| Surname: | Turner |
| Initials: | J |
| Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Army Number: | 3128594 |
| Notes: | CMP. Formerly Royal Scots Fusiliers, transferred to CMP. 28/1/46 Discharged. James Turner. Extract from Falkirk Herald, 25/10/44. Labert man describes Madagascar landings. "The Madagascar landing was the first I had been in. There was a nice, shelving beach, the water was calm and the bay sheltered. Everything went smoothly, and it was most interesting. We were lucky however , for after we had landed a supply ship was torpedoed. It might have been our ship. I don't know whether the raiders got away or not," said Corporal J Turner whose home is at 63 Hayford Place, Stenhousemuir, Larbert, Stirilingshire to a military observer. Corporal Turner who is in the Corps of Military Police in the Middle East is a Regular soldier, who joined the Army in 1932 and served at that time with the Royal Scots Fusiliers. He was drafted to France and went through the "phoney" period before the last feverish month leading to the Dunkirk evacuation. he next served in Belfast and when that place was bombed he had to assist in billeting out refugee women and children. His next move too him to Durban in South Africa. It amazed him, as it did everybody from beleaguered Europe to see a town fully lit up at night; the curve of the bay strung round with promenade lights makes a pretty sight too. This was the last port of call before the Madagascar landing. INTERESTING TRIP. The war next took Cpl Turner to India, and he had an exceptionally interesting trip right across India from Ranshi, near Calcutta to Bombay, seeing on route the Taj Mahal, Benares, Allahbad,and places of historic note. At Bombay his unit embarked for Basara and passing through the very hot, arid areas with short stops, moved to Qum. This he describes as very cold indeed. He was then sent with a detachment ot Teheran. This wealth of experiences proceeded Corporal Turner's arrival in the Middle East. Benghazi which he reached last year when it was being used by the British as a port for the Italian campaign was his first job, and he actually went over to Sicily with the invading Division. his work here was beach control, beach work, on forming up areas for motor convoys and signing routes for vehicles. There was quite a lot of bombing here, dive bombing on the beaches. Cpl Turner makes a comment here that casualties were very heavy. AT SYRACUSE AND CASSINO. From here he went to Syracuse where part of the Garrison held out till next morning, demanding a Priest before they surrendered. Cpl Turner was in the landing in Italy, San Giovanni was relatively quiet, more like Madagascar; but it had been given a barrage of shells first as a softener from across the Straits of Messina. After being transferred from the Division to an Independent Military Police unit he was present at Cassino where he saw the monastery used by the Germans as an observation post bombed; and was then sent back to Castel Amara, thence to his former Division whom he joined at Anzio. "Rome is a lovely city" said Corporal Turner, "it was not damaged; some of the outskirts were knocked about. I saw the Pope; thousands of soldiers trooped in thousands to St Peters every day. The civilians particularly the poorer people gave us a rousing welcome. I had a spell of duty in Palestine after that, normal police work and then returned to Egypt. |