Serjeant W.C. Turner 5th Sqdn BEF/38 Trg Sqdn

[Guest Autogyro]

As an NCO, pilots like my great uncle were sadly neglected in early records. I did some research a while ago at Kew, but not all records had been released at that time. What I found poignant were entries where, for example, two pilots had been killed - one an officer and one an NCO - and while the officer was named and described in great detail, the NCO was usually unnamed and virtually ignored except as a postscript. Interesting times.

Even now, this is echoed in an anomaly which remains and which I have been unable to correct with the CWGC - their web site showed him as being buried in Brecon cemetery (he was born in Llangynidr near Crickhowell) and shows a photo of a group of standard CWGC headstones in a small corner of the cemetery. It was only after visiting and scouring the whole site (which took some time!!) that we finally found a more elaborate and larger headstone, with the RFC crest attached to it, further up the hill. This was presumably commissioned by his parents; indeed we were surprised, on clearing the grass from the base of the headstone, to find that his mother was later interred with him.

Serjeant (sic) WILLIAM CHARLES TURNER 1022 went to France in Sept 1914 I believe with the BEF with No 5 Sqdn. I have no idea how long he served there, or where, but he turned up in 1917 with 38 Training Sqdn, when he was killed in a training accident at Rendcombe aerodrome in Glos.

Any information on his story would be most welcome. Thank you all.

[Dolphin]

Autogyro

The first of two extracts from McInnes & Webb's A Contemptible Little Flying Corps about Sgt W C Turner is below. The entry on him spreads over two pages.

I hope this is useful.

Gareth

[Dolphin]

Autogyro

Here's part 2 of the Sgt W C Turner story. He was flying Avro 504A A465 at the time of his death.

Gareth

[Guest Autogyro]

Dolphin

Thank you SO much for that - it has added tremendously to the family's knowledge and appreciation of his end. I have a photograph somewhere that I will try and add to this post shortly, together with his King's shilling which, like many others I guess, has been polished on one side and fashioned into a brooch with the word "Mother" under the RFC crest - its always been a poignant item for me.....

Now I guess I have to try and work out what he did in France when he first went, because he clearly wasn't a pilot at the time as we had always thought.....

Many thanks again - I have only just found this site and it is a real treasure.

Best regards

PAUL LOVEGROVE

[Simon_Fielding]

I have a fair bit of information on Rendcomb aerodrome if you're interested. It's still an airfield, with biplanes aplenty!

Regards

Simon