810695. Gunner Reuben Alexander Taylor

232nd. Army Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Previously served as 718. Driver, Royal Field Artillery. Born 1898 in Derby. Enlisted in Derby. Killed in Action during The Advance to Victory, on Saturday 21st. September 1918, aged 20. Buried in Hancourt British Cemetery, Somme, France. Hancourt was captured by the Australian Corps in the middle of September 1918, and The British Cemetery was made by Australian units in that month. Reuben has the distinction of being the first British Soldier to be interred in the Cemetery, being laid to rest in Row B, Grave 1. Son of Reuben Alexander and Sarah Taylor of 31 Eley Street, Derby. The Memorial Plaque has been cast as “Reuben Taylor“, omitting his middle name “Alexander” at the time of manufacture.

Reuben was entitled to The Victory Medal, British War Medal and 1915 Star.

Theatre of War first served in 1. France

Date of entry therein 1/3/15

One of Reuben’s Comrades from the Brigade was also Killed on Action on this day, and is buried next to him in the Cemetery:

178906. Gunner James McCallum, “D” Battery, buried in Row B, Grave 2.

Hancourt was captured by the Australian Corps in the middle of September 1918. The British Cemetery was made by Australian units in September 1918, and these original graves are in Row B, C, and D, however it was enlarged after the Armistice by the concentration of graves from the battlefields in the immediate neighbourhood and from the following Cemetery:- 

ESTREES-EN-CHAUSSEE BRITISH CEMETERY, which was immediately South of Estrees village. It contained the graves of 26 soldiers from the United Kingdom and two from Australia, who fell in September, 1918.

Barry Jenkins