Capt Stanley Taylor MC, AFC | Justin SW Taylor

Capt Stanley Wedgwood Taylor MC AFC
RFC – RAF
1916 – 1919

A farmer from Natal, South Africa, Stanley Taylor enlisted in a South African mounted infantry unit, the Natal Carbineers as a trooper and took part in the German South West African campaign of 1914-15. At 26 years of age he travelled to England by ship and volunteered for the RFC (Royal Flying Corp), passing through the British armies recruitment depot in Oxford prior to reporting to the School of Military Aeronautics in May 1916. Three weeks later in June he was transferred to No 3 Reserve Squadron for his initial flying training and a month later in July to 28 Squadron for his advanced flying training. He was appointed as a Flight Officer in August 1916 and transferred to the operational fighter unit, 41 Squadron.

When fully equipped with the RFC’s first single seat fighter the FE8 “pusher” in October, the squadron flew across the channel to their frontline airfield in Abeele, Belgium. Already obsolete as a fighter, the FE8 was used mainly in the ground attack role. In January 1917 he damaged an enemy two seater over Roulers, and in March damaged a Halberstadt. Promoted to Captain he was appointed as a Flight Commander in May. He shot down an Albatross scout in June and later that month he shot down an enemy two seater. The significance of his having shot down the Albatross scout is that he was flying the obsolete FE8, bringing down what was the most advanced fighter at the time. In the same month he was awarded the Military Cross for his “courage displayed in attacking enemy machine guns and troops at low altitude has been most marked”.

He was transferred back to England at the end of June, leaving operational flying with 41 Squadron to assume his duties as a flying instructor. After a brief period of R & R he took up his position early in July 1917 as the Deputy Flying Instructor with 31 Training Squadron and in October 1917 joined the newly formed School of Air Fighting in Ayr, Scotland as an Instructor. In May 1918 he moved to the School of Air Gunnery as an Instructor

.Shortly thereafter, the RFC became the RAF (Royal Air Force), and November of that year he was awarded the Air Force Cross for “valour, courage and devotion to duty whilst flying”. November 1918 he was posted to No 1 Fighting School as an Instructor January 1919 began the ‘demobbing’ process and he was posted to No 2 Training Depot and then repatriated from England back to civilian life and his farm in South Africa later that year.