Brigadier Harold Burfield Taylor, MC & Bar, VD (10 August 1890 – 15 March 1966) was an analytical chemist and an Australian Army officer who served in the First and the Second World Wars.

[1] Taylor volunteered for the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in 1915 and, commissioned as a second lieutenant in September that year, was assigned to 19th Battalion.

[1] The battalion at the time was involved in training in Egypt following the Gallipoli Campaign, before embarking in March 1916 to France for service on the Western Front.

[1] At Lagnicourt, Taylor's leadership of his company was crucial in defeating a German attack during the second phase of the Battle of Arras on 15 April,[3] and he was rewarded with a Military Cross (MC).

[8] The citation for the Bar, appearing in The London Gazette in April 1918, read: For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when held up during an advance.

[9]He continued to serve with the battalion until the end of the war, brought about by the armistice with Germany on 11 November 1918, and, upon his return to Australia, was discharged from the AIF the following year.

[1] Taylor recommenced his analytical work, authoring or co-authoring a number of papers pertaining to chemical analysis of coal and lead amongst other substances.

[1][10] Shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, in late October Taylor was promoted to the temporary rank of brigadier and given command of 5th Brigade, a militia formation which then tasked with defensive duties in Australia.

[13] After a period of training in New South Wales, the brigade embarked for Malaya on 2 February 1941 with Taylor travelling in advance of the main body by flying boat.

This led to more clashes with Bennett, who felt that Taylor, by requesting to establish fallback positions, was too pessimistic in his defence arrangements.

The Japanese advance may have been assisted by Taylor's directions to his platoon and company commanders to withdraw back to their headquarters position if they felt in danger of being overrun.