TURNER, Charles Alexander
| Service Number: | 2043 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 13 January 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 7th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Westbury, Tasmania, Australia, 20 June 1893 |
| Home Town: | Launceston, Launceston, Tasmania |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Teamster |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Hazebrouck, France, 2 May 1918, aged 24 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 13 Jan 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2043, 7th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Apr 1915: | Involvement Private, 2043, 7th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '9' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Hororata embarkation_ship_number: A20 public_note: '' | |
| 17 Apr 1915: | Embarked Private, 2043, 7th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Hororata, Melbourne | |
| 24 Jul 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2043, 7th Infantry Battalion, embarked Alexandria for Marseilles | |
| 18 Aug 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 2043, 27th Infantry Battalion, GSW shoulder evacuated to England | |
| 9 Dec 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 7th Infantry Battalion | |
| 2 May 1918: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 2043, 7th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2043 awm_unit: 7 Battalion awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1918-05-02 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Chris Buckley
Lance Corporal Charles Alexander Turner (Service No:2043) enlisted in the AIF on 13 January 1915 and was attached to 7th Infantry Battalion on 17 April 1915 when he embarked with his Unit from Melbourne for Gallipoli Peninsula on board HMAT A20 Hororata. Private Turner was hospitalised in Gallipoli and Cairo with Influenza before embarking from Alexandria for Marseilles on 24 July 1916. Private Turner was hospitalised in France with Mumps, and WiA on 18 August 1916 (GSW to shoulder) and evacuated to hospital in England. Rejoining his Unit in France, he was promoted to Lance Corporal on 9 December 1917 and was attached to 7th Infantry Battalion when he was KiA at Hazebrouck, France on 2 May 1918.
Frank was born in Westbury, Tasmania, ninth of eleven children of John Charles Turner (b1852 at Port Fairy, Victoria) and Sarah Elizabeth Smith (b1853 in New Norfolk, Tasmania). John (a Labourer) and Sarah (a Dressmaker) married in 1877 in Longford, Tasmania and lived in Carrick, Rosedale, Westbury and Launceston where they raised their family and Jonh was a Labourer. By 1919 they had settled in Melbourne, where John was a Cook.
Frank (registered (aka until 1912) as Francis Bramble Turner) worked as a Labourer in Launceston and in 1908 was sentenced to Training School for three years. Following that, Frank enlisted in the Navy where he was a 'Boy' in February 1912 when he was registered as a Deserter from HMA Naval Depot Williamstown. With the knowledge of his parents and siblings, Frank assumed the name of Charles Alexander Turner and lived in Colac, Victoria where he worked as a Teamster until he enlisted under the name of Charles Alexander Turner in the AIF in January 1915. This later created confusion as a result of his alias and the false names and addresses given for NoK in his Attestation Papers. Letters sent by the Army to listed NoK advising of his hospitalisation and death were returned as 'Undeliverable' and 'Not known at this Address' (NAA). In 1922 his mother Sarah was finalising issues related to Frank's Will, Gratuity, War Medals and Memorial Plaque, and wrote '.... it has been proved that my son was not married'.