Photo: Angela Conroy
Photo: Angela Conroy
In loving
memory of
Sheila
McTurk
died 12th Aug.1999
aged 83 years.
And
William McTurk
died 26th Aug. 2000
aged 88 years.
Acknowledgments: Angela Conroy.
Simon Glancey has supplied the following:
William McTurk, Service Number 1062119 (commissioned Service Number 67683) was born December 10th 1911 in Warwick, and died in North Tyneside in 2000.
He was Captain of Halifax III LV793 TL-B of 35 Squadron, which was shot down on February 19th 1944, with four of the crew lost, and the remaining three, including McTurk, becoming Prisoners of War.
The 1939 Register records him living at 16, Oakland Road, Monkseaton, employed as a schoolmaster.
The Shields Evening News of 01/04/1944 reported the following:
Monkseaton Airman War Prisoner
A former well-known Percy Park and Northumberland County Rugby player, Flight Lieut. William McTurk, of Oakland Avenue [sic], Monkseaton, who was shot down over Germany during air operations a few weeks ago, is now known to be a prisoner of war.
After baling out from his bomber, Flight Lieut. McTurk fell into a lake, but was able to extricate himself of his parachute and swim to safety.
An old member of Tynemouth Amateur Swimming Club, he became a powerful swimmer, and he owes his life to that.
Before joining the R.A.F. three years ago, Flight Lieut. McTurk was science master at the Secondary School, Gosforth. He is married and has a family of three.
