Name
Frank Turner
1899
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
02/11/1918
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
41111
Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry
1st/5th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ROMERIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
VIII. C. 8.
France
Headstone Inscription
He has no family inscription on his Headstone.
UK & Other Memorials
St Ippolyts Village Memorial, Roll of Honour St Ippolyts Church, St Ippolyts
Pre War
Frank Turner was born in 1899 in St Ippolyts, Herts. The son of Arthur Turner a Railway worker and Rose Maria Turner (nee Breed). One of 10 children. The 1901 Census records Frank aged 2, living with his parents, 3 brothers and 2 sisters, in Ashbrook, St Ippolyts, Herts. The 1911 Census records Frank aged 11, at school and living with his parents and 7 brothers, at 4 Top Row, Ashbrook, Nr Hitchin, Herts.
In civil life he was with Messrs Halsey & Sons for four years.
Wartime Service
Frank enlisted at Hitchin in April 1917, and posted to the Training Reserve Battalion with the service number 22085. On completion of his training he was posted to the 1st/5th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, with the service number 41111. He went to France in March 1918 and was Killed in Action on 2 November 1918. Possibly at the Battle of Valenciennes. (28 Oct - 2 Nov 1918).
An article in the Hertfordshire Express announcing his death quotes from a letter to Frank's parents, written by 2nd Lieut. W. Giles. After confirming that Frank was killed by a shell and that death was instantaneous, he writes: "The loss of your son is felt very much by his platoon, with whom he was a great favourite. I can only repeat that you have my full sympathy in your sad bereavement and I only hope that 'time, the great healer' will do something to alleviate your great sorrow."
Additional Information
His father received a Dependents pension of 5/- a week from 20 May 1919, his effects of £11-19s-5d, Pay Owing and a War Gratuity of £6-10s-00d. At the time of Frank's death Mr and Mrs Turner had two other sons in the Army (George, wounded in the Spring Offensive and POW in Germany before being repatriated in the August, and Bob - still in Germany) and Walter John, serving as a regular rating in the Royal Navy.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne, Derry Warners, Neil Cooper
Stuart Osborne
