Private John Turner
| Date of Birth | c. 1889 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 26 |
| Date of Death | 23/07/1918 |
| Service Number | 33486 / 96398 |
| Military Service | 11th Battalion Royal Berkshire / Labour Corps |
| Merton Address | |
| Local Memorial | Streatham Park Cemetery |
Additional Information
John was born in Balham in 1889 and baptised at the Church of the Ascension, Balham Hill, on 29 June 1890.
He was the youngest of a large family with siblings Alice, Sarah, Kate, Charlotte, Nellie, Annie, Charles, Emily and William. His father, William, was a painter and decorator, who died in 1892. His mother’s name was Sarah.
He married Beatrice Clara Harvey in St Philips Church, Battersea on 17 November 1912 and they lived at 35 Motley Street, Battersea. They had two children, Kenneth John who was born in 1913 and Rose Florence, born in 1917.
John attested aged 26 when he was 5ft 7½ins tall and had tattoos on his right forearm. He stated that he was a Gardener and was allocated to the Army Reserve on 2 December 1915. He was mobilised on 28 September 1916 and was sent to France with the 11th Battalion of the Royal Berkshire Regiment on 14 December 1916. He was returned home on 29 April 1918 and transferred to the Labour Corps but was hospitalised shortly afterwards having been gassed. He died in the Alexandria Hospital, Cosham and is buried in Streatham Park cemetery.
His wife, Beatrice, married George Smith in 1921 and continued to live in the house on Motley Street.