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Frank Taylor, a seasoned Scottish character actor, had a prolific career spanning over 50 years across theatre, radio, and television. He is best known for his role as Sgt 'Scotty' Macleod in the iconic Australian TV series Division 4 (1969).
Born on February 22, 1921, in Kirkhill, Coldingham, Berwickshire, Scotland, Taylor was educated at the Edinburgh Academy. He trained at the Scottish School of Drama under 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 start of World War II, he enlisted in the RAF, serving five years as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner with Squadrons 608 and 217. After being shot down in February 1942, he became a prisoner of war. Following an escape attempt and imprisonment in seven different POW camps, he was freed on May 2, 1945, by the British 2nd Army's 11th Armoured Division.
After demobilization, Taylor worked as assistant stage manager at London's Mercury Theatre, directed by E. Martin Browne. He resumed acting and singing, training with Robert Burnett in Edinburgh and Dawson Freer in London. He appeared in several 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.
Between 1951 and 1954, he toured South Africa with African Theatres in "Seagulls Over Sorrento" alongside Clifford Mollison, and later toured Australia and New Zealand with J.C. Williamson's. He settled permanently in Sydney in 1956, performing in numerous theatrical productions and early landmark Australian television series. His role in "Division 4" earned him a Penguin Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series in 1972, and he appeared in all 301 episodes of the show.
In 1988, Taylor published his autobiography, "Barbed Wire and Footlights: Seven Stalags to Freedom." He continued to take occasional acting roles throughout the 1970s and 1980s before retiring.
