Geoffrey Turner
| Geoffrey Gledhill Turner | |
|---|---|
| Born |
10 September 1903 Sheffield, Yorkshire |
| Died |
9 February 1959 (aged 55) Halstead, Essex |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve |
| Rank | Commander |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
| Awards |
George Cross George Medal |
Geoffrey Gledhill Turner GC, GM, (10 September 1903 – 9 February 1959), Sub-Lieutenant (later Commander) of the RNVR is one of only eight people who have won both the George Cross and George Medal for gallantry.
Turner was born in Sheffield on 10 September 1903 the eldest son of Charles Turner a Chartered Accountant and his wife Kathleen. Turner attended King Edward VII School in Sheffield from 1911 to 1921.[1]
He was responsible for defusing a succession of unexploded bombs and mines during the Blitz in Yorkshire and Lancashire. He was awarded his George Cross for tackling a bomb which fell on Seaforth, near Liverpool-Stockport railway line. The fuse was badly damaged and exploded while Turner was attempting to remove it, wounding him. Notice of his award appeared in the London Gazette on 27 June 1941. The citation in the London Gazette reads: "for great gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty".[2]
He won the George Medal for recovering a mine from a German plane which had been shot down at Fairlight, near Hastings in Sussex. The citation was published in the London Gazette on 18 May 1943.
References
- ↑ "King Edward VII School Sheffield - KES MAGAZINE, MAY 1959, Obituaries section". Oldedwardians.org.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 35201. p. 3651. 24 June 1941. Retrieved 13 November 2011.