Life story retold by Paul Beecroft with thanks to John DE-HAYES (cousin)
3045039 SERGEANT
M.A. TAYLOR
U/T AIR GUNNER
ROYAL AIR FORCE
28TH AUGUST 1945 AGE 20
R.I.P.
Michael Arthur TAYLOR, known as Micky, was born in Landi Kotal in the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan on 11th May 1925. His father, William TAYLOR*, had been serving in the British Army as a Gunner with the Anglo-Indian Battery, Royal Field Artillery and had served in India and Iraq. He had joined the army in 1917 and left in 1919 suffering from ill health. After leaving the army William lived in India until sometime between 1925 and 1931. William married a girl named Anna Maria, known as Annie, but it is not known where or when. William and Annie had one other son, Patrick Vernon, who was born in Jullundurianwais, Punjab. 10th February 1923.
In 1931 William and Annie were in England staying with William’s mother at 23, Meadow Lane, Loughborough, Leics. Michael would have been about 6 years old.
In 1938 the family are known to be living in Annie’s home town, Reading at 8, Sheldon Gardens, Lower Whitley. The census for 1939 confirms they are at this address and that William’s occupation is as a Postman. Patrick is also working as a Shop assistant. Michael is not shown on the census as it is ‘blacked out’ but would have been 13 years old. He is known to have been educated at St. James’s School in Reading.
Michael would most likely have left school around the age of 15. WWII was ongoing and Michael was employed at Miles Aircraft Ltd. in Woodley. Miles Aircraft designed both civil and military aircraft.
In 1944 Michael joined the RAF. It is not known where he was stationed or what his duties were until August 1945. His rank by this time was a Sergeant and he was a trainee air gunner attached to Squadron 11 and Operational Training Unit.
On the 28th of August he boarded a Wellington Bomber – PG394 which took off from RAF Westcott in Buckinghamshire on a night cross-country exercise. The weather was bad, or had turned bad and the Wellington was struck by lightning. As a result the pilot was not able to control the aircraft. The aircraft then went into a dive and crashed into the sea in Lyme Bay, Dorset killing all the crew.
The bodies of the crew were recovered, and Michael was brought back to Reading.
Michael was buried in Reading Old Cemetery on 28th September 1945.
*For many reasons people change their names and this is the case with Michael’s father William. William was originally Walter DE-HAYES. On joining the army he dropped the DE and was known as Walter HAYES. He then later changed it again to William TAYLOR.
Division 3, Row H, Plot 12