Sgt. Albert Taylor 504589 Canadian Engineers

 

Sgt. Albert Taylor
12^th Field Company, Canadian Engineers
Regimental Number 504859

Albert Edward Taylor was born on August 27^th, 1894 in Warsaw, Ontario.

Albert was living in Vancouver, British Columbia when he attested into the Canadian Engineers in Vancouver on January 29^th 1916. He was married to Gertrude Taylor, and listed his occupation as a teamster and rough carpenter.  Taylor was 41 years old, stood 6 feet, 2 inches tall and weighed 220 pounds.  He had a ruddy complexion, grey eyes and grey hair.  His religion was Methodist.

Taylor embarked from Halifax, Canada aboard the S.S. Baltic on May 15^th 1916.   Eleven days later the ship arrived safely in Portsmouth, England.  He was immediately posted to the 12^th Field Company of Canadian Engineers on June 1^st.  He remained in the training camps of England for a little over a month before being drafted to the front on August 12^th. 

Taylor would spend the next year in France with the Engineers.   Little appears in his service file until on November 12 1917 when he was granted 14 days of leave at the winding down of the Battle of Passchendaele.  He returned to his unit on November 28^th and served with them through the remainder of 1917 and up until January 7^th 1918 when he reported to the No.12 Canadian Field Hospital with “General Debility”. 

Medical records describe him as suffering from four days of indigestion as well myalgia: pain in his legs attributed to varicose veins.   His condition was severe enough to warrant nearly two weeks in French hospitals and another week and a half in a Convalescent depot before returning to duty on February 2^nd 1918.

Men of the Canadian Forestry Corps in France

Pte. Taylor was soon transferred to the Canadian Labour Battalion on March 3^rd and
reposted to the 1^st Division Canadian Forestry Company five days later.  He served with this unit processing lumber for the front until the end of the war

He returned to England on December 7^th 1918 and was posted to the no. 44 Company of the Canadian Forestry Corp at their depot in Sunningdale, England.  With this posting came a promotion in rank to acting Sergeant and then to full Sergeant on the 31^st of December.  Taylor remained with the Forestry Corps until he sailed for Canada on February 23^rd 1919 aboard the HMS Belgic.

He was discharged on March 31^st 1919 in Vancouver, Canada.

Sources

Canada. "Military Service File of Albert Edward Taylor." Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa: Record Group 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 9512 - 40. Item Number 272231.