• Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger
• Short Stirling

Date of birth:

1911

Date of death:

1995 (London, Great Britain)

Service number:

1377546/114982

Nationality:

British

Reginald Turner was the Pilot of Short Stirling Mk. IV, LK545, 5G-T, No 299 Squadron that crashed West of Nijmegen on September 21st, 1944. The plane had started from RAF Station Keevil on September 21nd, 1944 for a supply dropping near Hotel Hartenstein in Oosterbeek.
The crew consisted of
Pilot Flight Lieutenant Reginald Thomas Frederick Turner (114982),
Flight Engineer Warrant Officer B.H. Harvey,
Navigator Flight Sergeant J.E. Price,
Air Gunner/Wireless Operator Sergeant W. Moss,
Air Gunner/Wireless Operator Flying Officer J.S. Sutton,
Bomb Aimer Flight Sergeant F.H. Sedgwick,
Air Despatcher Driver Brackman en
Air Despatcher Corporal Clement Burton Sproston (T/186616)
(both latter from 253 Airborne Composite Company).
Over the dropzone, the plane was hit by Flak. The aft gun position caught fire, during which Flying Officer Sutton was forced to abandone the aircraft with his parachute. The rest of the crew managed to make a crash landing and was taken away by civilians. A police car then moved them to the Armoured Corps HQ near Nijmegen, from where they were taken the following day, September 22nd, towards Eindhoven. The transport got stuck between Uden and Veghel in a fight between the Allies and German tanks. In the events that unfolded, Turner was involved in ground actions. Later the crew was transported in safety to their unit.

Promotions:
?: Sergeant;
November 4th, 1941: Pilot Officer on probation (emergency);
October 1st, 1942: Flying Officer on porbation (war subs.);
?: Acting FLight Lieutenant;
?: Temporary Squadron Leader;
November 4th, 1943: Flight Lieutenant (war subs.);
?: Acting Wing Commander;
May 26th, 1945: Squadron Leader (war subs.).

Career:
November 4th, 1941: General Duties Branch, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserves;
?: No. 120 Squadron;
?: No. 299 Squadron;
?: No. 190 Squadron;
February 1945 - January 6th, 1946: Commanding Officer No. 196 Squadron.

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Acting Flight Lieutenant

Unit:

No. 120 Squadron, Royal Air Force

Awarded on:

October 1st, 1943

LG 36192/4357.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Acting Wing Commander

Unit:

No. 190 Squadron, Royal Air Force

Awarded on:

July 13th, 1945

Awarded for:

Operation Market Garden

Citation:
"Awarded in recognition of distinguished services."

Action description in Newspaper article:
"F/Lt R. Turner, a Londoner, had gone ahead of us to the road south between Uden and Veghel and had run into a road blocked by German tanks and had fought his own private battle on the ground for 28 hours to get back out of the trap.
He took command of 30 men, four of them his own crew and the others Bofors gunners. They destroyed a Tiger tank and an Armed Car and held on with the loss of four killed and eight wounded until the British tanks relieved them."

LG 37175/3622.
At the time of the action, Turner still flew with No. 299 Squadron.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Acting Wing Commander

Unit:

No. 190 Squadron, Royal Air Force

Permission to wear the decoration granted by The London Gazette, dated June 14th, 1946.
LG 37610/3007.

• - The Battle of Arnhem Archive
  - Unit Histories
  - Market Garden the Digital Monument
  - The London Gazette of 10th March 1942, Issue 35483
  - Third Supplemet to The London Gazette of 10th November 1942, Issue 35784, dated 13th November 1942
  - Third Supplement to The London Gazette of 28th September 1943, Issue 36192, dated 1st October 1943
  - Third Supplement to The London Gazette of 9th November 1943, Issue 36245, dated 12th November 1943
  - Fourth Supplement to The London Gazette of 10th July 1945, Issue 37175, dated 13th July 1945
  - Fourth Supplement to The London Gazette of 11th June 1946, Issue 37610, dated 14th June 1946