[Taylor]

Lance Corporal Richard P. Taylor, pictured July 2011

Born: Richard Paul Taylor

Date of Birth: October 6, 1991

Place of Birth: Reading, Berkshire

Alma Mater: -

Allegiance: HM Queen Elizabeth II

Branch: British Army

Years of Service: 2008 - 2020

Rank: Corporal

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Military Service

Taylor joined the British Army aged 16, after leaving Reading School with no GCSEs. He joined AFC Harrogate in September 2008, before moving on to ITC Catterick the following year. It was during his time at Catterick that he met his only known "friend", Richard Knight. Taylor was posted to 1st Battalion, Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, where he remained for the rest of his career.

Taylor's first tour of duty was to Iraq in 2009. During a routine patrol, his platoon came under small arms and RPG fire. Noticing his Platoon Commander, Lieutenant James, had been hit and was stranded in the open, Taylor abandoned his defensive position to assist his commander. Taylor was later awarded the Military Cross for actions of gallantry.

He was posted to Afghanistan in 2011, to assist with the training of the Afghan National Army, it was during this tour that Taylor was promoted to Lance Corporal. 3 weeks before he was due to return to the United Kingdom, Taylor suffered a gunshot wound to his left soldier whilst treating a wounded local politician in Helmand province. Despite his injuries, and with the support of his section, Taylor proceeded to treat his victim and successfully evacuacted him to a nearby hospital. He was again awarded the Military Cross for actions of gallantry.

Following Taylor's return from Afghanistan, he worked out of ATC Pirbright training new Recruits until early 2014 when his platoon was posted to Afghanistan for a second time, this time to assist with the withdrawal of British forces from the region. He returned in the winter of 2014.

Taylor resumed duties at Pirbright until 2017 when his battalion was posted to Bielefeld, Germany. Taylor was promoted to the rank of Corporal during his time in Germany.

Taylor's battalion left Germany in August 2019 and were posted to Cyprus, beginning a 2 year rotation. 2 months into the his time in Cyprus, Taylor handed in his notice of resignation and would leave the army a year later in October 2020, two weeks after his 29th birthday.

Taylor joined Ares Defence Services, a Contractor for the Ministry of Defence, in January 2021.

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Medals

From left to right (In order of wear)

Military Cross with one bar - Issued for actions in Iraq (2009) | Issued for actions in Afghanistan (2011)

Operational Service Medal Afghanistan - Issued for service in Afghanistan (2011)

Iraq Medal - Issued for service in Iraq (2009)

Iraq Reconstruction Service Medal - Issued for service in Iraq (2009)

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal - Issued to commemorate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee (2012)

United Nations Service Medal for UNFICYP - Issued for service with the United Nations in Cyprus (2019)

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Appearance & Personality

Richard is 5'11'', weighing approximately 75kg. He has short hair, no longer than an inch and it is noticeably greying. Taylor is a clean shaven man, with a long scar streching from his chin to his eye.

Richard Taylor is a cold man, he speaks his mind. He is known by his colleagues to have very few friends, however he treats those working with him with the upmost respect. Taylor will always prioritise his squadmates and the mission, sometimes disobeying orders to do what is necessary.

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Backstory

Richard Taylor was born to a working class family in Reading, Berkside in 1991. His parents split up in 2004, following his father's deployment to Iraq due to the September 11 attacks. When his dad returned in late 2005, he was suffering from severe PTSD and ultimately took his own life on Christmas Day of 2006. Not much else is known about Taylor's early life, however it is expected his traumatic childhood is what led to his decision to join the army.

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Relationships

Sgt. Richard Knight (@Judge Rage) - Friend
Capt. Dick Wallcroft (@Dick‍) - Commanding Officer
Lt. Maximillian Cairns (@"OG_Soviethooves"‍) - Platoon Commander