George Turner

George Turner

Personal Information
Date of Birth	c1892
Place of Birth	Perth, Western Australia
Death	9 Feb 1953
Age at Enlistment	23 years, 8 months
Description	5'7½ (1.71m) tall ; 141lbs 63.956 kg ; fresh complexion ; brown eyes ; dark brown hair
Occupation	Ironmonger
Religion	Presbyterian
Address	c/- Padbury Ltd, Guildford
Next of Kin	Mother , Mrs Susan Turner
Military Information
Reg Number	[ 26952]
Date of Enlistment	8 Feb 1916
Rank	Driver
Unit/Formation	24th Howitzer Brigade, 5th Reinforcement
Date of Embarkation	7 Sep 1916 ‒ 29 Oct 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A15 Port Sydney Melbourne to Plymouth
Date of Return	4 Jun 1919 ‒ 18 Jul 1919
Ship Returned On	SS Bremen
Fate	WIA 25 Sep 1917 Returned to Australia
Monument	Gosnells Road Board Honour Roll
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

War Service

Entered Blackboy Hill Camp on 1 Feb 1916 and after a week with the 48th Depot Company he was assigned to Artillery Reinforcements which meant he was sent to Victoria to complete his basic training. There he was allocated to the 24th Howitzer Brigade's 5th reinforcement draft, travelling with them to England.

Following some additional training at Bulford in England he proceeded to France from Folkestone on 2 Jan 1917 aboard SS Princess Henriette. Soon after his arrival he was transferred to the 4th Division Ammunition Column on 10 Jan 1917. Needing medical care for influenza, he was absent from his unit between 1 Jul and 6 Aug 1917. Seen initially by the 4th Field Ambulance, he was processed by the 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station on 4 and 5 Jul 1917 before being sent to the 3rd Canadian General Hospital. Discharged he spent another 3 weeks in rest camps before returning to his unit on 7 Aug 1917.

Soon after returning to his unit, he was wounded in action at Poperinghe on 15 Sep 1917. The unit's War Diary records 2 drivers as being wounded and 3 animals as either killed or wounded. Treated by the 1st Field Ambulance, he was passed to the 2nd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station, and on 16 Sep 1917 he was admitted to the 53rd General Hospital in Boulogne. On 21 Sep 1917 George was placed aboard HMHS St Denis for England where he was admitted to the Fairfield Hospital in Broadstairs, Kent with shrapnel wounds to his arm, thigh and ankle. Released to furlough on 9 Nov 1917, George reported to No 1 Command Depot in Sutton Veny on 23 Nov 1917.

At Sutton Veny on 28 Dec 1917 George was AWOL from midnight 27th until 7:00pm on the 28th, for which he lost a day's pay and was admonished. Recovered he was posted to the Overseas Training Brigade at Longbridge Deverill on 17 Jan 1918 and to the Artillery Training Depot at Heytesbury on 28 Jan 1918.

On 1 Mar 1918 George returned to France through Southampton, and on 7 Mar 1918 he was again back with his unit at Locre. He remained with them until after the Armistice other than for a period of leave in the UK from 17 - 31 Jan 1919. On 31 Mar 1919 George left France for England to begin his repatriation to Australia, where he was discharged by the 5th Military District on 30 Aug 1919.