Gnr. Francis Stanley Turner . British Army 4th Medium Regiment Royal Artillery from 13 The Green, Ashbocking, Suffolk Frank Turner was called up in 1942 and joined the Royal Artillery. He trained at Lark Hill Camp on Salisbury Plain and then Tillecoltrie in Clackmananshire, Scotland to join the 4th Medium/Heavy Regiment. He went abroad to North Africa from Greenock on the Duchess of York in convoy landing at Algiers November 1942.
He saw action in the big push to drive the Germans out of Tunisia. He remembers being at Medjez-el-Bab, and Beja shelling German positions.
The guns were 5.5 inch Howitzers firing a 500lb shell literally miles. 10 men in the gun crew, 5 working the gun and on guard, 5 sleeping, on a 24 hour Rota. The 4th Medium's were assigned to the 78th Division of the First Army under Alexander. The 78th had a battle axe as its emblem. Came into contact with the American and Indian armies as allies and saw thousands of German prisoners.
Tunis finally fell on 20th of May 1943, although my dad claims it would have fallen by the Christmas of 1942 had it not been for the late arrival of the 6th Armoured Division, who were cruelly nicknamed The Phantom Division.
After Tunis fell there was a big parade through the town led by the Americans, who were first to reach the town, my Dad took part in this parade.
|
2nd.Lt. Frank Eardley Turner . British Army 663 Artisan Works Company Royal Engineers (d.17th Jun 1940) Frank Turner of 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers lost his life in the sinking of the Lancastria.
|
Fus Frank Turner . British Army 6th Btn. Royal Welch Fusiliers from Ab Kettleby (d.11th December 1943) Fusilier Turner was the Son of Josiah and Jessie Turner, of Ab Kettleby.
He was 27buried in the AB Kettleby (St. James) Churchyard, Grave 7, In Leicestershire, UK and is
|
Gnr. Frank "Snowy" Turner . British Army 85th Anti Tank Regiment Royal Artillery from Shutford, Banbury, Oxon Frank Turner served with 85th Anti Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery.
|
Spr. Frederick William Turner . British Army 219th Field Park Coy. Royal Engineers from Westminster, London Frederick Turner enlisted in the 219th Corps Field Park Company, Royal Engineers on 5th of March 1940, having previously served as a Territorial Gunner in the Royal Artillery.
He served in Egypt, Syria and Libya and was present at the Siege of Tobruk with the 70th Division. The 70th Division was later sent to India where it was disbanded. Its personnel were used to form columns of General Wingate's 2nd Chindit expedition, Operation Thursday.
He is thought to have served with 16th Brigade under Brigadier Bernard Fergusson, and was possibly attached to the 2nd battalion, The Queen's Royal Regiment, (West Surrey) in 22 column.
It is known that he was flown out of Burma due to having an infected and badly swollen ankle.
|
Pte Frederick Walter Turner . British Army 1st Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment from Dinnington, Sheffield (d.23rd May 1942)
|
Ord. Sea Geoffrey Russel Turner . Royal Navy from Westbridgford My father, Geoffrey Turner served on this ship during the Second World War. He really enjoyed this part of his life.
|
F/O. Geoffrey Austin Turner . Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 76 Squadron from Glasgow (d.10th Aug 1943) Bomber-Crew by Flying Officer Geoffrey Austin Turner
If existence such as this be life
Then, surely death be release,
And dawning after long night
Rather than cessation of all feeling, end of existence.
For alive in life, I am Death.
Bringing death to all, young and old.
Innocent and guilty, the weak and the strong;
Sowing the seed of destruction broadcast over the world.
How long then till one reaps the crop one has sown?
How long till the bringer of death meets his Master?
"He who lives by the sword, shall die by the sword..."
But what of he who lives by death by fire and steel?
By death-by-night, coming like the future thief of petty valuables?
"For the sword also means cleanness and death....."
But what of death by fire and flame and steel?
