Eric Horace Comber-Taylor
Incomplete Report
Location: St Peter’s Church, Twineham Lane, Twineham, West Sussex, RH17 5NR
Details on Cross
RIP
CAPTAIN
E H Comber Taylor
RAF
KILLED IN ACTION
16/6/18
Plaque reads:
IN MEMORY OF AN ONLY SON/ CAPTAIN ERIC HORACE COMBER-TAYLOR/ FLIGHT COMMANDER ROYAL AIR FORCE/ KILLED IN ACTION IN FRANCE JUNE 16TH 1918/ LOVED BY ALL FOR HIS GENTLENESS AND QUIET BRAVERY
© IWM (WMR-16776)
The propeller was the original grave marker, it was placed here by his father.
This memorial to Captain Eric Horace Comber-Taylor, RAF, stands in the porch of St. Peter’s Church, Twineham. He was killed in action on the 16th June 1918, and lies in Esquelbeco Military Cemetery, France.
From CWGC:
COMBER-TAYLOR, ERIC HORACE
Rank: Captain
Date of Death: 16/06/1918
Age: 29
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force, 10th Sqdn. and General List
Grave Reference: III. B. 20.
Cemetery: ESQUELBECQ MILITARY CEMETERY
Additional Information: Son of Mr. W. O. and Mrs. I. E. Comber-Taylor, of “Furzelands,” Albourne, Hassocks, Sussex. Native of Brighton.
With thanks to Paul Reed for spotting the marker.
Image © Copyright Peter Jeffery and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence from http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3805350
This propeller cross was originally located outside in the churchyard but was moved to inside the church porch entrance c.2005 by the Vicar/Churchwardens to help protect and preserve it. The cross had been the grave marker at the Esquelbecq Military Cemetery, France and had been returned to his parents by the IWGC in the 1920s after standard war grave headstones had been erected.
I do have an image of it when it was located in the churchyard should you want a copy