TAYLOR, LAURENCE
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Grave Reference:
Rank:
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Date of Death:
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Corporal
3966140
27/09/1944
25
Welch Regiment 1/5th Bn.
II. E. 13.
A good life is often too short but a good name endureth for ever
Additional Information:
Son of John E. and Margaret Taylor, of Hafod. Swansea.
He died of wounds and was initially buried at Meerveldhoven.
“Laurence was not a natural military man. He was a very quiet, shy man but felt that it was his duty to serve in the war. Laurence was very much loved and came from a very close family. Laurence was also a very good singer and when he sang he sounded like Bing Crosby.
His father John Edward Taylor died in 1939 from meningitis which left just him at home with his mother, Margaret. Eileen was married in 1936 to Cecil Slee. But they lived next door to each other.
There was seven years between Laurence and Eileen and it was always very clear that my grandmother idolised him. She always told a story about bathing Laurence when he was young and having to scrub his neck clean. It turned out that his neck was brown from the sun and not dirt! Eileen and Margaret felt very strongly that Laurence was not a fighter and after the war they would not let them put Laurence’s name on the Swansea War Memorial.
We have always thought that it was ironic that Laurence’s middle name was Holland and he was killed and buried in Holland. The name Holland was the maiden name of John Edward Taylor’s grandmother (Laurence’s great grandmother). So we had quite a few members of the family with Holland as a middle name – but Laurence was the last one.
Laurence trained as a gardener when he left school and was very good at it. He worked at a market garden in Swansea – the land is now houses and is where my uncle lives. Laurence then got a job at the Kings Dock which was the steel works. Laurence looked after the gardens and also the bowling green.”
Initial gravesite at Meerveldhoven.