Reginald William Taylor, 1895-unknown
Enlisting on October 24, 1914, Taylor kept a diary from May 27, 1916 to May 20, 1917 while he was a signaller at the 11th Corps Cyclist Battalion headquarters. During that time and while moving around the general area of Béthune, he read novels, delivered messages on his bicycle, worked as a clerk at headquarters, defended a bridge, drew and examined maps, played cricket, recorded the news from the Russian front, and wrote about comrades old and new. Though his diary ends without explanation, he survived the war to be demobilized on February 20, 1919.
A. Kelly dedicates this plaque to him:
I am grateful for Taylor’s diary—which has been my companion through many adventures and the cause of my debut in academia—and for all that he has taught me about what it meant to read and write during the war. I am honoured to know the parts of his personality that shine through in his writing.
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