Sergeant John Peter TAYLOR (1317474)
455 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force

Date of birth: 2nd February 1923
Date of death: 26th August 1943

Killed on active service aged 20
Commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial Panel 166
He was born in Kenya on the 2nd of February 1923, the only son of Francis George Taylor, cattle farmer, and Madge Winifred (nee Bond) of Kingangop, Naivasha, Kenya, and of Brighton, Sussex.

He was educated at Kenton College, Nairobi, and at the King's School Canterbury from September 1937 to December 1940, where he was in Lattergate Waiting House and Walpole House. He was a keen member of the Officer Training Corps.

In 1940, despite being only 17 and a half years old, he joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and received his aircrew training at with No. 13 Operational Training Course for Observers at Sidney, British Columbia in 1942, qualifying as a Sergeant Navigator. In July 1943 he was posted to 455 Squadron based at RAF Leuchars operating Hampden aircraft on anti submarine and torpedo operations.

At around 8.15pm on the 26th of August 1943, Peter Taylor and his crew took off from RAF Leuchars in Hampden Mk 1 AE195 UB-M for a night navigation exercise. On returning from the exercise the starboard engine began to develop trouble and then failed completely. Unable to maintain height on the remaining engine the aircraft began to lose height and developed a yaw, which the pilot was unable to rectify. The aircraft crashed into the North Sea and caught fire at 10.20pm at position 56 54N 01 51E. The pilot, Sergeant B.L. Martin RCAF was picked up from his dingy and landed at the port of Leith. He was the only survivor among the crew.

The crew was:-

Flight Sergeant B. L. Martin RCAF (Pilot)
Sergeant John Peter Taylor (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Bertram Cecil Woodroofe
Sergeant Alexander Gracey McKenzie RCAF (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)


Flight Sergeant Martin wrote to Peter Taylor's parents in a letter dated the 17th of September 1943: -

"I am not sure whether I have been mentioned in any of your son's letters; but I feel that I must write you and extend my deepest sympathy at the loss of Peter. I know that words are so inadequate to express any such loss as you've met with, and they cannot say what I feel in my heart. Miss Bond has requested that I write to you to tell you what I can about the accident. I can only try to fulfil her wish, and probably yours, and hope that someday I may meet any of you to answer more fully anything you may care to request of me. I have been part of Peter's crew for almost a year and we shared a perfect confidence in one another, both while flying and away from duty. We knew each other's habits and personalities as our own, and shared a very wonderful friendship together. The accident was in no way the result of any oversight by any member of the crew and, was completely unavoidable. I can tell you very little about it since I lost consciousness when we touched down, and was only revived by the water, and the fact that I obtained only slight injury. I swam to the surface and located the dingy, which by some fortune of God, was free. After searching and calling for well over an hour without result or reply, I realized that the rest had not survived the impact. I am quite sure that their call from Him, was answered without pain nor fear. After I was picked up the search extended for another full day without result. I feel that I have failed to fulfil the request of Miss Bonds' but will do anything in my power to add to it, or others have. Perhaps you will reply to this letter, but only if you care to."
Sincerely yours

His aunt and guardian wrote:-

"Peter was very happy in his R.A.F. life and I am glad he was able to do the war work he wished to do and that he so enjoyed his experiences."
Walpole House

Back