John Taylor

Private 178081 John Taylor 3rd Training Battalion, Machine Gun Corps died of pneumonia 8th November 1918.

John was born in 1887 in Woodham Ferrers to George Taylor, an agricultural labourer and his wife Mary Ann. He seems to have had two older brothers, one younger and two younger sisters. By 1901 he was working as a cattle stockman on a farm but by 1911 he had changed occupation to bricklayer’s labourer when he was staying with a Joseph Lone in Southend. Later that year he married Joseph’s daughter Ethel Louisa Lone. They had two sons together Harold John born 1912 and John Henry born 1916.

John’s service record suggests that he registered for service at Southend in December 1915 when he was aged 28 years and 8 months. However the papers were not confirmed until October 1918. He was posted to the 3rd Training Battalion of the Machine Gun Corps at Cannock Chase in Staffordshire and joined on 20th October. He died less than three weeks later of pneumonia on 8th November just three days before the armistice. There was a worldwide flu pandemic which broke out in early 1918 and continued until 1920 causing millions of deaths around the world. Frequently the actual cause of death was recorded as pneumonia consequently it is likely that John was another victim of the pandemic.

John had not served overseas and consequently he was not awarded any service medals and Ethel did not receive a gratuity although she did receive £3-2s-9d (£3.14) presumably back pay. She was awarded a pension of £1-5s-5d per week for her and her two sons.

John died at the military hospital at Cannock Chase based at Rugeley Camp and was buried at Cannock Chase War Cemetery.

The only member of the John’s family still living in Woodham Ferrers at the time of his death was his older brother William who by then was listed as living at The Wantz and he does appear to be running Wantz Stores into the 1940s.