PG Taylor was the most prolific of any Australian airman to tell his story. In eight published books no less. After his double crossing of the South Pacific in his Catalina Frigate Bird 11 in 1951 (Sydney-Valparaiso-Sydney) he was knighted, becoming Sir Gordon Taylor. But to his friends and work associates he remained simply Bill Taylor.
Next month Allen & Unwin will have out the first comprehensive biography of Taylor. It is by Rick Searle . They have called the book The Man Who Saved Smithy, as in 1935 it was Bill Taylor who in flight climbed out of the cockpit of the Southern Cross over the Tasman Sea to transfer oil from one (disabled) engine to another on the opposite side that was losing oil pressure.
Perhaps the most notable thing about PG Taylor's writings is the fact that he had a keen ear and eye for the subtle nuances of the world of sea , land and air .
At his best his work is in some ways comparable to St Ex when the Frenchman
is describing some majestic or moving sight.