Leading Seaman Walter Turner

Leading Seaman Walter Turner, Royal Navy. He died on Active Service on the Gold Coast from malaria, aged 31. on the 31st May 1918. He had been born in Oxnam and was the son of John and Annie Turner of Bairnkine, Southdean. He had joined the Royal Navy in 1906 and served for five years before leaving to work at Edgerston Rigg farm, Southdean. He had remained in the Naval Reserve and re-enlisted in 1914. serving on the Pre Dreadnought battleship H.M.S.” Ocean” before training in gunnery at Devonport and then joining H.M. Torpedo Boat 99 as gunner. He was then posted to the Defensively Armed Merchant Ship “Gambia” as a member of the gun crew. Whilst the vessel was at the Gold Coast he contracted malaria, died and was buried at sea. He is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial. The photograph shows H.M.S. “Ocean”.