Templer, Henry Lethbridge, son of Robert Baron Templer (q.v.); b. March 26, 1871; adm. June 5, 1885 (R); left Dec. 1885; Capt. A.S.C. Sept. 10, 1915; Major Feb. 8, 1916; served in East Africa March 1916 - Aug. 1917, when he was invalided; transferred to R.A.F. and employed on aircraft production; Asst. Controller, National Aircraft Factories, Oct. 8, 1918; Major R.A.F. April 1, 1918; Lieut.-Col.; mentioned in despatches; lived in S. Africa; m.; d. at Exeter Sept. 28, 1958.
Taylor, Ian Birdwood van Someren, son of Richard van Someren Taylor, sales man. Schweppes Ltd, and Olivia Winn Bruce, d. of John Bruce Murray LLD DL, of Glasgow; b. 12 Jan. 1920; adm. Sept. 1933 (R); left Apr. 1936; Roy. Tank Regt 1940-1 (Lieut.); killed in action at Sidi Rezegh, Libya, 23 Nov. 1941.
Ian Birdwood van Someren Taylor was born on the 12th of January 1920 the only son of Birdwood van Someren Taylor, a sales manager for Schweppes Ltd, and Olivia Winn Bruce (nee Murray) Taylor of 87, Cromwell Road, South Kensington in London. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Rigaud’s from September 1933 to April 1936.
He enlisted as a Trooper in the Westminster Dragoons, Royal Armoured Corps and attended the 102nd Officer Cadet Training Unit at Sandhurst before being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Armoured Corps on the 4th of May 1940. He was posted to the 8th Royal Tank Regiment.
At 8.30pm on the night of the 22nd of November 1941, the 8th Royal Tank Regiment received orders to advance to relieve the 7th Armoured Brigade support group at Sidi Rezegh. They moved off towards the west at 3.30am on the 23rd of November and opened into desert formation at 5.30am. They discovered a short time later that they were advancing in the wrong direction and found themselves in the midst of the Afrika Corps Headquarters where they came under fire from enemy armoured cars and infantry. Two Troops of tanks were ordered forward and after a short engagement they had knocked out one enemy armoured car and eight staff cars as well as capturing several German and Italian prisoners.
The advance continued on the correct line, with C Squadron protecting the left flank. At 11.30am, C Squadron received orders to go to the aid of an infantry Battalion which had been held up by enemy fire and they set off half an hour later. They attacked in two waves and by 12.30pm the infantry had taken their objective. The tanks were due to retire to the rallying point ten minutes later but were still under fire by that time and had difficulty disengaging. By 3.30pm only four of the tanks had reached the rallying point with others returning during the afternoon, some of which were badly damaged and with wounded on board.
During the night, Ian Taylor’s crew walked back into the rallying point to report that their tank had been hit in the right idler wheel during the fighting and had stopped. They continued to fire on the enemy until their guns jammed, by which time they had been hit several more times and Ian Taylor had ordered them to abandon the tank. The crew took cover in a nearby trench for a long period of time before Ian Taylor left to make contact with the infantry and was not seen again.
Casualties suffered by the 8th Royal Tank Regiment during this action were one man killed with five wounded and twenty men missing, of which four were officers.
He is buried at Knightsbridge Cemetery Plot 2, Row H, Grave 18.
Taylor, George Alec, son of George Beatson Taylor, of Esher, Surrey; b. Nov. 6, 1878; adm. May 8, 1891 (R); left May 1894.
TATHAM, WILLIAM, son of William Tatham, Old Broad Street, London, solicitor, and Lucy Ann Vernon; b. 10 Oct 1837; adm. 15 Mar 1850 (Rigaud's); left 1855; adm. solicitor Trinity 1864; of firm Tatham & Sons, Old Broad Street, London; m. 2 Apr 1873 Mary, third dau. of William Vidler, Remenham, Berks., corn dealer and farmer; d. 5 Oct 1879.
Tasker, Theodore Henry Grant, brother of John Mellis Tasker (qv); b. 27 Apr. 1920; adm. Sept. 1933 (R); left Apr. 1938; de Havilland Aeronautical Tech. Sch. 1939-42; RNVR (A) 1942-6 (Sub-Lieut.); an aeronautical engineer, ARAeS 1946; de Havilland Aircraft Co. 1946-58; Avery Hardoll Ltd 1958-62; a civil servant 1962-84, MOD (Navy), retd 1984; m. 7 June 1947 Doreen Ellen, d. of James Frederick Davey of Swanage, Dorset; d. 10 May 2013.
Tasker, John Mellis, son of Sir Theodore James Tasker CIE OBE, ICS, of Swanage, Dorset, and Jessie Helen Mellis-Smith, d. of Rev. George Smith, Anglican missionary, of Swatow, China; b. 18 Jan. 19 19; adm. Sept. 1932 (R), non-res. KS Sept. 1933; left July 1937; Trin. Coll. Camb., matric. 1937, 1st class hons Math. Tri Pt 1 1938, BA 1946; RA 1939-46 (Capt.), despatches (NW Europe) Apr. 1946; HM CoIonial Service 1947-69; Asst Sec. Gibraltar 1947-51; Admin. Officer The Gambia 1951-3, Colony Commissioner 1953-6; MBE 1955; Under Sec. Kenya 1956-69; Milton Keynes Devel. Corpn 1969-81, sec. to Board 1971; m. 8 Oct. 1949 Juliet, d. of George Walter Frederick McGwire of Hayes, Swanage; d. 24 July 2003.
Tanner, Richard, son of Mrs E. M. M. Tanner of Esher, Surrey; b. 26 Sept. 1906; adm. Sept. 1920 (R); left Mar. 1923.
Tacon, Waveney Pitt, second son of the Rev. Richard John Tacon, Rector of Rollesby, Norfolk, by Caroline Ballard, only daughter of the Rev. Richard Wauchaupe Pitt, Rector of Saxlingham, Norfolk; b. Oct. 3, 1882; adm. Sept. 30, 1897 (R); left Dec. 1898; served in Great War I; temp. 2nd Lieut. 7th Batt. Lancs. Regt. Sept. 16, 1914; d. April 22, 1954; unm.
Symonds, Kenneth Morland, son of James William Guy Symonds (qv); b. 5 Sept. 1907; adm. Sept. 1921 (R); left July 1925; Cadet RN Jan. 1926, Midshipman (E) Jan. 1927, Sub Lieut. Jan. 1929, Lieut. Oct. 1931, Lieut.-Cdr Oct. 1939, Cdr June 1943, Capt. June 1953; DSC (Med.) Nov. 1942, Bar to DSC Mar. 1944; dep. Dir. Underwater Weapons Material, Admiralty, 1957; m. 14 Mar. 1936 Anne Ryder, d. of John Basil Armitage of Bowdon, Cheshire; d. 3 Dec. 1968.
Symonds, James William Guy, only son of James Sexton Simonds, Superintendent of the London Fire Brigade, by Annie Guy Spence; b. Nov. 29, 1877; adm. Sept. 25, 1890 (R); left July 1895; assumed the surname of Symonds in lieu of Simonds; temp. Lieut.-Col. R.F.A. May 1, 1915; served in British East Africa and France; wounded at Flers Oct. 1916; employed Ministry of Munitions; demob. June 1919; mentioned in despatches L.G. Jan. 4, May 18, and Dec. 14, 1917; D.S.O. June 4, 1917; served during Great War II as Fire Adviser Grade I at the Home Office; C.B.E. Jan. 1, 1945; m. Anne Morland, daughter of Thomas Richardson, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne; d. Aug. 1951.