Hanson Turner

He attacked alone with grenades until his final fatal sortie

Hanson Victor Turner was born at Andover, Hampshire, on 17 July 1910. His family moved to Halifax while he was young, and he grew up in West Yorkshire as one of nine children. He initially joined the Duke of Wellington's Regiment and married Edith Rothery in 1935. During the Second World War he served with the West Yorkshire Regiment and became an acting sergeant.

On the night of 6-7 June 1944, at Ningthoukong during the fighting near Imphal, Japanese troops attacked his platoon's position with machine guns and grenades. Three of its light machine guns were destroyed, forcing the defenders to give ground. Turner reorganised the surviving men and helped establish a new position.

When the enemy began moving round the flank, he took as many grenades as he could carry and attacked alone. His action disrupted the attempted outflanking movement and helped the platoon maintain its defence through the night. Each time his grenades ran out, he returned for another supply and went forward again under intense fire.

Turner made five journeys for more grenades. On his sixth attack he was killed while throwing at another enemy party. He was thirty-three. His leadership and repeated individual attacks were recognised with the Victoria Cross, announced on 17 August 1944.

King George VI presented the posthumous award to his widow. Turner was buried in Imphal War Cemetery. When his medal later came to auction, Halifax acquired it so that the decoration could remain accessible in the town where he had lived. It was placed with the Duke of Wellington's regimental collection at Bankfield Museum, although his fatal action had been fought while serving with the West Yorkshire Regiment.

Official Victoria Cross citation

In Burma, at Ningthoukong soon after midnight on the night of 6th-7th June, 1944, an attack was made by a strong force of Japanese with medium and light machine-guns. In the first instance the attack largely fell on the S.W. corner of the position which was held by a weak platoon of about 20 men of which Sergeant Turner was one of the Section Commanders. By creeping up under cover of a nullah the enemy were able to use grenades with deadly effect against this portion of the perimeter. Three out of the four light machine-guns in the platoon were destroyed and the platoon was forced to give ground. Sergeant Turner with coolness and fine leadership at once reorganised his party and withdrew 40 yards. The enemy made determined and repeated attempts to dislodge them and concentrated all fire they could produce in an effort to reduce the position and so extend the penetration. Sustained fire was kept up on Sergeant Turner and his dwindling party by the enemy for a period of two hours. The enemy, however, achieved no further success in this sector. Sergeant Turner with a doggedness and spirit of endurance of the highest order repelled all their attacks, and it was due entirely to his leadership that the position was ultimately held throughout the night. When it was clear that the enemy were attempting to outflank the position, Sergeant Turner determined to take the initiative in driving the enemy off and killing them. The men left under his command were the minimum essential to maintain the position he had built up with such effect. No party for a counter-attack could therefore be mustered and speed was essential if the enemy were to be frustrated. He at once, boldly and fearlessly went forward from his position alone armed with all the hand grenades he could carry, and went into the attack against the enemy single handed. He used his weapons with devastating effect and when his supply was exhausted he went back for more and returned to the offensive again. During all this time the enemy were keeping up intense small arms and grenade fire. Sergeant Turner in all made five journeys to obtain further supplies of grenades and it was on the sixth occasion still single handed, while throwing a grenade among a party of the enemy, he was killed. His conduct on that night will ever be remembered by the Regiment. His superb leadership and undaunted will to win in the early stages of the attack was undoubtedly instrumental in preventing the enemy plan from succeeding. The number of enemy found dead the next morning was ample evidence of the deadly effect his grenade throwing had had. He displayed outstanding valour and had not the slightest thought of his own safety. He died on the battlefield in a spirit of supreme self sacrifice.

Supplement to The London Gazette of 15 August 1944. 17 August 1944, Numb. 36658, p. 3807