| | | Vivian
'Tinker' Taylor The only son of Mr.
John Taylor of Polwithen, Penzance, John Vivian David (‘Tinker’) Taylor
was educated at Downside School and following Sandhurst served in the Irish Guards
in WW2. He was a wartime hero,
popular Pirates rugby captain, Penzance businessman and magistrates chairman.
In August, 1944, Captain Taylor was in command of
tanks that faced heavy German attacks in their support of the infantry.
Panzers and guns knocked out many British tanks, including his own, so he took
over another tank which later became bogged down. Despite
this he stayed there for nearly two hours, directing the fire from his other tanks.
When the position was consolidated and he had a direct order to withdraw he took
his men safely back. | | 
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He
was later awarded the Military Cross, for ‘displaying perseverance and gallantry
of a very high order.’ After the war, this
modestly quiet but immensely popular man went into the family business of Taylor’s
Garage, along from the Yacht Inn opposite the bathing pool. He developed the business
until in the late seventies he left to fulfil an ambition to read history at Cambridge
University. But what of his rugby? Well, his passion for
the game was nurtured as a small boy when his father took him to watch Penzance
play at St. Clare. In 1939 he played for Penzance Reserves
against Newlyn Reserves at St. Goulder, not knowing then that six years later
he would play at scrum-half for the new Penzance & Newlyn RFC in their first-ever
match which was played against Guy’s Hospital on 22nd, September, 1945. ‘Tinker’
captained the Pirates in 1949-50 and 1950-51, seasons which saw us beat Cardiff
5-0 and draw with them 3-all. He also played six times for Cornwall. Remarking
on his Pirates career he once said: ‘The abiding thing for me is the spirit
of the Pirates, a spirit born of the friendships and sense of comradeship –
we were a band of brothers.’ ‘Tinker’ was
also chairman of the Governors at St. Mary’s RC School, chairman of the Sailors
Institute Charity, besides also being a Past President and Life Member of the
West Penwith Cricket League. Retirement (and he clearly
deserved it!) eventually saw him settle at Wimborne, Dorset, where he passed away
in 2003 aged 81 years.
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