Gunner Thomas Melville Turner
| Date of Birth | c. 1885 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 20 |
| Date of Death | 28 October 1915 |
| Service Number | 24 |
| Military Service | Calcutta Volunteer Battery, Calcutta Port Defence Volunteer Corps, Indian Defence Force Artillery |
| Merton Address | Evelyn Road, Wimbledon |
| Local Memorial | Rutlish School, Merton |
Additional Information
Thomas was born in 1885 but his baptism did not take place until 6 June 1902 in South Wimbledon. His parents were Edward, an artist, and Margaret. His father died in 1899.
His mother later moved from Merton as at the time of Thomas’s death she was living at 12 Oxford Road Putney.
Thomas grew up in Merton, however, and attended Rutlish School from 1899 to 1901. By 1909 he was sharing one room at Holly Cottage, Burlington Road with Edward Turner, possibly his brother. They shared the rent of 10s a week.
Forces War Records records his nationality as Indian and he joined the Calcutta Volunteer Battery of the Indian Army. He was deployed to East Africa where he died of infectious endocarditis on 28 October 1915. He is buried at Nairobi South Cemetery, Kenya.