Thiepval Memorial
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
James Turner was born 1879 Abbotshaugh, Stirling, Scotland, one of 8 known children, 5 boys and 3 girls born to Duncan Turner 1855 Govan, Lanarkshire and Margaret Leonard 1857 both natives of Scotland. His father, a steelworker died in 1908 and the family moved to Stockton-on-Tees where James and his younger brother found work at the shipyards. To subsidise the family income their mother had also taken into their home at 12, Wyndham Street, a boarder, Joseph Harris an ironworks labourer.
James Turner in 1907 married Alice Jerrison 1882 of Birtley, in the district of Middlesborough and was now living at 6 West Ada Street, Murton, working as a coal miner-hewer, to support his wife and two children, Margaret 2 years and Barbara 11 months.
At the time of his enlistment in Durham, May 4th 1915, James Turner was living at 22 West Street, Grange Villa, near Craghead. County Durham. He was assigned firstly as Private 3868 Durham Light Infantry to the Territorials, 2/8th Battalion, July 10th 1915, under the orders of the 190th Brigade, 63rd Division. Just prior to its break-up he was transferred to the 3/8th, April 1st 1916 which on April 8th was renamed as a Reserve Battalion. By June 17th 1916 he had again been transferred back to the 1/8th Territorial Battalion D. L. I. and was drafted as part of the British Expeditionary Force to France attached to the 151st Brigade, 50th Northumbrian Division but did not take part in the early stages of the Battles of the Somme. In the field he was transferred and assigned as Private 45713 to the 15th Battalion attached to the 64th Brigade, 21st Division, September 10th 1916, participating in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, September 15th-22nd 1916.
Private 45713 James Turner Durham Light Infantry was posted as missing September 16th 1916 and for official purposes was declared to have died on or since that date, this decision was not taken until July 21st 1917.
His sacrifice is recorded on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, Somme, France. pier and face 14A and 15C, one of 72,246 names of officers and men from the United Kingdom and South Africa who perished on the Somme between 1916 and 1918 and who have no known grave.
James Turner was 37 years old, his widow Alice received all monies due to him, a pension for herself and their children along with his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Alice remarried, 3rd quarter of 1920, in the district of Chester-le-Street to John W. Maddison, living at 16, Albert Street, Grange Villa, County Durham. Alice died in about 1967 in County Durham.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
James Turner is remembered at Craghead on C120.01 and C120.04 and at West Pelton W112.01
