Pte 114356 Henry James Turner

• Age: 36
• From: Bethnal Green
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 7th December 1918
• Commemorated at: Archangel Allied Memorial

114356 Private Henry James TURNER, 17^th KLR, KIA 6/7^th December 1918 in Russia.

Born on 7^th March 1882 at 23 Coventry Street, Bethnal Green, London, Henry James was the third son and middle one of five children born to William, a shoemaker, and Caroline nee Oulton who in 1891 lived at 36 Hague Street, Bethnal Green.

The 1891 Census shows the family living at 36 Hague Street, Bethnal Green, London.

The father William aged 32, born in 1859 is a shoemaker who was born in Staffordshire and his wife Caroline also aged 32 with no occupation listed was also born in Staffordshire. They have four children living with them at the time of the Census, William aged 13, born 1878 in Staffordshire is employed as an errand boy, Alfred aged 10, born 1881 and Henry James aged 9, born 1882 are both scholars and born in London as was daughter Annie aged 2, born 1889.

By 1901 William and Caroline live with their two daughters, Annie aged 11 and Ellen Beatrice, aged 1 at 7 Court 5House, Bromsgrove Street, Birmingham.

On 15^th February 1903 Henry James Turner, 26 years, an upholsterer, son of William, married Charlotte Lamb, 20 years, daughter of George, an engraver in St Jude’s Birmingham. Each gave their home address as 5 Back 40 Bromsgrove Street, Birmingham.

The 1911 Census shows Henry James and Charlotte living at 6 back, 264 Bell Barn Road, Birmingham with their five children – Charlotte Ellen, 7 years; Minnie Dorothy, 6 years; Henry James, 4 years; Arthur, 2 years; and Edna Winifred, 7 weeks. A Family Tree shows that there was another daughter, Irene Nancy, born in 1914.

When war broke out, Henry James enlisted in the South Staffordshire Regiment, serving as Private 10694 in both the 2^nd and 8^th Battalions before being transferred to 17^th KLR. Posted to Russia in October 1918,

Henry was killed near Terassova, Russia, with his comrades, on 6^th/7^th December 1918.

Graham Maddocks in his book “Liverpool Pals” relates how in early December 1918, intelligence indicated that the Bolsheviks were planning to attack the town of Tarassova and “D” Company of the 17^th Battalion made their way to the town on 5^th December to await the attack and learned from a prisoner that the attack would take place at 7.00am on 6th. Their CO, Captain E A Dickson MC, decided to pre-empt the attack and two officers, 76 other ranks, supported by 30 White Russians travelled through that night and came upon the enemy from the rear. They quickly captured an enemy blockhouse, killing seven and capturing four more, without suffering any casualties themselves. They then attacked a Bolshevik transport column and successfully attacked that, capturing it intact and seizing an amount of arms and ammunition including two Maxim machine guns. The enemy was now aware of their presence and fought back with snipers in the forest area. The Pals continued their advance and after heavy fighting during which the enemy lost many men they captured an enemy supply dump. By now they were within one mile of the enemy whose defence became more effective. One of their two officers, 2^nd Lieutenant A. Cousins, was wounded and Captain Dickson was soon up against an estimated enemy force of about 600 men. The White Russians made a somewhat hesitant if not reluctant attack against the Bolshevik flank but were never seen again. Dickson realised his ammunition was running low and his own Lewis guns were seizing up because of the wintry conditions and decided to withdraw, destroying the captured wagons and limbers and even killing most of the captured horses first. They retreated, taking the Maxim guns with them but eventually had to break up the guns and abandon them in the forest before returning to Tarassova with five prisoners and seven horses. Second Lieutenant Cousins later died of his wounds, as did Sergeant Percy Greany MM; three others were wounded but recovered, and Privates Charles Ainsworth, Robert Brown, James Houghton, Alfred Owens and Henry Turner were all killed during this action.

He is commemorated on the Archangel Memorial to the Missing.

During both world wars, Archangel was one of the ports through which the Allies assisted Russia with supplies and munitions. The cemetery was begun immediately after the occupation of the town in August 1918 by the Allied force sent to support the Soviet Russian Government against potential threat from German occupied Finland and other local sources. It was used by No.85 General Hospital, No.53 Stationary Hospital, No.82 Casualty Clearing Station, HM Hospital Ship 'Kalyan' and other Allied hospitals. 

ARCHANGEL ALLIED CEMETERY contains 224 burials and commemorations of the First World War, including special memorials to 140 officers and men with known burials in cemeteries elsewhere in northern Russia. Two of the burials are unidentified. The cemetery also contains 7 Second World War burials. The ARCHANGEL MEMORIAL, which consists of panels fixed into the east wall of the cemetery, commemorates 219 British officers and men who died during the north Russian campaign and whose graves are not known.

He was awarded 3 medals which were sent to his widow, Charlotte, who died in 1940.  

We currently have no further information on Henry James Turner, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.