Early years

Born in Fishponds, Bristol to Lilian Miller (nee) Daw Taylor and Alfred Joseph Taylor described  He had an older brother called J.D. Taylor and a sister Muriel Taylor.  Attended Dr Bell’s School in Fishponds.

Career

1939 he enrolled in the forces and served as a seargent  in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. Awards include Africa Star; Italy Star; Defence Medal 1939-1945 and War Medal 1939-1945. Demobbed in 1945.

Advertising Salesman for Bristol Evening World newspaper.

The crime

On 13 March 1950 Robert Taylor was shot and killed as he and a number of bystanders gave chase to two men, one armed, who attempted to raid Lloyds Bank in North View, Westbury Park, Bristol. Taylor was only 29 years old.

Both men were later caught, arrested and charged with murder. They were tried on 23 May at Wiltshire Assizes in Salisbury and found guilty. Even though only one of them fired the fatal shot, both were hanged at Winchester on 7 July 1950. Two of the other members of the public who gave chase were named Peter Scarman and Ronald Cutler were awarded the George Medal and British Empire Medal (Civil Division). A security guard at the Bank called Mr. Bullock was given a King's Commendation for Brave Conduct.

Laid to rest and remembered

Taylor was cremated at Arnos Vale Crematorium following a funeral at St Mary's Church Fishponds. He was posthumously awarded the George Cross in August 1950. His citation ended with:

‘without any regard for the hazards, Taylor intervened out of a desire to help in the preservation of law and order and gave his life in a gallant attempt to apprehend an armed and desperate criminal’.

His George Cross was presented to his father on 14 February 1951, the last occasion this was performed by King George VI. The medal was loaned to the Imperial War Museum and displayed in the Ashcroft Gallery.

In 2005 a blue plaque was unveiled at 24 Victoria Park where Taylor had lived with his family. 

70 years later, Eugene Byrne wrote an article about the crime for Bristol Live.