Great War Raid on Yarmouth November 1914 and subsequent destroyer operations and Royal Fleet Reserve long service group awarded to Petty Officer 1st Class J.W. Taylor, Royal Fleet Reserve, formerly Royal Navy. From Carlton, Cambridgeshire, he saw service with regular navy between September 1893 and April 1905 when he enrolled into the Reserve. Recalled for the Great War, he was with the gunnery branch aboard the minesweeper Halcyon when she was involved in the Raid on Yarmouth n 3 November 1914, when she was surprised by enemy cruisers, whom she challenged, and who responded shortly after 7 a.m. with gunfire. “Halcyon, perhaps the smallest and least formidable vessel that ever crept into the ‘Navy List’ [sic], engaged the enemy imperturbably when they fled, losing one man from a fragment of shell, though practically unhurt herself. Private letters speak of salvoes falling short and over in the most disconcerting manner, and of the ship being so drenched with water as to be in danger of foundering.” He was possibly aboard the destroyer Minion when she participated in the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916, and ended the war on the China Station at Hong Kong when with Torpedo Boat T.B.035.
Group of 3: British War Medal and Victory Medal; (176392 J.W. TAYLOR. P.O.1 R.N.); Royal Fleet Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, GVR Adm. bust; (176392 PO.B. 1198 J.W. TAYLOR. P.O. R.F.R.)
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine.
James Walter Taylor was born on 19 May 1878 in Carlton, Cambridgeshire, and having worked as a house boy then joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class (Portsmouth No.176382) with St. Vincent on 5 September 1893, being rated as a Boy 1st Class on 6 September 1894. Taylor was aboard the battleship Ramillies when he was rated as an Ordinary Seaman on 19 March 1896 and as an Able Seaman on 1 April 1897. He trained in gunnery. Taylor was advanced to Leading Seaman when with Victory on 1 January 1901, and was then with the cruiser Pandora when he was promoted to Petty Officer 2nd Class on 6 December 1901 and seeing service in the Mediterranean. Taylor was discharged ashore on 31 March 1905, and then enrolled into the Royal Fleet Reserve with the Portsmouth Division (PO.B.1198) on 1 April 1905.
Taylor re-enrolled for a further period of service with the Royal Fleet Reserve on 1 April 1910, and such was recalled to service on the outbreak of the Great War, being posted as a Petty Officer 2nd Class to join Victory I on 2 August 1914. Taylor was posted to the minesweeper Halcyon from 14 August 1914, she having been formerly the Senior Naval Officer’s Ship, North Sea Fisheries, under the orders of the Admiral Commanding Coast Guard and Reserves.
As such Taylor was aboard Halcyon when she was involved in the Raid on Yarmouth n 3 November 1914, when she was surprised by enemy cruisers, whom she challenged, and who responded shortly after 7 a.m. with gunfire. “Halcyon, perhaps the smallest and least formidable vessel that ever crept into the ‘Navy List’ [sic], engaged the enemy imperturbably when they fled, losing one man from a fragment of shell, though practically unhurt herself. Private letters speak of salvoes falling short and over in the most disconcerting manner, and of the ship being so drenched with water as to be in danger of foundering.”
Taylor then transferred to the armed merchant cruiser Osiris from 17 March 1915, and was aboard her when he was promoted to Petty Officer 1st Class on 17 June 1915. This vessel was an Admiralty requisitioned former liner of The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Company, which in July 1915 was renamed as Osiris II on the occasion of the commissioning of the destroyer Osiris. She was originally used by the Admiralty as a Fleet Messenger vessel, but had become a submarine depot ship by the time that Taylor joined her. Taylor was then posted aboard the destroyer Minion for a period, the dates being rather confusing in his service record, there is however a strong possibility that he was aboard this vessel when she was present in the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916 when serving as part of the 11th Destroyer Flotilla which operated from Scapa Flow.
Taylor was posted to Victory I from 14 October 1917 and having joined Victory X from 2 July 1918, then saw service aboard the torpedo boat TB.035, which vessel was stationed out at Hong Kong. Taylor was posted back to Vernon from 16 October 1918 and demobilised ashore on 28 February 1919, having been awarded the Royal Fleet Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. Additionally entitled to the 1914-1915 Star.
