From our ‘Family histories’ section: The Taylor Family: ‘Frank Taylor 1895 – 1980 and his wife Irene Taylor’: Courtesy of Broadstairs and St Peter’s Town Memory Book – Memories recalled by Mr Ken Taylor
Frank Taylor was Ken Taylor’s father. He was born in 1895 and lived with his family in St David’s Road, Ramsgate. At the age of 18 he was working as an apprentice butcher in the London Central Meat Company in Broadstairs High Street (which is still trading today) when he joined the Royal Artillery in 1914.
Below is a picture of three of the brothers, Frank in the middle with Syd and Percy.
He is also pictured here on horseback aged 19.
Frank saw active service during the Gallipoli Campaign (also known as the Dardanelles Campaign) against the Ottoman Empire in 1915 and in Mesopotamia. He recalled incidents of the Gurkha soldiers sneaking up during the night to cut the ligaments of the Turk’s horses to hamper their progress.
Frank returned home and went on to raise three children with his wife Irene. He went on to become manager of the same butcher’s shop where he had worked before the war (see below: Frank is on the right closest to the window) and he was later able to open his own shop in St Peter’s in 1934. Frank died in 1980
Ken’s mother Irene worked as a dressmaker in Margate and, aged 15 remembered Zeppelins coming in over the town.
Courtesy of Broadstairs and St Peter’s Town Memory Book – Memories recalled by Mr Ken Taylor