After completing his flight training, he was posted to the United Kingdom to serve with the Royal Air Force.

Once the threat of the V-1s receded, the squadron flew in support of the Allied advance into the Low Countries and then Germany.

He was educated at Alexandra District High School, where he was an active sportsman, playing rugby and cricket.

[1] Still a tertiary student at the time, Taylor-Cannon joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) in April 1941 as an airman pilot with the service number 412284.

[1][2][3] From October 1942, and now operating from Tangmere, the squadron was regularly flying patrols along the south coast of England, intercepting incoming Luftwaffe Rhubarb missions.

Initially there was little success but following the installation of low-level radar stations at intervals along the coast, earlier detection of incoming raids was possible and results began to improve.

On 17 December, Taylor-Cannon and his wingman intercepted two Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter-bombers and he shot down one, his first aerial victory, around 3 miles (4.8 km) south of St Catherine's Point.

His second victory was on 17 January 1943, and was another Bf 109 shot down over the English Channel, 40 miles (64 km) from the Isle of Wight.

[1][11] The following month, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for "gallantry and devotion to duty in the execution of air operations".

[1][13] Because the Tempest was the fastest fighter plane available to the RAF at the time, the squadron was tasked with intercepting German-launched V-1 flying bombs targeting England.

486 Squadron was sent to Grimbergen in Belgium to join the 2nd Tactical Air Force, where its operations were now in support of the Allied armies as they moved across the Low Countries.

On 19 November, he and Flying Officer Owen Eagleson engaged a Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter taking off from Rheine Airfield and claimed it as probably destroyed.

486 Squadron soon began flying well into Germany to attack transportation infrastructure and seek out targets of opportunity.

[7] In March, he was awarded a Bar to his DFC; the citation published in The London Gazette read: Squadron Leader Taylor-Cannon has participated in a large number of sorties, and has led his flight and often the squadron with skill and determination, always pressing home his attacks whatever enemy opposition was encountered.

In the ensuing fight he personally destroyed one enemy aircraft of the four brought down by his squadron.The squadron switched tactics at this time; casualties in No.

122 Wing's operations against ground targets had been high and it was decided that the Tempests would now carry out wide ranging sweeps, hunting out the Luftwaffe.

486 Squadron flew in support of the crossing of the Rhine on 23 March, dealing with anti-aircraft guns that were firing upon the Allied gliders involved in the operation.

The following day, Taylor-Cannon led a flight of the squadron's Tempests in an attack on a German transport column along the east bank of the Elbe, at Dömitz.

[21] Accounts of what happened next vary; a British prisoner of war reported that Taylor-Cannon was wounded, taken away and subsequently died.