Henry Turner (1896-1953)
Item
Dublin Core
Type
Title
Contributor
Date
Publisher
Format
Language
World War One Veterans Item Type Metadata
Name
[a.k.a. James Henry (Harry) Turner]
Birth Date
Birthplace
Service Number
Enlistment Date
Next of Kin
Mount Cotterell Road,
Rockbank, Victoria
Address at time of Enlistment
Richmond, Victoria
Occupation
Marital Status
Death Date
Place of Burial
Biographical Text
No.1778 Private Henry Turner
Henry Turner's parents were:
- Father - William Turner, Boot and Shoe Maker
- Mother - Catherine Barclay
His parents, William Davis Turner and Cath Barclay married at Bristol, in 1892. *
However, when James Henry Turner's birth was registered in 1896, the Father was recorded as "Unknown". But, when James married in England, in 1918, he said that his father was William Turner (deceased), a shoe and boot maker.
War Service
Henry Turner enlisted in the A,I.F. at Melbourne on 7 April 1915, and went to the Seymour Camp for initial training. That was completed on 17 June 1915, and he was appointed as a Private with the 2nd Reinforcements for the 22nd Battalion.
At the age of 19 years, Private Henry Turner embarked at Melbourne on 16 July 1915 per HMAT Demosthenes A64, as a member of the 2nd Reinforcements for the 22nd Battalion.
Their ship sailed to Egypt, where they continued their training in the desert. Whilst there, he was transferred to the 21st Infantry Battalion, and remained with them for the remainder of the war.
On 29 August 1915, he embarked at Alexandria to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (M.E.F.) on Gallipoli. While en-route, their transport ship was torpedoed near the island of Lemnos, and had to be abandoned. **
The Battalion eventually arrived on Gallipoli on 7 September 1915. During his time there, Private Turner was affected by the poor conditions, and was hospitalised for eleven days suffering with Diarrhoea.
After the Australian evacuation from Anzac on 18 December 1915, he arrived back in Egypt (via Mudros Is.) on 7 January 1916.
Training continued there, and on 19 March 1916, he embarked from Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force in France. The 21st Battalion was the first Australian Battalion to commence active operations on the Western Front, and they suffered heavy casualties during fighting around Mouquet Farm. ***
On 29 December 1916, Private Turner was admitted to the 11th Stationary Hospital at Rouen, suffering with Bronchitis. He was transferred to England on 6 January 1917, where he was admitted to the 2nd Southern General Hospital for special treatment. After seven weeks of care, he was discharged to the No.2 Commonwealth Depot at Weymouth on 29 February 1917.
On 27 April 1917, he was transferred to the 66th Battalion, and he remained with them until September of that year, when he returned to his old unit in France.
Private Turner re-joined the 21st Battalion on 1 November 1917, when they were in the Ypres sector.
During fighting at Villers Bretonneux, on 23 July 1918, he was wounded in action, by being gassed. He was hospitalised until 29 August 1918, when he was able to re-join his Battalion at a location "East of Cappy".
Private Turner was admitted to hospital again on 3 September 1918 suffering with D.A.H. (Disordered Action of the Heart)
After receiving treatment at the 4th General Hospital at Etaples, he was evacuated to England, where he remained for the remainder of the war.
During that time, Henry Turner married Florence May Young at the Rochdale Registry Office on 27 November 1918.
[His marriage Certificate is in his service file.]
Between 3 January 1919 and 22 January 1919, he was hospitalised with Broncho Pneumonia, and after recovering, spent his time at the Sutton Veny Training Depot, waiting for a passage home to Australia.
Private Turner embarked from England on 23 July 1919 per Main, and disembarked at Melbourne on 11 October 1919.
He was discharged from the A.I.F. as medically unfit (Gassed(dyspnoea)), on 10 February 1920.
Post War
A note on his service record states that he died on 28 April 1953.
The funeral notice for "Mr. James Henry (Harry) Turner" was published in The Argus, 29 April 1953, p.13.
The Australian Death Index, 1787-1985 says that "Jas Hy Turner", aged 57, died at Heidelberg in 1953. Father: William, Mother Catherine Quillian. (Cert No.4110/1953)
Medals and Entitlements:
- 1914-15 Star - No.19734
- British War Medal - No.16800
- Victory Medal - No.16696
Notes
Name on the Werribee Shire Oak Board: "Turner, H."
Turner names in the Werribee Shire Banner:
"Turner, R. from Werribee" first appeared in the Roll of Honor, Werribee Shire Banner, 29 July 1915, p.3. He was K.I.A. on 9 March 1917.
"Turner, H. from Werribee" first appeared in the Roll of Honor, Werribee Shire Banner, 9 September 1915, p.3. The location was later changed to Mount Cotterell.
"Turner, A. from Mount Cotterell" only appeared in the Final Roll of Honor, Werribee Shire Banner, 13 February 1919, p.3.
He sometimes used the name James Henry Turner (i.e. on his hospital record at ANZAC, and on his Marriage Certificate)
* Digger – Federation Index, Victoria 1889-1901
Bibliography
https://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/
Unit War Diary
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection
Death
ancestry.com.au
Service Record
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/
Marriage
ancestry.com.au
Pioneer Index 1837-1888 CD
Federation Index 1889-1901 CD
Edwardian Index 1902-1913 CD
Great War Index 1914-1920 CD
Marriage Index 1921-1942 CD
Comments