1905:
September 29, Birth, Address:
114 Goldwell Road: Lakenham: Norwich
Birth cert: CL760344:- No420: West Wymer: Norwich:
Mother: Ema-Elizabeth-Nerton-Taylor:-
formally Hill
Father Edward-John-Taylor: Seedsman Labour
Registered: November 3, 1905
Entry 420 -
information from file certificate
1911:
Census - 114 Goldwell Road, Norwich
Edward Taylor - Head - age 41 - Ladour,
Mustard - born Norwich, Norfolk
Emma E. Taylor - Wife - age 42 - born
Norwich, Norfolk
Maude Emma Taylor - Daughter - age 20
- Mustrd Hand - born Norwich, Norfolk
Edward John Taylor - Son - age 19 - Shop
Assistant - born Norwich, Norfolk
Flourence H. Taylor - Daughter - age
17 - Tailoress - born Norwich, Norfolk
Arthur Edward Taylor - Son - age 15 -
Box Labolar - born Norwich, Norfolk
John Thomas Taylor - age 14 - Errand
Boy - born Norwich, Norfolk
Emma S. Taylor - Daughter - age 12 -
Scholar - born Norwich, Norfolk
Ether M. Taylor - Daughter - age 11 -
Scholar - born Norwich, Norfolk
Hilda Taylor - Daughter - age 9 - Scholar
- born Norwich, Norfolk
Willaim E. Taylor - Son - age 8 - Scholar
- born Norwich, Norfolk
Dorothy K Taylor - Daughter - age - Scholar
- born Norwich, Norfolk
Ernest C. Taylor
- Son - age 5 -
Scholar - born Norwich, Norfolk
Gertrude W. Taylor - Daughter - age 3
- born Norwich, Norfolk
It is highly likely that granddad
started school at St Mark's School on Hall Road,
Norwich. On leaving there it is thought that
he went
to the' City of Norwich School' on Earlham Road.
In those days boys left school at 14 but we
are unsure what trade if any he would have taken.
We do know that his father worked for Colman's
(a large employer of the area at that time)
whether he would have done the same it is unclear.
We have about
4 years here to fill in - sometime
(Age 18 approx)
Granddad must have done 2 years National Service
and I would assume it was with the RAF. I wonder
if the picture of him below in uniform is of
this period (abt 1923-5) as he is quite thin
and not when he was called up for War Duties
at the age of 36.
(Age
21)
1926: May 23, Marriage
at St Marks: Hall Road: Lakenham:
Ernest Charles Taylor, age 20, Bachelor,
Shop Assistant of 114 Goldwell Road, Norwich
Ivy-Maude-Grint, age 18, Spinster,
of 19 Cross Glebe Street, Norwich
Father: Edward Taylor, Labour
Father: Bertie Grint, Carpenter
Witnesses:- Edward-Taylor and Bertie-Grint
Entry
461 - information
from file certificate
During the next few years it
is understood that granddad worked as a lino
fitter for Frank Price's Store, a popular drapery
and soft furnishings store. Price's faced onto
both Magdalen and Botolph Street's immediately
behind Barclay's Bank sited on the fork in the
roads. These properties were pulled down in
the late 60's to make way for the Anglia Square
flyover.
Below is our
grandfathers RAF Service Records which I acquired
from Air Command Headquarters the only problem
is that it is all in abbreviations and some
of the hand writing is quite bad. I am going
to ask a retired RAF friend if he can help,
if he can't I will write off again and asked
if they can decipher it.
In the mean time here's what I can make out
but keep in mine I may have translated something's
wrong.
Note:
I have copys of these records - If
anyone would like a copy to help translate the
information please ask.
From what I
can make out so far granddad was an Armourer,
he was part of the massive land grew that was
required to service and maintain the constant
flow of aircraft going into battle against the
Japanese. He would load weapons, bombs and missiles
onto the aircraft. After being called up in
July 1941 he did his initial training somewhere
in England for 5 months before being assigned
to the 226 Squadron in November 41. The 226
Squadron was at that time based at
Wattisham, Suffolk, and were flying Blenheims
and subsequently made an excellent name for
itself during anti-shipping operations and Circuses
against fringe targets in North-west Europe.
It stood down from operations towards the end
of October 1941, and when it resumed them early
in the New Year it was flying Bostons. Granddad
was with the 226 Squadron for 4 months before
being posted overseas to India, I assume he
traveled by ship as it appears it took 11 days
before disembarking at Colombo Ceylon now Sri
Lanka an island off the south coast of India,
arriving May 29 1942.
Granddad must
have gone straight into a war zone and the aftermath
of what is now known as the 'Easter Sunday Air
Raid' of April 5th 1942 carried out by the Empire
of Japan as a part of the Indian Ocean Raid.
