Nicholas Taylor was born on 28 May 1949 in Lynton, Devon, the eldest of the three children of Henry Thomas Taylor (1913-1992) and Edith Peggy Taylor née Colvin (1921-1990). His birth was registered as Nicholas Taylor in the 2nd quarter of 1949 in the Barnstaple registration district, Devon. His two siblings were Anthony Taylor (b.1951) and Peggy Anne Taylor (b.1952).
Having been educated at the Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School (now known as the Haberdashers' Boys' School), Butterfly Lane, Elstree, Hertsmere, Hertfordshire, WD6 3AF, he joined the Royal Navy, service number C020574N, as a helicopter pilot in the early 1970's and flew Sea Kings until the end of the decade when he transferred to fast-jet training.
On 25 October 1980 he married Clare Elizabeth Downham (1957-2005), the marriage being registered in the Colwyn registration district, Clwyd, Wales, and according to the BBC website they lived in Ryme Intrinseca, Dorset.
In the spring of 1982 he had just completed his British Aerospace Sea Harrier aeroplane conversion training course and joined the Fleet Air Arm's 800 Naval Air Squadron, with whom he deployed on HMS Hermes as part of the Falklands Task Force.
He died, aged 32 years, on 4 May 1982 when as part of a three-ship attack that was mounted on the Goose Green airstrip in the Falkland Islands, South Atlantic, his aeroplane was hit by anti-aircraft fire. The aeroplane exploded and hit the ground very close to the airstrip. His body, still in its ejector seat, was recovered by the residents of Goose Green and buried under Argentine supervision with full military honours very close to where he came to rest.
In addition to him being commemorated on the St Mary's Primrose Hill war memorial, there is a plaque at his old school, a seat in St Petroc's Churchyard, Lydford, Devon and on the Armed Forces Memorial and their Roll of Honour at the National Arboretum, Croxall Road, Alrewas, Staffordshire. A Parade Banner was also presented to his school's Combined Cadet Force in his memory.
When we originally published this life résumé in April 2023 we wrongly assumed that he had been educated at Aldenham School, Aldenham Road, Elstree, Borehamwood, WD6 3AJ, because the Imperial War Museum gave the address of his memorial plaque in the Chapel at his old school as being in the Aldenham House (School Chapel). We are very grateful to Sal Drab in pointing out our error and that the plaque is in the Haberdashers' Boys' School.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
