Private 10069 Edward Turner

Died France & Flanders on Sunday, 10th January 1915, age 31.
Buried in Grave III. C. 54. at Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, Pas De Calais, France.

1st Bn., South Staffordshire Regiment. 22nd Brigade of 7th Division.

Husband of Mrs Sarah Turner, of 113 Cooper Street, West Bromwich, Staffs.
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Birmingham, Resident: West Bromwich.

First landed France & Flanders, 26th December 1914.
Medal entitlement: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Not commemorated on any Tipton memorial.
Commemorated here because identified as Tipton on 'Soldiers Died in the Great War'.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/46162/

Genealogical Data

Birth of Edward Turner registered June quarter 1883 in Dudley.

1901 Census
8 Parsonage Street, West Bromwich, Staffs.
Samuel Whitehouse (42, Coal Miner – Hewer, born Tipton), his wife Nancy (43, born Tipton), Nancy’s son from her first marriage: Edward Turner (18, Coal Miner - Hewer, born Tipton), and Samuel and Nancy’s 7 children: Sarah J. Whitehouse (14, Domestic servant, born Tipton), Martha (12, born Tipton), Mercy (10, born West Bromwich), Nancy (8, born West Bromwich), George (6, born West Bromwich), Mary A. (4, born West Bromwich) and Samuel (2, born West Bromwich).

Marriage of Edward Turner and Sarah Steventon registered March quarter 1907 in West Bromwich.

1911 Census
8 Poes Fold, Walsall Street, West Bromwich, Staffs.
Edward Turner (28, Coal Miner - Underground Loader, born Tipton), his wife Sarah (27, born Golds Hill, West Bromwich), and their 2 children: Basil Edward (3, born West Bromwich), and Jabez (2 months, born West Bromwich). Also recorded as a Visitor: Gladys Steventon (7, born West Bromwich).
On Edward’s Pension Card, Gladys is recorded as ‘adopted’. As Sarah’s maiden name was Steventon, Gladys could have been Sarah’s daughter born before her marriage, or from another branch of the Steventon family.

1914 was a momentous year for the Turner family. In March quarter 1914, their son Jabez died; a further child, George William, was born on 7th December 1914; then on 26th December 1914 Edward embarked for France, never to return. Hopefully Edward had some pre-embarkation leave so that he could see his new-born son.

Edward’s widow, Sarah, married John W. Walker on 21st August 1917. He was recorded as Private 12687, ‘Z’ Company, 4th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment. John Walker was discharged from the army in August 1918 being no longer fir for army service after being wounded.

Personal Data

Edward Turner landed in France on 26th December 1914 as a reinforcement for the 1st South Staffs who had lost heavily in the first Battle of Ypres. As he was in France within 4 months of war being declared, it is likely that he had previous military experience, and was either a Reservist or Special Reservist. New Army volunteers and Territorials did not arrive in France until March 1915 at the earliest.

After Edward's death, his outstanding army pay and allowances amounted to £1/4/7d (1 pound, 4 shillings and 7 pence); this was paid to his widow, Sarah, in September 1915. His War Gratuity was £3/0/0d (3 pounds exactly), this was also paid to Sarah in July 1919. The value of the War Gratuity suggests that Edward had enlisted within the 12 months prior to his death, which is obvious as he died in January 1915.

Sarah was awarded a Widow’s Pension of 18/6d (18 shillings and 6 pence) per week from 26th July 1915; this had increased to £1/6/3d (1 pounds, 6 shillings and 3 pence) by 4th April 1917. After Sarah’s marriage to Pte. John Walker in August 1917, Sarah was awarded a Re-Marriage Gratuity of £34/5/0d (34 pounds and 5 shillings). £29/12/0d was paid to Sarah on 22nd September 1917 with the balance of £4/13/0d being invested into War Bond Certificates. This would have caused the pension for Sarah to cease, but to continue for Edward’s children. However the Pension Card records: “The pension for the children is in abeyance while they are eligible for Separation Allowance”. This would have been the Separation Allowance for John Walker in respect of his new step-children.

Action resulting in his death

Edward landed In France in December 1914 when the 1st South Staffs were in trenches near Fleurbaix; Edward saw very little, if any, action as he died just 2 weeks after his arrival. In January 1915 Edward caught pneumonia, according to the local newspaper this was "contracted in the trenches". He died on 10th January 1915 at Number 13 Stationary Hospital in Boulogne, located in the sugar sheds of the 'Gare Maritime' in Boulogne - the railway station at the Boulogne docks. Edward is buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery.

Newspaper Cuttings

West Bromwich Chronicle 22nd January 1915
Private Turner of 113 Cooper Street, West Bromwich, of the South Staffords, died from pneumonia contracted in the trenches.