The raid was intended to disrupt the war effort
of British Commonwealth nations and force the
British Eastern Fleet to leave Asian waters.
A few days later Trincomalee was also attacked.
The Ceylon
Daily News reported the raid on Monday 6th April
1942:
"Colombo
and the suburbs were attacked yesterday at 8
o'clock in the morning by 75 enemy aircraft
which came in waves from the sea. Twenty-five
of the raiders were shot down, while 25 more
were damaged. Dive-bombing and low-flying machine-gun
attacks were made in the Harbour and Ratmalana
areas. A medical establishment in the suburbs
was also bombed"
The fixed land defences consisted
of four coastal batteries at Colombo and five
at Trincomalee; these were established just
before the war. Air defences were expanded in
1941 with the RAF occupying the civil airfield
at Ratmalana near Colombo with its station headquarters
set up at Kandawala. Another airbase was rapidly
built at Koggala near Galle and several temporary
airstrips were built across the country with
the largest at Colombo Racecourse grounds. Several
RAF squadrons were sent to Ceylon.
This takes us to April 1943
where granddad was admitted to 35 and what looks
like B. G. H. - what ever that means, I am still
working on this one and the following 3 entries.
On March 29 1943 granddad was
assigned to No. 30 Squadron, No.30 Squadron
began the Second World War as a Blenheim bomber
squadron based in Egypt, but went on serve as
a fighter squadron in Egypt, Greece, on Crete
and in the Far East, ending the war operating
with Thunderbolt fighter bombers over Burma.
The Japanese entry into the war took them to
Sri Lanka. They arrived just in time to take
part in the last defence against the last Japanese
air raids on Colombo and Trincomalee. From March
1942 to February 1944 the squadron was retained
on Sri Lanka, just in case, but by the start
of 1944 it was clear that no more attacks would
come.
July 21, 1944 took granddad
to what appears to be the 'Bombing Survey Unit'
for 7 months before his Home Embarkation on
February 6, 1945.
(Age
36)
1941: July 18,
Ernest Charles Taylor Enlisted for
the RAF - Information taken from Service
Records |
|
|
Official
No: |
1448712 |
Home
Address: |
9 Cadge
Close, Norwich, Norfolk |
Civil
Occupation: |
Furniture
Shop Assistant |
Height: |
5ft 6ins |
Chest |
31½
ins |
Hair: |
Light
Brown |
Eyes |
Grey |
Complexion:
|
Pale |
Marks: |
Scar
on bridge of nose |
|
|
1944:
July 18 |
81/45
- 1st - A |
|
|
1941:
August 14 |
Card Entrered
to Central Index Department
- includes the below line |
|
43/1
- TPAZ - a stamp that looks like National
??? very faded |
|
Followed
by 2 of his childrens names and D.O.B |
1945:
July 18 |
133/45
- W.S.I. wef - 4yrs |
1942:
September 1 |
-
RAF Elmbridge Court, Gloucester.....
below |
|
Can't
understand this as granddad was in India
at this time and war was on - His son
David died just before this and the inquest
was held July 27, so returning home for
a funeral is unlikely - Could be movement
of records??? |
1944:
February |
Annual Filming - This
is a Rubber stamp |
1944:
November |
Annual Filming - This
is a Rubber stamp |
|
|
Date
of movement |
Unit
to |
Dep
P.O.R. |
P.O.R.
Confirming Arrival |
1941:
July 18 |
2
Reserve Command |
|
|
no date
|
1 Wing 16
Reserve Command
|
|
|
1941:
September 5 |
12
School of Technical Training Depot
|
|
|
1941:
November 25 |
226
Squadron |
|
|
1942:
March 18 |
INDIA |
|
|
1942:
May 29 |
looks
like - Disembarked at Colombo |
|
863/42 |
|
2 Explosive Park |
|
|
1942:
September 1 |
Elmbridge
Court, - This was
entered in the Miscellaneous section and
seems out of place. |
|
|
1942:
October 1 |
1 Explosive Park |
|
1763/42 |
1943:
November 16 |
Renamed S. E. ASIA -This
is a rubber stamp. |
|
|
1943:
April 22 |
Admitted 35 B.G.H. ?
|
135Y/43 |
|
1943:
May 4 |
Transferred to ? |
1782/43 |
|
1943:
May 20 |
Discharged ? ? ? Day
at ?? |
|
1782/43 |
1943:
November 20 |
7 - ? Technical Training
Depot |
|
56/43 |
1944: March
29 |
30 Squandron |
|
? |
1944:
July 21 |
7 BSU - Bombing Survey
Unit? |
|
79/? |
1945:
February 6 |
Home Embarkation |
18/45 |
|
1945:
March 14 |
Gransden Lodge |
|
|
1945:
May 13 |
Swanton Morley |
78/45 |
|
1945:
October 31 |
102. Personnel Despatch
Centre |
153/45 |
|
1941:
July 18 |
Aircraft
hand/ Armer. B&G ??
