The Kirstead Taylors Part 4

 The Kirstead Taylors

A Newspaper cutting 'Kirstead Family Don Khaki', a captioned photograph montage of the six Taylor brothers in uniform, the sons of Mrs. Mary Ann Taylor and the late James Taylor of 42 Kirstead Ling, Brooke, Norwich. Three of the brothers were killed in June - July 1916, and are remembered on the Kirstead Green War Memorial.




Walter Christmas Taylor (1885-1954), (pictured in the photo montage, top, left) was born in Kirstead, Norfolk, England on January 4, 1885 as the 7th child of James Taylor (1844-1915) and Mary Ann Powles (1853-1927).  His middle name, no doubt, was given to him as a reminder of the Christmas season in which he was born.   In 1901, at age 16 he was working as a live-in servant on the farm of Thomas Peart and his family in the Loddon District of South Norfolk.   

On March 3, 1902, Walter Christmas Taylor joined the Royal Marine in the Light Infantry of the Portsmouth Division.  He was just barely over 17 years of age and described as standing 5 ft. 8 in. tall, fresh complexion with dark brown hair and blue eyes.  By the time he reenlisted in the Royal Marines in 1915, he had already grown an additional 2 inches in height.

From the time of his initial enlistment in 1902, Walter served on board many of the largest battleships in the British Navy.  One of the largest ships he served on was the HMS Hindustan. 

HMS Hindustan was a King Edward VII-class pre-dreadnought battleship of the Royal Navy. Like all ships of the class (apart from HMS King Edward VII) she was named after an important part of the British Empire, namely the Indian Empire. The ship was built by John Brown & Company; she was laid down in October 1902, was launched in December 1903, and was completed in March 1905. Armed with a battery of four 12-inch (305 mm) and four 9.2 in (234 mm) guns, she and her sister ships marked a significant advance in offensive power compared to earlier British battleship designs that did not carry the 9.2 in guns.

Hindustan was commissioned in August 1905 for service with the Atlantic Fleet, moving to the Channel Fleet in 1907. When the latter fleet was reorganized to the Home Fleet in 1909, she was attached to that fleet. In 1912, Hindustan and her sister ships formed the 3rd Battle Squadron; that year, the squadron went to the Mediterranean Sea during the First Balkan War as part of an international blockade of Montenegro. In 1913, she returned to British waters.

The squadron was assigned to the Grand Fleet at the beginning of the First World War, and served on the Northern Patrol. Through 1914 and 1915, the ships frequently went to sea to search for German vessels, but Hindustan saw no action during this period. By the end of the year, the Grand Fleet stopped operating with the older 3rd Battle Squadron ships, and in 1916, the squadron was transferred to Nore Command. Hindustan served there until she was detached in February 1918 to serve as a depot ship for the raids on Zeebrugge and Ostend. Decommissioned in May 1918, she finished the war as a barracks ship, and was broken up in 1923.

From November 29, 1918 until May 22, 1919, Private Walter Christmas Taylor served as part of the British Expeditionary Force in France.  His service in the military lasted until October 19, 1922, having served nearly 20 years.  He was placed on pension on reduction of the armed forces at the end of World War I.  Upon completion of his military service, he had been awarded the 1914-15 Star and the British War Medal and the World War I Victory Medal.

About 1930 he married Ida Elizabeth Bumfrey.  Ida was previously married to William George Pointer in January 1917, but later separated from him.  Both of her children from her previous marriage to William Pointer were living with her and her new husband after her marriage to Walter Taylor. 

Walter and Ida had at least two children together.  Margaret Hazel born in 1930 and Iris Rose Taylor born in 1933.  In 1935, Walter Christmas Taylor was the guardian for Joan Dix, age 17 and stood in for her father during her marriage to John Robert Wilson Smith.  The relationship to Joan Dix or the circumstances causing him to be her named guardian are unknown.   By 1939, Walter was working as a horseman on a farm at 130 Greyhound Lane in the rural district of Thingoe.

Walter Taylor reported for mobilization again on September 28, 1938 until December 1, 1938 prior to the start of World War II, but was found to be medically unfit for service.

Walter Christmas Taylor died on July 14, 1954 in Lothingland, Suffolk, England.  He was 69 years old.


   

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