TURNER, William John
| Service Number: | 6584 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 26 April 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | West Wyalong, Bland - New South Wales, Australia, January 1895 |
| Home Town: | Temora, Temora Municipality, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Died of Wounds, No 4 AGH, Randwick. New South Wales, Australia, 21 June 1918 |
| Cemetery: |
Temora (Old) Cemetery, New South Wales, Australia |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 26 Apr 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 6584, 3rd Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Oct 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 6584, 3rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: '' | |
| 3 May 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 6584, 3rd Infantry Battalion, Bullecourt (Second), GSW (Gunshot or alternatively General Shrapnel Wound) right arm and thigh | |
| 9 Nov 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 6584, 3rd Infantry Battalion, 2nd Passchendaele | |
| 21 Jun 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 6584, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 6584 awm_unit: Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1918-06-21 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Garry George
6584 PTE William John TURNER (1895-1918)
William John Turner was born in West Wyalong in (approx) January 1895, one of two sons of James and Mary Turner.
Very little is known of the family until 1913 when his parents became the licensees of the Bristol Hotel, located in Old Cootamundra Road, Temora.
Following the outbreak of World War 1 in 1914, the government commenced recruiting the 1st Australian Imperial Force (1st AIF) on a state basis. This was followed by ongoing recruiting for replacements and reinforcements of the initially formed units which had been employed in the Gallipoli campaign.
William John Turner was one of these men who volunteered. He was enlisted at Cootamundra on the 26th April 1916. His enlistment documents show him as aged 21 years and 4 months, occupation Labourer. His height was noted as 6 feet 1 1/2 inches, quite tall for the time. Interestingly his Oath of Enlistment is signed as "Jack Turner".
He embarked on the 7th October 1916 as a member of the 21st Reinforcements for the 3rd Battalion destined for England. Disembarked at Plymouth UK on the 21st November 1916, he remained with the 1st Training Battalion (1st Division AIF) until taken on strength of the 3rd Battalion then in France on the 23rd April 1917.
Following his move to France and the failure of the first Bullecourt battle in early April 1917, a second attempt by the Australian 1st Division to take Bullecourt commenced on the 3rd May 1917 which included the 3rd Battalion and Pte Turner. During this costly battle, Pte Turner suffered gunshot wounds to the right arm and thigh. He was evacuated to the Reading War Hospital in the UK for surgery and rehabilitation. He rejoined the 3rd Battalion after five months of hospital treatment on the 20th October 1917, by which time the 3rd Battalion had been redeployed to Belgium as part of the 1st Division.
The Second Battle of Passchendaele commenced on the 26th October 1917. Pte Turner suffered a severe gunshot wound to the head on the 9th November 1917 and was again evacuated for hospitalisation in the UK.
Subsequently, he was medically evacuated by ship back to Australia and admitted to No.4 AGH, Randwick on the 25th May 1918.
He died of his wounds on the 21st June 1918, caused by skull fracture complications and Syncope.
He was buried in Temora Old Cemetery, RC Section on 24th June 1918 in the presence of his family with a touchingly inscribed headstone provided by the family.
The Bristol Hotel was de-licenced in 1926 and with the passage of time, the Turner family have disappeared from Temora and are unable to be located.
At some latter point in time, his headstone, surrounds and others in the cemetery were vandalised which resulted in his headstone being knocked down and broken.
This was brought to the attention of the Temora RSL Sub-Branch who in turn liaised with the volunteer group, "Friends of Old Temora Cemetery". Research was undertaken which resulted in representations being made to the Office of Australian Graves Commission, Canberra to reinstate Pte Turner's grave as an official war grave and a memorial plaque.
Due to the efforts of the "Friends of Old Temora Cemetery" over almost two years, the reinstatement of the war grave of Pte William John Turner has now been completed and will be cared for in perpetuity by the Office of Australian War Graves Commission.
LEST WE FORGET
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