In John’s Voice

When the John Tayler History Project began in the fall of 2024, there were discoveries of new family artifacts and memorabilia that added depth and dimension to John’s story. But none were as stunning as the re-discovery of four cassette tapes that were recorded by John in 1983, 1985, and 1996 (years are approximate).

The re-discovery of the cassette tapes changed the nature of the narrative from a fairly general accounting of John’s life to one with incredible depth and detail. The tapes were originally given by John to eldest son Bill who subsequently passed them on to his son, David. In the fall of 2024 the tapes were digitized. The content of the tapes – now in an easily accessible format – and John’s remarkable attention to detail took the narrative to another level. Excerpts from these tapes provide the content for the Four Stories segment of the documentary film From There And Back Again. The narratives that describe John’s experiences as a POW are from these tapes.

We have used the same titles John attached to each of his tapes. A brief description of the contents of each audio file (tape) provides the listener with some understanding of the context of the recording.

A. John Life Story 1
B. John Life Story 2
C. POW I
D. POW II
E. POW III
F. POW IV
G. POW Fall 1945 Coming Home

A. John Life Story 1

In this first audio file, John provides an overview of his life from his birth in 1918 to a dangerous mission in the Western Desert of northern Africa in 1941. Remarkable details are provided about John’s years growing up in Edmonton, joining the RAF, and his first posting in Habbaniya.

B. John Life Story 2

John’s narrative continues in this audio file. He describes a substantial number of experiences over the course of many years from 1940 to 1985.

C. POW I

This audio file picks up in 1941 just before John’s 84th Squadron was posted to the Far East. Some of John’s most memorable experiences are described on this tape including The Bridge at Palenbang, Stopping for Tea, and Meeting the Australians.

D. POW II

John continues his description of Meeting the Australians and the subsequent arrival in Java and the chaos that ensued. John’s harrowing escape from the Japanese is told in the segment called Me and Corporal Jeans.

E. POW III

This audio file contains descriptions of John’s experiences as a prisoner of war. It includes a poignant reflection on the connection John had with fellow prisoner Skip Thews. John also describes the difficult train ride from Surabaya to Bandoeng where he and hundreds of other POWs were transferred.

F. POW IV

There is remarkable content on this audio file which begins with John and his companions in the cargo hold of a Japanese ship heading to the island of Mindanao. Later in the file, John describes how he kept his mind active while in ‘The Clink’ by imagining himself walking down Jasper Avenue in Edmonton.

G. POW Fall 1945 Coming Home

The final recording begins at a critical time in John’s life as a POW. The prisoners were aware of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki before their Japanese captors so there was considerable tension as to what might happen. John outlines his eventual release and subsequent experiences as he returned to Canada.