Of death by the rending and tearing of explosions?
By the destruction of homes?
By indiscriminate massacre.....?
Yea, what of he who comes by night?
Like the plague, furtively? stealthily?
Sometime, surely, in a dark slung story
I will feel the buffet
And hear the beat
Of the sable wing of the Angel of Death;
Death's worthy messenger.
Then shall relief flood my apprehensive heart
As long-feared, long-awaited Death comes nigh.
And I shall rejoice and salute my Lord and Master
For no more shall I cower in Earth's deep holes fearing his wrath;
No longer shall I perform his meanest tasks;
And with a heart light and a soul upraised
I shall go to a greater Life.
I found this poem in my father's briefcase after his death in 2010. It was in a book of poetry, hand written by his brother, Geoffrey Austin Turner. Geoff was a navigator who completed 46 operational flights against the enemy in WW2. He died in August of 1943 at the age of 23 years. His plane was shot down by anti-aircraft fire as it was returning from the target at Mannheim. It crashed in flames on the railroad, five miles due north of Boulogne, France.
My father often spoke lovingly of his older brother but he never mentioned this poem to me. To the best of my knowledge, it was written by my late uncle and has never been published.
|
Pte. Geoffrey Arthur Turner . British Army 1st Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment (d.19th April 1944) Geoffrey Turner was born in Guist, Norfolk.
He died of malaria aged 21 in Burma while serving with 1st South Staffordshire Regiment.
|
George Topsy Turner . Royal Navy HMS Sirius My father, George "Topsy" Turner served on board H.M.S. Sirius as a gunner in one of the forward turrets. He has now passed on but he did bring back some memoirs of his time aboard H.M.S.Sirius. Such as a ships bible - a battle penant and a cap band from the german warship Prinz Eugen. I also seem to recall him making a mention of saving the ships cat in a cap after a torpedo attack.
|
F/L George T Turner . RAFVR. 78 sqd. (d.6th Nov 1942 )
|
Spr. George Frederick Turner . British Army 663 Artisan Works Company Royal Engineers (d.17th Jun 1940) George Turner of 663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers lost his life in the sinking of the Lancastria.
|
SGM. George Victor Turner . British Army 1st Btn. Royal Fusiliers from Lanchester George Turner served with the 1st Royal Fusiliers.
|
CPO. Gilbert "Sky" Turner . Royal Navy HMS Renown from Plymouth, Devon My grandfather, Gilbert Turner served in the Royal Navy. He was a chef, and my grandmother told me that he cooked a meal for Winston Churchill and the King of Norway at separate times whilst on the battlecruiser HMS Renown. I would be interested to find out more.
|
Mjr. Godfrey Evelyn Turner . British Army from Shepherds Bush Godfrey Turner served in North Africa.
|
Sgt H T Turner . RAF 12sqd
|
Sgt. H. Turner . Royal Air Force 218 Sqdn. A Sterling III of 218 Squadron was first hit by flak over its target and soon afterwards was attacked and shot down by a night-fighter (Uffz Walter Rohlfing). The aircraft crashed at 01.45 at Ahrenswohlde 17 km SW of Buxtehude. Four members of the crew became POWs in Stalag 4B:
Sgt G. E. Empson (airbomber)
Sgt H. Turner
P/O H. J. Lister
Sgt W. L. Strand
Sgt B. O. Anderson RCAF.
