Geoffrey Gledhill Turner
Born(1903-09-10)10 September 1903
Sheffield, Yorkshire
Died9 February 1959(1959-02-09) (aged 55)
Halstead, Essex
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchRoyal Naval Volunteer Reserve
Years of service1939–1946
RankCommander
Battles/warsSecond World War
AwardsGeorge Cross
George Medal
King's Commendation for Brave Conduct

Commander Geoffrey Gledhill Turner, GC, GM (10 September 1903 – 9 February 1959) was an officer in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve during the Second World War and a recipient of the George Cross. He is one of only eight people who have won both the George Cross and George Medal.

Early life

Turner was born in Sheffield on 10 September 1903 the eldest son of Charles Turner a Chartered Accountant and his wife Kathleen. Turner attended King Edward VII School in Sheffield from 1911 to 1921.[1]

Second World War

Turner was responsible for defusing a succession of unexploded bombs and mines during the Blitz in Yorkshire and Lancashire. He was awarded his George Cross for tackling a bomb which fell on Seaforth, near Liverpool-Stockport railway line. The fuse was badly damaged and exploded while Turner was attempting to remove it, wounding him. Notice of his award appeared in The London Gazette on 27 June 1941. The citation in read: "for great gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty".[2]

Turner was also awarded the George Medal, this for recovering a mine from a German plane that had been shot down at Fairlight, near Hastings in Sussex. The citation was published in The London Gazette on 18 May 1943.

References

  1. ↑ "King Edward VII School Sheffield – KES MAGAZINE, MAY 1959, Obituaries section". Oldedwardians.org.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  2. ↑ "No. 35201". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 June 1941. p. 3651.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.