Individual Details
Lt Col Victor Buller Turner VC CVO - Rifle Brigade
(17 Jan 1900 - 7 Aug 1972)
Events
| Birth | 17 Jan 1900 | Reading, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom | |||
| Residence | 1901 | Relation to Head of House: Grandson - Plympton St. Maurice, Devon, England, United Kingdom | |||
| Military service | 1922 - 1967 | British Army WW2 VC | |||
| Military | 1922 | Lt. - Rifle Brigade. | |||
| Military | 1941 | Major. | |||
| Honour | 22 Oct 1942 | VC - Battalion Commander. Led his men and captured a german position and took prisoners. Then repelled constant tank attacks for 14 hours, destroying over 50 of them. - Tel El Aqqaqir, Egypt |  | ||
| Military | 1944 | Lt Col | |||
| Military | 1950 | Royal Household - King's Bodyguard of the Yeoman of the Guard. | |||
| Honour | 1966 | CVO | |||
| Military | 1967 | Queens Bodyguard - Royal Household - Lieutenant | |||
| Death | 7 Aug 1972 | Ditchingham, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom | |||
| Probate | 6 Feb 1973 | London, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom | |||
| Burial | Ditchingham, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom |
Families
| Father | Maj Charles Turner (1862 - 1926) |
| Mother | Jane Elizabeth Buller (1871 - 1946) |
| Sibling | 2nd Lt Alexander Buller Turner VC Royal Berkshire Rgt (1893 - 1915) |
| Sibling | Janey Emily Buller Turner (1894 - 1996) |
| Sibling | Cecil Buller Turner (1895 - 1978) |
| Sibling | Lt Col Mark Buller Turner Rifle Brigade (1906 - 1971) |
Notes
Honour
On 27 October 1942, at El Aqqaqir ( Kidney feature ), Western Desert, Egypt , during the Second Battle of El Alamein , Lieutenant Colonel Turner was commanding a battalion of the Rifle Brigade. After overcoming a German position, the battalion fought off desperate counter-attacks by 90 tanks, destroying or immobilising more than 50 of them. During the action, one of the 6-pounder guns was left with only one officer and a sergeant, so Colonel Turner joined them as loader, and between them they destroyed another five tanks. Not until the last tank had been repulsed did he consent to having a wound in his head attended to.The citation for his award was published in the London Gazette on 20 November 1942 and reads as follows:
Major (temporary Lieutenant-Colonel) Victor Buller Turner (17630), The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) (Thatcham, Berks).
For most conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty on the 27th October, 1942, in the Western Desert.
Lieutenant-Colonel Turner led a Battalion of the Rifle Brigade at night for 4,000 yards through difficult country to their objective, where 40 German prisoners were captured. He then organised the captured position for all-round defence; in this position he and his Battalion were continuously attacked from 5.30 a.m. to 7 p.m., unsupported and so isolated that replenishment of ammunition was impossible owing to the concentration and accuracy of the enemy fire.
During this time the Battalion was attacked by not less than 90 German tanks which advanced in successive waves. All of these were repulsed with a loss to the enemy of 35 tanks which were in flames, and not less than 20 more which had been immobilised.
Throughout the action Lieutenant-Colonel Turner never ceased to go to each part of the front as it was threatened. Wherever the fire was heaviest, there he was to be found. In one case, finding a solitary six-pounder gun in action (the others being casualties) and manned only by another officer and a Sergeant, he acted as loader and with these two destroyed 5 enemy tanks. While doing this he was wounded in the head, but he refused all aid until the last tank was destroyed.
His personal gallantry and complete disregard of danger as he moved about encouraging his Battalion to resist to the last, resulted in the infliction of a severe defeat on the enemy tanks. He set an example of leadership and bravery which inspired his whole Battalion and which will remain an inspiration to the Brigade.
Turner's Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Green Jackets (Rifles) Museum in Winchester, England.