He served as a Merchant Marine in WW 2. His ship was blown up and sank in the Artic Ocean in World War. He was 1 out of 27 saved out of 92. He tells that in the water he could see the life line go by him, he could not reach it, the water was so cold. The seamen on the ship jumped in to rescue the men. Mortality among merchant seamen in the Second World War was higher than in any other armed forces. A seaman surviving an attack, and even they did not always reach home. After George was rescued, by Russian sailors, he was taken to their port. He tells how he would get cavier 3 times a day & black bread. When George returned to Scotland shores, he did not want to go back on the Merchant Ships, so he went fishing for the summer. The Merchant Navy knew where he was, & was still considered okay as long as he was fishing. He reported back to them after the fishing season.
During his time in Fraserburgh Harbour, painting the side of his ship he met Connie. After Robert was born, George would come home & Connie's parents would have him, he would have to go & get him. He would tell us when Connie had their second son Richard, that instead of flowers he brought her oranges. They were more precious than flowers. Connie still wanted to have flowers. After he was released from the Merchant Marine, he worked as a saleman in New Pitsligo at 50 High Street. James was born there. When He was born Connie had a very difficult time with this home birth. George almost lost her. When James was born they left him & attended to her, the doctor lost his licence for his neglect, this is when James caught pneumonia & was hospitilized for three months. From what I understand, at that time in Scotland, you were not allowed to visit & when it came time for James to leave, the nursing staff had grown quite attached to him & all wanted to keep him, Connie wanted her baby back.
George put in to emmigrate to Canada or Australia, he was called that he could go to Canada, he flew over with a suitcase, cheese, fish & $40.00.
He came to Canada in 1951 to Toronto, Ontario. He became a Stationery Engineer at Colgate's. He retired from there 1986 and moved to Fenelon Falls. He now lives in Bridge North near Peterborough. Constance Moore BUCHAN and George Watt TAYLOR had the following children:
+112 i.
Living TAYLOR was born in St. Combs, Scotland.
+113 ii.
Living TAYLOR was born in Scotland. +114 iii.
Living TAYLOR(1) was born at St. New Pitslago, Scotland. When he went to Scotland he had some very interesting
adventures. He talked about taking his granddad's boots and throwing them out
the window, he & his brother weren't to be playing with them, about his brother getting
a rock in his knee & his granddad digging it out with a knife. He & another
lad hiding money under a rock & having the village believe the fairies had
left it there. How folks didn't know what pop was because they called it lemonade.
He remembers a lady called Lizzie Feleeds, that lived in the ground &
that she was a hermit. His brother getting caught out on the pipe that went out in
the ocean & the tide came in & how a man went out and rescued him, otherwise
he would have been swept under the tide. About meeting his namesake, & him giving him his medals. It was one of the best summers he ever had.
He worked at CP Rail and received an appenticeship as a Heavy Duty Mechanic Machinist. He moved to Golden, BC in the winter of and worked as a Bush Mechanic for Evans Sawmill. His family moved to Revelstoke, BC and worked on the CP Rail as a Conductor at the Revelstoke Division.
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