Rugby Player Ypres Town Cemetery Extension
Captain Alfred Squire Taylor, R.A.M.C. attached 10/11th Battalion Highland Light Infantry, 46th Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division. Killed in action 31 July 1917, age 28. Grave III.B.21. Son of the Rev. David A. Taylor, D.D., of "Eastbourne," Windsor Avenue North, Belfast. He was educated at Campbell College, Belfast and at Edinburgh University and graduated in 1914. At school be played cricket and rugby and at University he played for Edinburgh in 1909, 1910, 1911 and captained the team in season 1911-12. He played for Ireland against England, Scotland, and Wales in 1910, and against France in 1912, and he also played for Ulster against Stade Francais in 1912. He joined the RAMC in October 1914 and went to France serving throughout that year before being posted to Mesopotamia from where he was invalided home in 1916. On recovering he was attached as Medical Officer to the 10/11th Battalion HLI in Flanders. On 31 July 1917, during the opening day of the Third Battle of Ypres, aided by two tanks, the 10/11th HLI, as part of 46th Brigade, attacked Frezenberg village. The Battalion came under fire from enemy positions at Square Farm, Hill 35 and Frost House. After the 1/7th King’s took Square Farm, the 11th HLI took Low Farm, but were checked by fire from Pommern Castle and Hill 35. It was while he was dressing the wounded from this action that Alfred was killed.
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