War veteran and leading community figure on Arran

Born: August 8, 1923;

Died: March 11, 2018

HAROLD Edward Taylor, known as Spud, who has died aged 94, was a craftsman and war veteran who made a huge contribution to Lamlash on the Isle of Arran. He was a very well regarded member of the community and held in great affection by all who knew him.

Spud – a nickname from school that he kept because he preferred it to Harold – was born in 1923, and was the middle boy of three sons. At the start of the war he was evacuated to Suffolk, but stayed only one night. He got word of a job in London and the next day began an apprenticeship as a carpenter. Among other things he made wooden cabinets for the Post Office telephone exchanges.

At 19, he joined the Royal Navy and served on HMS Rosemary and HMS Cleopatra. It was on the Rosemary that he witnessed the Milford Haven disaster, with the loss of 79 lives, when two top-heavy landing craft capsized in a storm. Six of the dead were from Rosemary’s boat-crew who had attempted a rescue. For the rest of his life, the disaster affected Mr Taylor's feelings about the importance of remembering war-time service and sacrifice.

While the Rosemary was in Lamlash Bay, Mr Taylor came ashore to play football. The captain allowed his crew shore-leave in their football kit, provided they also wore their great coats. The weather blew up rough and the liberty boat was unable to return the sportsmen to their ship. They wandered into a dancehall, where a Lamlash girl called Jessie McColl said to her friend, “Look at that poor sailor in his shorts and greatcoat, we better go and talk to him.” And so began a romance of seven decades.

After the war, Mr Taylor returned to Lamlash where he found work with Spiers, Dick and Smith in Whiting Bay. He and Jessie were married in Lamlash Church in October 1948.

Mr Taylor was a craftsman. Inter alia, he worked on the Finnish Houses in Brodick; the two concrete-block bungalow houses at Sandbraes; the Lagg Hotel dining room extension; maintenance works at Dougarie Lodge and the Kildonan Coastguard Station; the dam at Easan Biorach above Lochranza; the sea-wall at the south end of Pirnmill; the Post Office garage in Brodick; the Brodick Pier store (now demolished) and his very own house at Blairbeg, Lamlash – which, all but the electrics, he did by himself. His craftsmanship is on permanent display at the island’s Heritage Museum in the form of the Commando Memorial Cabinet.

Mr Taylor was also deeply involved in organising the Commando re-unions on Arran for over 20 years. The 11th Commando had been trained on the island during the war and billeted in almost every house in Lamlash. A strong bond developed between the men and the community. “To begin with I thought that they were ordinary soldiers, but when I met them and talked to them about their war service, I realised that they were truly extraordinary soldiers,” explained Mr Taylor.

Living on Arran, Mr Taylor also continued with his interest in taking part in sport. He played football for the Lamlash team and badminton in Whiting Bay hall. Then in later life he took up golf, enjoying both the company and the challenge of reducing his handicap. He had memberships at Corrie, Brodick and Lamlash, but played on all seven of the island’s courses whenever he could.

Mr Taylor is survived by his wife Jessie.

JAMES M ARNOLD