By 1915 brother Joseph had joined the army and was killed in September 1915 fighting with the 7th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment.

John also joined the army although records would suggest that he did not see overseas service until 1916 which could indicted that he joined after the death of his brother.

In 1916 John saw action with the 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire regiment on the first day of the battle of the Somme. This day saw such divisional losses that they Battalion was withdrawn from the line and John spent the rest of the summer with his Battalion around the Loos area.

By mid October the Battalion had engrained for the Somme again arriving to a very wet, muddy and winter trench system. They entered the front line on the 19th October in advance of a planned attack on the 23rd October.
This attack would see the first wave of the Battalion being mown down, almost to a man, by rapid rifle and machine gun fire. Part of the brigade did succeed in taking 200 yards of enemy trench whilst under very intense raffle and machine gun fire. The main part of the were withdrawn after only a few hours but some part that had made the trench were still there some time later.

John Taylor was lost during this action that cost the Battalion 13 officers (out of 16) and 272 men out of 470.

Private John Taylor, 1943, Lincolnshire Regiment who died on 23rd October 1916 is remembered with honour on the Thiepval Memorial on Pier 1 face C.

John and his brother Joseph are both honoured on the Morton Memorial.