THE KING'S (LIVERPOOL) REGIMENT, A RARE WW1 PERIOD GOLD PRESENTATION CITY BATTALION'S (17TH, 18TH, 19TH & 20TH BATTALIONS) COMFORTS FUND PRESENTATION BREAST BADGE AWARDED TO MRS ANN TAYLOR, MOTHER OF LIEUTENANT NORMAN LEOPOLD TAYLOR, 19TH BATALION THE KING'S (LIVERPOOL) REGIMENT, WHO WAS MORTALLY WOUNDED DURING A TRENCH RAID IN SEPTEMBER 1916, comprising the crest of the Earl of Derby, an eagle with wings extended preying on an infant in its cradle, motto on ribbon below "Sans Changer", with four clasps above, reading upwards and dating respectively, 1918, 1917, 1916 and 1915, with its original top brooch suspender bearing legend "City Battalion's Comforts Fund", reverse of badge hallmarked for 9 carat gold. Measures 2 5/8 inches (68mm) high approx., weight 13.3 grammes, housed in its original black velvet and white silk lined case of issue, the case bound in black velvet with white velvet central stripe, interior of lid with printed inscription "From the Officers, N.C.O.'S and Men of The Four City Battalions King's Liverpool Regt., in grateful recognition of the work she has done for their welfare, January 1918", exterior of lid impressed with name of recipient, "Mrs A. Taylor", in gilt. Some scuffing to exterior of case, the breast badge virtually as struck.
The four City Battalions of the King's (Liverpool) Regiment were raised in Liverpool by Edward George Villiers Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby (Lord Derby) on 29/8/1914 and saw service initially during WW1 as 89th Brigade, 30th Division. With the approval of King George V, Lord Derby presented to each man who enlisted before 16th October 1914, a silver cap badge whose design, like this presentation breast badge, was based on his family crest. The 89th Brigade's first commanding officer was Brigadier General Ferdinand Charles Stanley, a younger brother of Lord Derby.
The City Battalions Comforts Fund was formed in November 1915, its president being Alice, Lady Derby, and its chairman, Alexandra Stanley, the wife of Brigadier General Stanley, commanding officer of the 89th Brigade. Brigadier General Stanley, in his History of the 89th Brigade, was full of praise for the work carried out during the war by the Comforts Fund committee, providing an extensive, itemised list of the vast number of items supplied by the committee to the men of the City Battalions. Amounting to over 250,000 individual items, these included over 29,000 pairs of socks, 6,444 pair of mittens, 10,800 Tommy's Cookers, cases of candles to the weight of some 29,616 pounds, 52,044 newspapers and magazines, 1,683 pounds of cake, 1,860 mouth organs and whistles, etc. Brigadier General Stanley also records the decision taken at Christmas 1917 to give "each of the members of the Committee a little reproduction of our badge in gold, with bars for each year of service in which they have been connected with the City Battalion's Comforts Fund". These badges were eventually presented, as recorded inside the lid of the presentation case of the example recorded here, in January 1918. The maximum number of clasps awarded was four, as on the example offered here.
The Mrs A. Taylor to whom this badge was awarded was Mrs Ann Taylor, the mother of 2nd Lieutenant Norman Leopold Taylor, 19th Battalion The King's (Liverpool) Regiment, who was mortally wounded during a trench raid on 13/9/1916 (died of wounds 18/9/1916). Anne Taylor was resident in Ireland at the time of her son's death. She did, however, have an English background, which may perhaps have prompted her son to seek a commission in an English infantry regiment when he was commissioned from the ranks. Ann Taylor, born Rotherham, Yorkshire, was the daughter of John Woodcock. She is recorded in the 1881 census as being a 14 year old schoolgirl, resident in Leeds, her father being recorded in the same census return as a leather lace cutter (boot maker). Ann Woodcock married Samuel Taylor (born Co. Antrim) at Sheepscar, Leeds, on 10/6/1889. She and her husband are recorded in the 1901 Irish census as living in Boveen, Kilcolman, King's County (now Co. Offaly). At the time of that census, Samuel Taylor is recorded as being a gamekeeper. That census return records a guest in the family house on the day the census was compiled, a 39 year old barrister by the name of G.B. Hamilton, who was apparently the owner of the lands on which Samuel Taylor was employed as gamekeeper. By the time of the 1911 census Samuel and Ann Taylor had moved to Rockville, Aughrim East, Co. Roscommon, where Samuel was again employed as a gamekeeper.
Ann Taylor's son, Norman Leopold Taylor, first saw service during WW1 as 6305 Corporal, Irish Guards. Norman Taylor was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, 16th (Reserve) Battalion The King's (Liverpool) Regiment in August 1915 (Army Lists of the period give date as 7th August, but Medal Index Card states 6th August). He first saw active service in France with the 19th Battalion The King's (Liverpool) Regiment in 1916 and was mortally wounded whilst serving with that battalion during a disastrous trench raid on 13/9/1916. Norman Taylor's Medal Index card gives his next of kin as his father, with an address at "Rockview", Hill Street, Dunmona, Co. Roscommon. Graham Maddocks, in his History of the "Liverpool Pals", gives total casualties for the trench raid during which 2nd Lieutenant Taylor was mortally wounded as 1 officer and 3 other ranks killed, 2nd Lieutenant Taylor mortally wounded, and 18 other ranks wounded.
The colours of the velvet and silk used in the production of the presentation case in which the breast badge is housed are those of Lord Derby's racing colours, a black silk jacket with a white cap.
Badge accompanied by various copied research, including census returns, marriage registry extract, copied Medal Index card for 2nd Lieutenant Taylor, extracts from regimental histories and battalion war diary, etc.