|
1941:
November 10 |
95/41
- Arm (B) prob.(?) |
1941:
November 13 |
153/41
- Arm (B) |
1943:
November 9 |
1/44
- U/T Armer |
1944:
March 3 |
Arm
(2) |
|
|
Promotions,
Reclassifications, Reversions |
Date
of Effect |
Description |
Authy,
P.O.R |
1941:
July 18 |
Air
Craftman 2nd Class |
|
1942:
April 1 |
Air
Craftman 1st Class |
685/42 |
1943:
March 31 |
Air
Craftman 2nd Class
- Dropped back ?? |
21/44 |
1944:
November 1 |
Leading
Air Craftman |
38/45
- 122/45 |
|
|
|
Special
Qualifications
Exams, Courses,Engines, etc |
1941:
November 10, |
Description
of Degree of Proficiency |
95/41 |
Ex
Ren?????? 38% |
085/42 |
1942: July 15 ??? 81%
|
21/44 |
1943: March 3 ???? 52%
|
38/44 |
????? 65% |
|
|
Issue
of Medals to 1448712 - LAC Ernest
Charles Taylor - Royal Air Force
|
|
|
|
Burma
Star |
Defence
Medal |
War
Medal 1939-45 |
(Age
39)
1945: On
returning to civilian life granddad worked for
Hingle's, a furniture shop on Magdalen Street.
Granddad meet Mr Hingle in Burma where Mr Hingle
was one of his Commanding Officers.
(Age
41)
1947: Purchased Retail Shop at 49 Woodcock
Road, to be named 'Rita's' and opened on June
14th.
|
Granddad
outside his shop with his grand-daughter
Penny Taylor about 1960 |
1960's:
Early in the 1960's Nanny & Grandad had
a bungalow built at 168 Spixworth Road, Old
Catton, Norwich - In it's time it was very modern.
The two things I remember most are the large
oak front gates built round two ship wheels.
The other is the lovely small tiled fire place
surround in the lounge that Granddad bought
for my grandmother.
|
Oak
Ship Wheel Gates at 168 Spixworth Road
Old Catton |
|
Ivy
Taylor (Nanny) in her favorite chair at
168 Spixworth Road Old Catton |
I have 24 years
to fill in, I would appriciate some help......
|
Ernest
and Ivy Taylor pictured at his 65th Birthday
Party
Shortly before his sudden death |
(Age
65)
1971: October 15, Died in Policlinica
Miramar, Palma de Mallorca
Ernest Charles Taylor, age 66, Shopkeeper,
168 Spixworth Road, Norwich, UK.
Granddad died
on a retirement cruise, confirmed by a letter
dated October 20, 1971 from John William Edwards,
Union-Castle Line
Re: 'Reina Del Ma' Cruise 64: We are sorry to
learn form Captain Sillars of your husbands
sudden death...... Mr E. C. Taylor's mortal
remains were embalmed last evening and will
be flown to Heathrow arriving there 14.10 tomorrow
1971:
Ernest Charles Taylor of 168 Spixworth
Road Old Catton Norwich died October 15th 1971
Probate Ipswich January 8th £5875 - 731006379K.
My Memories
of our Grandparents and where they lived
My earliest memories
of my grandparents were at Woodcock Road, Norwich
where they had a drapery shop it was opened
on the day I was born (June 14th 1947). In the
early days it was an average shop but over the
years in was added to quite a lot. Nanny and
Granddad lived behind and over the shop, again
the living accommodation was enlarged over time.
The thing I remember most are the parties, parties
which all the family would attend there were
always Aunts, Uncles, cousins and friends, I
don’t know how we all got in, things were
moved round in the shop so that we could eat
and play there and I remember that the main
party game was water pistols, everyone seemed
to have one, they used to hidden up and then
someone would set it all off and there were
sprays of water going everywhere. I remember
my dad dressing in my nanny’s clothes
once and my Aunts putting makeup on him, he
looked so much like my nanny, there was always
much fun and laughter. They had this large piece
of furniture with carvings and moldings on it,
it was like one of the first music centres,
the top used to lift up and inside was a record
player. At that time it was very classy, one
record we played over and over again I remember
was ‘The stage coach is coming’
My granddad would
love to have his hair brushed and rewarded us
with a sixpence; there was always a queue to
brush his hair. My great grandfather (Bertie
Grint and his second wife who we always called
Aunt Winnie would often be there also, Bertie
always seemed to have a smile and would mostly
be sucking his pipe and Winnie would often play
the piano if she got half a chance.
