T H Taggart (1883 – 1919)

Thomas Henry Taggart was born in Birmingham in 1883. He was the son of Edward Taggart, a tailor, and his wife, Annie. They lived on Bernard’s Hill.

Thomas joined the Border Regiment in 1903 but was transferred to the reserves two years later – possibly because of ill-health. He was mobilized at the outbreak of war but was sent home ‘unfit’. He rejoined in early 1915 and went with the 1st Battalion to the Dardanelles. A few weeks later he was in hospital in Cairo suffering from ‘deaf and dumb shell shock’. He was sent back to England on the hospital ship HMHS Hunslet.

Thomas had two ‘letters from the war’ printed in the Bridgnorth Journal one on 14 August, 1915, the other on the 18th December 1915.

Shortly after his arrival home, Thomas was released for temporary munitions work working as a motor-tyre maker in Birmingham. He was discharged from the army in March 1916. He died in Bridgnorth in September 1919.

BRIDGNORTH SOLDIER RECOVERS FROM LOSS OF SPEECH
[Bridgnorth Journal, Dec 4th, 1915]
6929 Pte T. H. Taggart (son of Mrs. A. Taggart,
12 Bernard’s Hill) of C Company, the Border
Regiment, who was wounded and lost the use of
His speech in the Dardanelles fighting in August
Last, and was invalided home after being in hospital
at Cairo, has recently undergone treatment at
Carlisle and at Maghull Hospital, near Liverpool,
as the result of which he has regained his speech.

BRIDGNORTH SOLDIER RECOVERS HIS HEARING AND SPEECH
[Bridgnorth Journal, Dec 18th, 1915]
6926 Private T, H. Taggart, C Co., The Border
Regiment, writes us from 'The Castle', Carlisle,
Dec. 10th, as follows: "Just a few lines to thank
you for your past kindness in publishing my
letters and am pleased to say I have quite reco-
vered now from my 'bit,' received in the Dar-
danelles last August. I am glad to state that I
have quite recovered my hearing and speech, my
legs are quite well again, and my nerves are a
great deal better. I am being discharged from
hospital on Saturday, the 11th inst, to go to my
depot at Carlisle, to be sent home to go to work on
munitions of war at Birmingham.

Private Taggart, 6926, was awarded the Victory and British medals and the 15 Star. His death was reported in the Bridgnorth Journal on 13th September, 1919. He was the brother of Francis James Taggart who is also commemorated on the Bridgnorth War Memorial. Another brother, John Edward, died aged 31 in April 1917.

DIED
[Bridgnorth Journal, Saturday 1st March, 1919]
TAGGART. – On February 27th, at 12 Bernard’s Hill, Bridgnorth, after a long illness, patiently borne, aged 22, Francis James Taggart, beloved son of Annie Taggart. Dearly loved and deeply mourned. R.I.P.