L/Cpl 17005 Walter Turner

• Age: 23
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Walter Turner was born on the 20th December 1892 in Liverpool, the son of Joseph Turner and his wife Margaret (nee Maylam) who were married on Christmas Day 1869 in St Mary's Church, Walton. He was baptised on the 08th March 1893 in St Peter's Church, Liverpool.

At the time of the 1901 census the family were living at 10 Canada Dock. Walter is 9 years of age and lives with his parents and four siblings. His father is 56 years of age, born in Yorkshire and working as a timber labourer, whilst his mother was 53 and was born in Liverpool. His siblings who were living at home were;  Clara aged 29, Ada 24 who was a dressmaker, Emma aged 19 a telephone operator and Harry 18 who was an apprentice joiner. He had two more brothers: George aged 26 (who was married and living with his wife and child nearby) and Thomas aged 25 who had emigrated to the USA the previous year.

Walter was educated at Bedford Road Council School in Bootle.

The 1911 census records the family living at 17 Linacre Road, Litherland. Walter is 18 and working as a clerk in an oil works. His father is a 65 year old nightwatchman born in Holmfirth, his mother is 63 years of age. His parents advise that they have been married for 41 years and have had 11 children, 7 of whom have survived. His sisters who are living at home are listed as; Ada a 31 year old dressmaker and Emma Jane a 28 year old telephone operator.

Walter’s sister Clara emigrated to the USA in 1912 and was married there.

His father, Joseph, died aged 66, on the 22^nd May 1912 and was buried on the 25^th May at Kirkdale Cemetery.

His mother, Margaret, died aged 66, on the 14^th December 1914 and was buried with her husband on the 17th December. 

Walter enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on the 31st August 1914,  joining the 18th Battalion as Private 17005. His papers record the following: height 5‘7“, weight 127 lbs, complexion fresh, eyes grey, hair brown, religion Church of England.

From the 23^rd September 1914 he was billeted at Hooton Park Race Course and remained there until 03^rd December 1914 when they moved into the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 18th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 

Walter sailed to France with his Battalion on board the SS Invicta on November 07th 1915.

He was appointed unpaid Lance-Corporal in August 1915 and paid Lance-Corporal in November 1915.

In January 1916, he was treated for tonsillitis and in March for influenza both at 97th Field Ambulance. It is also known he was attached to 30 Division Grenade School for training between the 07th and 18th April, 1916.

Walter was killed in action on 01st July 1916 during the attack at Montauban, aged 23, while serving with the 18th Battalion.

The events of that day for the 18th were:

At 6.30am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches. Zero Hour – 7.30 am – the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks.

Graham Maddocks provides more detail concerning the events of the day:

As the first three waves began to move forward towards the German reserve line, known as Alt Trench and then on to the Glatz Redoubt itself, they suddenly came under enfilading fire from the left. This was from a machine gun which the Germans had sited at a strong point in Alt Trench. The gun itself was protected by a party of snipers and bombers, who, hidden in a rough hedge, were dug into a position in Alt Trench, at its junction with a communication trench known as Alt Alley. These bombers and snipers were themselves protected by rifle fire from another communication trench, Train Alley which snaked back up the high ground and into Montauban itself. The machine gun fire was devastating and it is certain that nearly of the Battalion’s casualties that day were caused by that one gun.

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Trotter wrote in the conclusion of his account of the days action:

I cannot speak to highly of the gallantry of the Officers and men. The men amply repaid the care and kindness of their Company Officers, who have always tried to lead and not to drive. As laid down in my first lecture to the Battalion when formed, in the words of Prince Kraft:

“Men follow their Officers not from fear, but from love of the Regiment where everything had always and at all times gone well with them”.

Joe Devereux in his book A Singular Day on the Somme gives the Casualty Breakdown for the 18th Battalion as Killed in Action 7 Officers and 165 men and of those who died in consequence of the wounds 3 Officers and 19 men a total of 194 out of a total loss for the four Liverpool Pals Battalions of 257. 

Walter has no known grave and he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916.

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

His family posted a notice in the Liverpool Echo on 14th July 1916:

Turner – July 1, killed in action, aged 23 years Lance-Corporal Walter Turner (Pals), youngest son of the late Joseph and Margaret Turner 17 Linacre Road, Litherland. (Heaven’s the prize)

His death was also reported in the Liverpool Evening Express on 17th July 1916: 

Lance Corporal Walter Turner of the Pals, killed on July 1st. He resided with his mother at 17,Linacre-road.