William Joseph Taylor was born in Perth in 1878. He worked as a Clerk and enlisted at the age of 36 in July 1915. He had had no prior military experience. He lived with his brother Charles Taylor in Cecil St, Mt Lawley.

He joined the 10th Reinforcements, 16th Battalion, then to the 48th Battalion in Tel el Kebir in March 1916 and then transferred again to the 19th Depot Unit of Supply.

In June 1916 he was admitted to hospital in Cairo with pneumonia. He then contracted Enteritis three days later. He was dangerously ill. He embarked for Australia by sea for a change following a bout of typhoid, being discharged due to debility in November 1916.

There is no record of him in Cecil St (which in those days was listed as an extension on Stirling St, Perth) or of his brother after 1917.

In 1938 his discharge papers were found on the streets of Perth and were handed in to the Army. There is mention of efforts to trace W J Taylor by the Army which were unsuccessful.

There are two W J Taylor’s listed in family trees but no direct link to this family.