I learnt to ride my bike outside on the shop
plain with the help of my Aunt Cherry, there
was a barbers shop next door where I think I
had my first haircut, can’t be sure of
that but I remember being in the shop and being
upset. My nanny and granddad were always in
the shop with my Aunt Rita helping, she and
Uncle Sid would later live over the shop themselves.
In the shop they used to give credit and take
Provident and Mutual cheque's. Every week my
granddad, my father and later my Uncle Sid would
go out round the estates and collect the weekly
instalments, in those days this was how families
lived and survived and in many cases it was
the only opportunity of buying goods. My granddad
would park his car on the forecourt of the shop
and would give me sixpence to polish the chrome
with Brasso. There was no television then, in
1952 I recall my Aunt Cherry walking me from
the shop to the Norwood Rooms on Aylsham Road
to see a film of King George 6th Funeral on
the Pathe News, I had never seen such a large
screen, I think that was the first time I had
been to moving pictures, I was 5.
I remember we moved in with
my grandparents for a while after my parents
sold their house, 28 Woodcock Road. I started
school at Catton Grove School, the playing fields
were behind the shop, at play-time I would be
able to wave at my grandparents, parents and
Aunts who were attending to the shop.
My grandparents had a bungalow
built on Spixworth Road (168) and at that time
it this was out on the outskirts of the city
and seemed just into the country, the street
lights would go out at midnight. The bungalow
was lovely and had the most marvellous fireplace
in the lounge the kitchen was lined with tongue
and grove pine boarding and the toilet had a
mirrored cabinet which lit up, it was really
posh to us, they even had a ‘Teas Maid’
between their beds which was the thing then.
Outside, the drive gates were made of oak and
had an oak ship’s wheels in each of them
which I often applied linseed oil too; there
was a large fur tree to one corner at the front
which was decorated with coloured lights at
Christmas. Christmases were wonderful all the
family would be there plus some of my dad's
Aunts and Uncles, we would all spend Christmas
there sleeping overnight into Boxing Day. The
fun and games would go on till the early hours
and then we would try to settle down to sleep,
there were bodies all over the bungalow, on
the floor, chairs everywhere, I would lay there
watching the fire die down until finally falling
off to sleep, looking back I really don’t
know how they did it. There were larger family
parties at Catton Village Hall; Nanny and Granddad
always seemed to be pulling the family together
with parties. We had a wonderful childhood.
When my grandparents went to Canada my task
was to cut the grass I did not take it serious
enough for just before their return the grass
was about 6 inches high, the mower would not
touch it, My Uncle Bob came to my rescue and
saved the day.
I never had a very personal
relationship with my grandfather not for any
reason I just think that was how it was, granddad
was always at the shop, I’m not sure if
he had any hobbies or interests either. I was
closer to my grandmother she had her father's
sense of humour and was always such a lady,
I would go and cut her grass after school sometimes,
during or after I was invited to take afternoon
High Tea with her and a few times she would
tell me of the hardships she had when she was
a girl. Nanny was always like the head, we always
seemed to go to her for things. When I passed
my driving test she was the one who lent me
£108 to buy my first car, a Hillman Husky.
I was given a repayment card with the money
and told how much I had to pay back weekly,
she was lovely but business minded with it.
My Grandparents had a caravan
on the cliffs on the Southside of Gorleston,
we would spend our holidays there, they sold
it eventually and bought a more up to-date one
at Hopton. They let Sandy and I stay there for
2 weeks before I emigrated to Australia. It
was while I was in Australia that granddad died
taking a holiday cruise, this came like a shot
out of the blue we were all flattened we just
did not expect this to happen granddad was such
a lovely man. After that things never seemed
the same – The party was over! My grandfather
seemed to have held that generation together
but things have to move on and on my side of
the family my parents carried on the tradition
but that’s another story for another day.
My grandmother eventually moved
in with my Aunt Rita and Uncle Sid and sadly
died in 1977. - Ray Taylor
The memories of parties at Spixworth
Rd were lovely. One thing I remember is when
Ivy cooked a turkey, she put lots of drumsticks
around the dish like a centipede...because the
kids all wanted a leg!!! - Margaret Brawn-Meek
formerly Waspe
Every Saturday night I would
meet my father out of work at Frank Prices and
we would go onto the market and buy the penny
bags of reduced fruit. One Saturday I found
a glove and said to my father there was a half
penny in it, when we got home it turned out
to be a shilling my father was elated as it
was a lot of money in those days. - Raymond
Ernest Taylor
If you have any memories of
our grandparents please share them with us.
|