Patrick Gordon Taylor

Sir Gordon Taylor
Captain Gordon Taylor c.1917
Born	(1896-10-21)21 October 1896 Mosman, New South Wales
Died	15 December 1966(1966-12-15) (aged 70) Honolulu, Hawaii
Allegiance	United Kingdom Australia
Service/branch	Royal Flying Corps Royal Australian Air Force
Years of service	1916–19 1943–44
Rank	Squadron Leader
Battles/wars	First World War Second World War
Awards	George Cross Knight Bachelor Officer of the Order of the British Empire Military Cross

Sir Patrick Gordon Taylor, GC, OBE, MC (21 October 1896 – 15 December 1966), known as Gordon Taylor, was an Australian aviator and author. He was born at Mosman, Sydney, and died in Honolulu.

Taylor attended The Armidale School in northern New South Wales. At the beginning of the First World War he applied to join the Australian Flying Corps but was rejected. He subsequently went to Britain and was commissioned into the Royal Flying Corps in 1916, joining No. 66 Squadron. He was awarded the Military Cross in 1917 and promoted to captain, also serving with Nos. 94 and 88 Squadrons.

Following the war he returned to Australia and embarked on a career in civil aviation, working as a private pilot and for de Havilland Aircraft Company in the 1920s. He flew as a captain with Australian National Airways 1930–31. He also completed an engineering course and studied aerial navigation. He served as second pilot or navigator on pioneering flights with Charles Kingsford Smith, Charles Ulm and others. In 1943 he was commissioned flying officer in the Royal Australian Air Force, transferring to Royal Air Force in 1944.