Geoffrey Turner (GC)

Geoffrey Gledhill Turner
Born	(1903-09-10)10 September 1903 Sheffield, Yorkshire
Died	9 February 1959(1959-02-09) (aged 55) Halstead, Essex
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
Years of service	1939–1946
Rank	Commander
Battles / wars	Second World War
Awards	George Cross George Medal King's Commendation for Brave Conduct

Commander Geoffrey Gledhill Turner, GC, GM (10 September 1903 – 9 February 1959) was an officer in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve during the Second World War and a recipient of the George Cross. He is one of only eight people who have won both the George Cross and George Medal.

Early life

Turner was born in Sheffield on 10 September 1903 the eldest son of Charles Turner a Chartered Accountant and his wife Kathleen. Turner attended King Edward VII School in Sheffield from 1911 to 1921.

Second World War

Turner was responsible for defusing a succession of unexploded bombs and mines during the Blitz in Yorkshire and Lancashire. He was awarded his George Cross for tackling a bomb which fell on Seaforth, near Liverpool-Stockport railway line. The fuse was badly damaged and exploded while Turner was attempting to remove it, wounding him. Notice of his award appeared in The London Gazette on 27 June 1941. The citation in read: "for great gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty".

Turner was also awarded the George Medal, this for recovering a mine from a German plane that had been shot down at Fairlight, near Hastings in Sussex. The citation was published in The London Gazette on 18 May 1943.