A Good Pre-War 'Palestine' G.S.M, WW2 Gallantry M.I.D, Post War M.B.E Medal Group to 2613217 W.O.1 R.H.W. Taylor, later Major, Royal Army Ordnance Corps.

Ronald Hugh Woodman Taylor was born on the 28th of March 1916, at Ventnor, the Isle of Wight. He originally joined the ranks of the 1st Battalion the Grenadier Guards on the 1st of June 1932, as a Taylor Boy, and he then transferred to the Royal Army Ordnance Corps on the 14th of November 1934, service number 2613217.

Taylor disembarked Haifa, Palestine, with the R.A.O.C on the 23rd of September 1936, during the 1936-1939 Arab revolt. Here the R.A.O.C supplied weapons, ammunition, and other essential supplies to British troops engaged in operations against the rebels. He returned to Southampton on the 21st of February 1937.

Taylor was to then disembark at Sierra Leone, West Africa, on the 23rd of October 1938, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel C.O. Oliver. He returned to Liverpool on the 2nd of May 1940. On the 8th of June 1944, Taylor disembarked North West Europe with the 44th Anti-Aircraft Brigade, Royal Artillery, where he was mentioned in despatches for ‘Gallant and distinguished service in N W Europe’ - London Gazette, 6th November 1945 refers.

Taylor then held various other posts in the UK, Sierra Leone, Denmark, and Germany (BAOR). He was commissioned (No.459477) Lieutenant on the 16th December 1958, Captain 19th of September 1960, Major on 1st of January 1971, then retiring soon after.

Ronald Taylor was appointed a Member (Military Division) of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s birthday honours list Gazetted on the 8th of June 1950. The citation reads as follows -

‘This Warrant Officer has performed most outstanding work as Secretary of the A.A. Command Working Party, set up at the request of the War Office to undertake the preparation and revision of War Equipment Tables (A.F.G. 1098 & 1198) for L.A.A./S.L. and other units of the A.A. Command.

This has entailed an immense amount of high-grade work which this Warrant Officer has carried out in a most meticulous manner and which has contributed very largely to the success and speed with which this most important task (on which the mobilisation of A. A Command depends) has been accomplished.

In addition, Sub-Conductor Taylor has carried out invaluable work in connection of the positioning and maintenance in A. A. O. Ds of mobilisation of equipments and stores for A. A. Regiment of this command.

The constructive ideas and enthusiastic work of this Warrant Officer have been of the greatest value in bringing the mobilisation state of equipments and stores to a very high level.

Sub-Conductor Taylor has shown outstadning drive and efficiency in these two extrememly important and priorty tasks, and his work has contributed to a very large extent, to the smooth and rapid progress made.

I recommend this Warrant Officer most strongly for the award of the M.B.E.’

The medals are mounted as worn, sold with the original ribbon bar & dress miniatures, extensive copied research which includes copies of his full service papers covering his service as an Other Rank and an Officer (confirms all of the above, plus this being his full medal entitlement, and more!), plus the following ORIGINAL items - named M.I.D certificate and named envelope, named R.A.O.C. employment reference, named & typed military service history, named retirement letter from Major-General A. Young, named dog tags, named Army Form B-108 (regular army certificate of service), named Soldier’s Service Book, named Marshalling Area Certificate, named Army Form A.2038, 2 x named War office cards, named Danish military pass, A5 envelope containing R.A.O.C. officer’s Lieutenant and Captain shoulder pips, O/R shoulder titles, tunic buttons, cap badge, and lapel badges, and the full size medals are as follows -

Order of the British Empire Members Breast Badge (Military Division), 2nd Type, unnamed as issued; G.VI General Service Medal, Clasp, PALESTINE, 2613217. PTE. R. N. W. TAYLOR. R. A. O. C.; 1939/45 Star; France & Germany Star, Defence Medal; War Medal with M.I.D oakleaf, all unnamed as issued; G.VI Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, bar REGULAR ARMY, 2613217 W.O. CL. 1. R. H. W. TAYLOR. R. A. O. C.

Condition, good very fine and better