Thomas John Taylor – Royal Engineers, 17th Field Company

 Sapper Thomas John Taylor – Royal Engineers, 17^th Field Company

Early Life and Family Background

Thomas John Taylor

Thomas John Taylor was born in 1887 at Swansea, the son of Thomas Taylor and Eleanor Jenkins, who were married in 1881.

1891 Census

At the time of the 1891 Census, the Taylor family were residing at 11 Harris Street, Swansea. Thomas Taylor, aged 30 and born in Gower, was employed as a General Labourer, while his wife Eleanor, aged 33 and also born in Gower, managed the household.

Their children were Charlotte Ann (8) and Beatrice E. (6), both attending school; Thomas John (4); and William George (6 months). Also present in the household was George Adams (19), a boarder.

1901 Census

By the time of the 1901 Census, the family had moved to Colts Hill House, Oystermouth. Thomas Taylor, now aged 40, was employed as a Foreman at a Stone Quarry, while Eleanor, aged 42, managed the household.

Their children were Charlotte A. (18), Beatrice E. (16), Thomas J. (14), William G. (11), Philip R. (8), and Grace E. (5). The younger four children were attending school. No further census records have been located for Thomas John Taylor.

Military Service

Thomas enlisted in the British Army and served as a Sapper with the Royal Engineers, 17^th Field Company. Field companies were routinely employed close to the front line, carrying out vital engineering tasks including trench construction and repair, road and track maintenance, dugout building, drainage work, and the installation of barbed wire and communications, often under enemy fire.

By early April 1915, the 17^th Field Company was operating in the Ypres Salient, an area already notorious for constant shelling and hazardous working conditions. The company was engaged in improving and maintaining defensive positions around Ypres, frequently working at night to reduce exposure while remaining vulnerable to artillery bombardment.

Wounding, Death, and Burial

Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects

During these operations, Sapper Thomas John Taylor was wounded. He was evacuated to No. 81 Field Ambulance, where he died of his wounds on 9^th April 1915, as recorded in the Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects.

Thomas John Taylor
Ypres Town Cemetery Extension, Belgium
credit - findagrave

He is buried at Ypres Town Cemetery Extension, Belgium, among many early-war casualties of the fighting in the Salient. His death occurred only weeks before the opening of the Second Battle of Ypres, which would bring even heavier losses to the area later that month.