Frank Taylor

Veteran Scottish character actor who appeared in numerous theatre, radio and television productions over a 50 year career but is best remembered as Sgt 'Scotty' Macleod in the classic Australian TV series Division 4 (1969). Frank Taylor was born February 22 1921 at Kirkhill, Coldingham, Berwickshire in Scotland. He was educated at the Edinburgh Academy, trained for the stage at the Scottish School of Drama under the direction of Sybill Attwell and made his professional debut as the Second Page in "Richard of Bordeaux" at the Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh in September 1938. At the outbreak of World War II he joined the RAF, serving 5 years as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner with two squadrons, Squadron 608 and Squadron 217, before being shot down and taken prisoner in February 1942. After an attempted escape and incarceration in no fewer than seven POW camps he was liberated on May 2 1945 by the British 2nd Army's 11th Armoured Division. Following his demobilization he was employed as assistant stage manager at the Mercury Theatre in London under the direction of E. Martin Browne. Returning to acting and singing roles he trained with Robert Burnett in Edinburgh and Dawson Freer in London and would appear in several London West End productions including "Pacific 1860" with Mary Martin, "Much Ado About Nothing" with Robert Donat, "Pericles" with Paul Scofield,"The Silver Curlew" with Denys Blakelock and "Oklahoma" with Howard Keel. From 1951 through 1954 he toured South Africa for African Theatres in "Seagulls Over Sorrento" with Clifford Mollison and again in Australia and New Zealand for J.C. Williamson's. Settling permanently in Sydney, Australia in 1956 he appeared in many theatrical productions as well as many of the early landmark series in Australian television before being cast in "Division 4", winning a Penguin Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series in 1972 - he would eventually appear in every one of the show's 301 episodes. In 1988 he wrote his autobiography "Barbed Wire and Footlights: Seven Stalags to Freedom" and continued in occasional acting roles throughout the rest of the 1970s and 1980s before retiring.