed" - Maj-Gen A.R. Godwin-Austen O.B.E. M.C., GOC 8 Div