Photo: Pauline Priano
Photo: Pauline Priano
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
George Turner, one of 6 children, of whom only 4 survived, was the youngest of his siblings, off-spring of William Thomas Turner of Hartburn and Margaret Best of Benton, both in Northumberland, born 1852, baptised March 29th and October 11th 1858 respectively. The couple were married at the church of St. Paul, Elswick, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, August 19th 1877, settling initially at Benton where daughter Jane was born in 1858 but had moved to Kenton by 1879, birthplace of eldest son John, then to Jarrow where Thomas was born in 1881, William Henry, 1883 and Ada, 1885 at Dumpling Hall Farm, Margaret Ann at Benton in 1889 before they returned to Dumpling Hall Farm in 1891 where William Thomas was employed as an agricultural labourer and his wife gave birth to George who was baptised at Sugley, a township in the parish of Newburn, Northumberland, November 11th 1891. Ten years later they were living at Westerhope in Northumberland and with a change of employment William Thomas supported his family working at the colliery as a coal miner/labourer, assisted by Thomas (20) a mason’s labourer. Sadly, their eldest son John had died the year before (1900) aged 21-years, tragedy befell them again in 1908 with the death of Thomas aged 27-years. By 1911 they were living at 108, Beaumont Terrace, Westerhope, preparations were well under way for the October wedding of their daughter Jane, William Henry (28) and George (19) had joined their father working at the colliery as an engine driver and coal leader/cartman, Margaret was employed in a shop as a dressmaker.
No war record has been found for George Turner, it is therefore impossible to know the exact date he enlisted, however he was posted to the 1st/4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, a Territorial Force. The first wave of men departed for the front in France, April 18th 1915, Private Turner was not amongst them, he did not depart until post January 1916.
The 1st/4th Yorkshire Regiment, 150th Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division, in 1916 saw action during the Battles of the Somme, but did not take part in any major offensives until the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, September 15th-22nd, then the Battle of Morval, September 25th-28th and Le Transloy, October 1st-18th 1916 before moving to the Arras sector participating during the Battles of Arras, April 9th-May 16th 1917. The division left France and moved to the Ypres salient in Belgium as preparations were underway for the Third Battle of Ypres which raged from July 31st-November 10th 1917. When the Germans attacked again on the Somme they were rushed back to France participating during the First Battles of the Somme, March 21st-April 5th 1918 returning to Belgium where they fought on the Lys during the Fourth Battle of Ypres, April 7th-26th.
Private 204399 George Turner was reported amongst the missing between April 9th/12th. After extensive investigations as to his whereabouts he was struck off and presumed to have died. The CWGC have adopted the date of April 12th as the date of his demise. His sacrifice is recorded as one of 11,394 names inscribed on the Ploegsteert Memorial, 12.5 kilometres from Ypres, Belgium, commemorating servicemen from the United Kingdom and South Africa who fell in the sector and have no known grave. Private George Turner was 27 years of age and single.
His father received all monies due to him from the Army and his awards of the Brutish War Medal and Victory Medal, sent to him at 108, Beaumont Terrace, Westerhope, Northumberland.
William Henry Turner was also eligible to serve, however, no records have been found.
William Thomas Turner died in 1921 aged 69 years, Margaret in 1939 was living in a shared accommodation at 25, Ninth Avenue, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Margaret Turner nee Best died aged 82 years in 1941, district of Northumberland South.
Jane Turner married Arthur Holdsworth with whom she had 4 sons. Thomas was born September 15th 1912, William, April 17th 1914, Stanley in 1916 and George, June 29th 1918, while they were living in the district of Castle Ward, Northumberland. George Holdsworth served during WW2 as Private 6210430 Holdsworth, 1st Battalion Manchester Regiment and died February 15th 1942, buried Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore, in a collective grave, 27. C.2-4.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace
George Turner is remembered at Westerhope on W77.01 and at Whorlton on W53.01
