Samuel Turner
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Samuel was born at Arnold in 1897, the youngest son of Joseph a colliery banksman and Sarah Turner née Murden of 41 Jubilee Cottages, St Albans Road, Arnold, Nottingham. He had a fiancee Nellie and three brothers in the army Fred in Mesopotamia, Ernest in India and Joe in Wales. His father Joseph was born in Arnold in 1850 and his mother Sarah Ann Murden was born in 1853 also in Arnold, they were married in 1871 their marriage was recorded in the Basford Registration district, they went on to have 11 children sadly 1 died in infancy their surviving children were all born in Arnold, Mary Louisa b1872, William 1874,Joseph 1878, Charles 1880, Frederick 1882, Betsy Ann b1884, Ernest b1886, Ethel 1889, Beatrice b1892, Samuel b1897. In the 1911 census the family are living at 41 Jubilee Cottages, St Albans Road, Arnold, Nottingham and are shown as Joseph 61 yrs a colliery banksman he is living with his wife Sarah Ann 58 yrs and their children Ernest 25 yrs a colliery banksman, Ethel 22 yrs a blouse machinist, Beatrice 16 yrs a blouse machinist and Samuel 13 yrs a dairy boy.
Because he was less than five feet three inches tall he was at first turned down by the recruiters, however there was such an outcry that there were large numbers of physically fit men who simply on the grounds of height were being turned away that special 'bantam' battalions were formed. He enlisted at Hucknall into the Sherwood Foresters being posted to their 15th (Bantam) Battalion. In July 1917 the 15th (Bantam) battalion were in the front line trenches near Epehy, in France. On the night of the 12/13th July the enemy attempted to raid the trench known as “Bird Cage”. The battalion suffered 23 casualties during this German raid and one of these was Samuel. He was only 20 years of age at the time of his death. He is buried in Villers-Faucon Communal Cemetery, France
In memoriam published 12th July 1918 in the Nottingham Evening Post :- “TURNER. – In loving memory of Pte. Samuel Turner, of Arnold, killed in action July 12th, 1917, aged 19. 'Tis sweet to remember him who once was here, but though he is absent he is just as dear. Too dearly loved to be forgotten. – From his loving mother, father, sister, and brother, also Fred in Egypt, Ernest and Joe in India.” Above is courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918
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