Albert Victor Taylor was born in the Sydney suburb of Marrickville in 1897. He worked for two years as an apprentice electrical engineer with the Federal Electricity Company in Sydney before joining the Australian Imperial Force on 30 August 1915, aged 18. He embarked from Sydney with the 13th reinforcements to the 13th Battalion aboard HMAT Suevic on 20 December 1915, and was also a member of the 13th Battalion Band. He returned to Australia in May 1919.