WILLIAM WALTER SCOTT TAYLOR

​​​Born:
Birthplace:
Enlisted:
Date:
Place:

Rank:

Discharge:
​Place:
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​September 11, 1924
Essex, Ontario
The Royal Canadian Air Force 
August 31, 1943
#8 Recruitment Centre, Windsor, Ontario
Ground Crew - Electrician
Leading Aircraftman (LAC) Electrician Class 2
Reserve Class “E” - August 26, 1946
No formal discharge ever received
Uplands, Lachine to Windsor

​Stationed at “Learn to Fly” Squadrons EFTS (Elementary Flying Training Schools) and intermediate and Advance training SFTS (Service Flying Training School) Squadron.  Fighter pilots trained on Harvards and Yales.  Bomber Pilots trained on the Airspeed Oxford, Avro Anson or Cessna Crane.

No. 1 Manning Pool Toronto (training)
No. 16 SFTS Hagersville, Ontario (Anson & Harvard)
No. 13 EFTS St. Eugene, Ontario (Finch)
No. 13 SFTS St. Hubert, Quebec (Harvard & Anson)
No. 2 SFTS Uplands (Ottawa), Lachine, Quebec (Harvard & Yale)

​William Walter Scott Taylor
​LAC Electrician Class 2
RCAF # R261423

  
​Before age 19 William Taylor applied to join the RCN and RCAF and was tested and accepted for both.  He chose to enlist in the RCAF and his training in school and short time working as an electrician resulted in placement as an Electrician, Ground crew stationed at Elementary Flight Training School (No. 13 EFTS at St. Eugene, Quebec, and Service Flying Training Schools at No. 16 SFTS Hagersville, No. 13 SFTS St. Hubert, Quebec and No. 2 SFTS Uplands, Lachine, Quebec in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP).

He worked on electricial systems in the Avro Anson, Harvard, Yale and Finch that were used in training pilots to fly as fighter pilots and bomber pilots.  He would often go up with the pilots to monitor problems in electrical systems and remembered those trips as like being in a flying coffin with pilots enjoying doing tricks to see if they could make him turn green.

With training went crashes and one of their jobs was guard duty for a downed aircraft and fire detail.

He volunteered to serve in the European and Pacific Theatre and received all clearances and shots to go but deployment was cancelled either because of the war coming to an end or the requirements for training of pilots had increased.

He received the highest category for electrician before being released in 1946 and was placed in Reserve Class E, never receiving a formal discharge.

William Walter Scott Taylor passed away on July 8, 1985.

Submitted by Mary Taylor

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Bill Taylor with Andrews and Cox at Hagersville, Ontario

Bill Taylor with Cummings and Cox

Photo of William Vickery of Essex who served in the RCAF as a mechanic

Photo of William Vickery of Essex who served in the RCAF as a mechanic