John Edmund Singleton Renfrew Taylor was called up for active duty at the start of World War II, joining the RNVR. He started out as captain of a minesweeper and then commanded a destroyer on N. Atlantic convoy escorts before he was brought ashore with the remit of finding vessels to be used as blockships for the Mulberry Harbour after the D Day landings, overseeing the sinking of these ships in Normandy. He rose to the rank of Lt. Commander and was mentioned in despatches in 1944, leaving the service at the end of hostilities.
After the war, he became active with the Sea Cadets and was District Commanding Officer for the East Midlands. He died in 1992 at the age of 82.
Age of Sail: Fiction
AOS Privateer Fiction |
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| Series: Broadbank | ||
| Year | Book | Comment |
| 1810 | By Force of Arms | Ex-East Indiaman captain Broadbank mans a schooner privateer in the Channel and Atlantic. |
| 1812 | At Close Quarters | Broadbank with the privateer Avenger joins in the War of 1812 |
Modern Era: Fiction
Modern Era Naval Fiction |
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| Series: n/a | ||
| Year | Book | Comment |
| WWII | Northern Escort | A destroyer on a mission to escort convoys to Murmansk |
| 1944 | The Last Passage | The preparation, assembly and sinking of the blockships for the Mulberry harbours |
Non-Fiction
Modern Era Other Non-Fiction |
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| Series: n/a | ||
| Year | Book | Comment |
| Of Ships and Seamen | An early post-war survey of merchant ships and shipping | |