Victor Buller Turner

Lieutenant-Colonel Victor Buller Turner VC CVO (17 January 1900 - 7 August 1972) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Background

Victor was born in Reading in Berkshire, the son of Charles Turner of the Royal Berkshire Regiment and his wife, Jane Elizabeth (formerly Buller). He was the younger brother of Second Lieutenant Alexander Buller Turner VC and has a family connection with General Sir Redvers Buller VC. He lived at Thatcham House before moving to Suffolk after the war.

Victoria Cross details

He was 42 years old, and a temporary lieutenant colonel in The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own), British Army during the Second World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 27 October 1942, at El Aqqaqir (Kidney feature), Western Desert, Egypt, during the Second Battle of El Alamein, Lieutenant Colonel Turner was commanding a battalion of the Rifle Brigade. After overcoming a German position, the battalion fought off desperate counter-attacks by 90 tanks, destroying or immobilising more than 50 of them. During the action, one of the 6-pounder guns was left with only one officer and a sergeant, so Colonel Turner joined them as loader, and between them they destroyed another five tanks. Not until the last tank had been repulsed did he consent to having a wound in his head attended to.

The medal

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Green Jackets Museum in Winchester, England.

Notes

References

• British VCs of World War 2 (John Laffin, 1997)
• Monuments to Courage: Victoria Cross Monuments and Headstones (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)

External links

• Lieutenant Colonel V.B. Turner in The Art of War exhibition at the UK National Archives
• Location of grave and VC medal (Norfolk)
• Find-A-Grave biography