Taylor, James Henry, 1921-

• Taylor, J.H.

James Henry Taylor was born in East Kelowna, British Columbia, on 9 July 1921. Prior to his service during the Second World War, Taylor worked and managed packing houses in the Okanagan Valley. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) on 4 December 1942. He trained at No. 4 Wireless School at Burtch, Ontario, from 14-24 November 1943. He flew in Noorduyn Norseman, DH-82C Tiger Moth and N.A. Yale aircrafts. From 17 January to 16 June, 1944, he trained at the No. 8 Air Observer School at Ancienne Lorette, Quebec, in Avro Anson V aircraft. He then moved to No. 8 Operational Training Unit in Greenwood, Nova Scotia, from 1 September to 17 October 1944, where he flew in DH 98 Mosquitos. He was assigned to No. 13 Operational Training Unit in Harwell, Oxfordshire, UK, from 30 December 1944 to 21 February 1945, where he flew in Avro Ansons and DH 98 Mosquitos. He was posted to No. 107 Royal Air Force (RAF) Squadron flying from A-75 Cambrai/Epinoy airfield from 8 March 1945 to 6 July 1945. He was then posted to No. 435 RCAF Squadron at Down Ampney, Gloucestershire, UK, from 1 November 1945 to 2 March 1946 where he flew in Douglas Dakota aircraft. Warrant Officer 1st Class Taylor was honourably released from the RCAF on 14 May 1946. He met and married Eileen Kelly of Balleycotton, Ireland, during the war. She joined him in Canada after the war and they had four children. While he continued his work in Okanagan packing houses, he also served as Lay Magistrate for the valley. He then served as Sherriff in Nanaimo before he retired.

Written by Adele Torrance, 2018-08. French editing by Céline Mongeau, Larocque Linguistic Services, 2018-11.

-CASM Archives, James Henry Taylor fonds, TAY-1 RCAF log book and TAY-3 Record of service and log book chronology.
-Taylor, Joan. (12 July 2018). James Henry Taylor. [E-mail to Curator Rénald Fortier].