The two members of the crew died and are buried in Becklingen War Cemetery. They were:
R. S. Pickard (pilot)
Sgt E. C. Bray RCAF
|
Hal Turner . Royal Canadian Air Force from Winnipeg Hal Turner served as a Direction Finder operator at Linton on Ouse. He married Eugenie Francoeur who was also stationed at Linton.
|
Harry Turner . RAF 10 Squadron My dad, Harry Turner, was in 10 Squadron until his demob in 1945/6. Unfortunately, Dad died 15 years ago but I still have his demob card and flying log books, and a few crew photos. Does anybody out there remember him?
|
Sgt. Harry Turner . British Army Royal Engineers from Lancashire My Granddad, Harry Turner was in the Royal Engineers during World War Two, he was with Pai Force in Persia and stayed there until 1945, does anybody know anything about this unit?
|
Rifleman Henry James Turner . British Army Ulster Rifles from London, N 16 My father, Henry James Turner, was taken prisoner in Sicily. I believe his Major was called Sir James Henry. I have never been able to find out more. Sir Henry actually managed to get away but I believe his wife wrote to my mother to tell her that my father had been taken prisoner. Dad was taken prisoner sometime in 1943, and taken through Italy by cattle train, said they could only look through slats, to Czkecoslovakia Stalag 4c where he stayed until the war ended. Until the authorities knew officially, he was missing presumed killed, and my mother tore up the widow's pension book she had been sent and refused to believe he had been killed. During his stay there he saw officers shot for one reason or another. They were taken regularly out of the camp to build roads and then back again. He became ill at one time with phneumonia, not sure and was thrown on the back of a dung cart and taken to the local Red Cross Hospital which was believed to be run by the French Red Cross. He was nursed back to health. When he returned to the camp his fellow prisoners in his hut had saved his Red Cross food parcels for him which he needed badly as was very thin and weak from the infection. At the end of the war, he said they woke up one morning and found there were no guards, no one around and it was sometime later I believe that Russian soldiers came into the camp and took them out.And some time later, not sure of the time scale, handed them over to the Americans. They were all quite weak, I believe, with having had an atrocious diet and had to be medically checked over. I believe my father was told he wouldn't live beyond his mid fifties and would never be able to work inside again, but he lived until he was 88, but always had a bit of a cough. I don't know how long it was before he was sent home, but said he travelled back to England in the bombhold of a bomber. Mum said for a while he wasn't the same when he returned, always looking over his shoulder. He tried a few outdoor jobs but finally worked for the GPO as a postie, always out in the fresh air, free, he could never stand to be cooped up. I still have letters written to my mother from Stalag 4c
|
Pte. Henry William "Joe" Turner . British Army My dad Henry Turner didn't speak too much about his war experience and what little he did was mostly amusing little stories.
All I know is that he signed up in 1938 when he was only sixteen but said he was eighteen.
He was sent to Iceland in 1940 and I know that he fought in Normandy through France and the low countries.
|
Stoker 1st Class. Herbert "Bert" Turner . Royal Navy HMS Manchester from Middlesbrough (d.14th Aug 1941) Bert (or Bertie as my grandmother used to call him) was 21 years old when the Manchester was hit and was one of the casualties. She understood that he died from oil that was in his lungs on 14.8.1941. He is buried in Malta Naval Cemetery and was the son of Herbert and Sarah Ann Turner of Middlesbrough. His full name is not used on his headstone - it reads Bert Turner.
|
Herbert E. "Ted" Turner . Royal Navy HMS Fidelity (d.1st January 1943) Does anyone remember my great uncle, Ted Turner, who died in action on HMS Fidelity in 1942?
|
HG Turner . British Army HG Turner served with the British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: The Wartime Memories Project is no longer in contact with Dan , his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
|
IL Turner . British Army Royal Armoured Corps IL Turner served with the Royal Armoured Corps British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: The Wartime Memories Project is no longer in contact with Dan , his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
|
J Turner . British Army Royal Artillery J Turner served with the Royal Artillery British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: The Wartime Memories Project is no longer in contact with Dan , his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
|
J Turner . British Army J Turner served with the British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: The Wartime Memories Project is no longer in contact with Dan , his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
|
Cpl Jack Turner . British Army 1st Battalion Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry from Maltby (d.9th May 1944)
|
Jack Turner . British Army Royal Corps of Signals Jack was my grandfather, he never talked about his service during the war, I've only ever known he served in the Royal Corps of Signals.
|
|
