First Encounter With Death

There was one spot we went through one time and all there was, was just the first, well let’s put it like this, the first time I’ve ever seen a dead man. And we were moving up there and there was a ditch. They must have, the regiment before us had hand to hand combat in Italy there and, we were moving up there and the first body there were legs missing and heads missing, torso was all over the place and that really got me, got me right deep in the stomach, you know, like sick and that’s about the worst I ever seen.

Mr. Taylor describes his reaction to seeing dead and mutilated bodies for the first time.

Edward P. Taylor

Edward P. Taylor, the twelfth of fifteen children, was born in Sturgeon Falls, Ontario on September 9, 1923. His father managed a paper mill and was therefore unable to enlist. However Edward, very aware of the situation in Europe, enlisted in the Army in Toronto at age nineteen, two years after being rejected by the Navy because of his age. Mr. Taylor served as radio operator with the Royal 22nd Regiment in Italy and he later redeployed to Northern Europe, where he spent time with the Army of Occupation. He served as a radio operator once more during the Korean War. Choosing to remain in the armed forces, Mr. Taylor also completed two tours of duty with NATO in Germany.

Medium:: Video
Owner:: Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:: 0:39
Person Interviewed:: Edward P. Taylor
War, Conflict or Mission:: Second World War
Location/Theatre:: Italy
Branch:: Army
Units/Ship:: Royal Canadian Artillery
Occupation:: Signaller

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