5th Reserve Battery, Royal Field Artillery
The story of Driver Maurice Turner is one of a young conscript who succumbed to illness whilst not long into basic training.
Maurice Edward Sedgley Turner was born on 23 May 1898 at Adlestrop, the son of Reuben Sedgley Turner (1858-1929), a building contractor and his wife Caroline Ann (née Reed: 1858-1927).
He was one of ten children, all living at the time of the 1911 Census. ‘Sedgley’ appears be a family name but not one that appears in Maurice’s CWGC register entry.
The family were living in Adlestrop at the time of the 1901 and 1911 Census. Maurice was under working age in 1911 and in the absence of any Army Service Record his occupation after leaving full time occupation is not known.
Possibly he worked with his father in the building trade.
It is known, from his entry in Soldiers Died in the Great War that he enlisted at Stratford-upon-Avon. He was almost certainly conscripted upon reaching the age of 18, under the Military Service Act 1916.
He would not be allowed to go overseas until after his 19th birthday and therefore would have been undergoing training until then. He had been posted to the 5th Reserve Battery, Royal Field Artillery, who were based in Sussex in February 1917.
Maurice was taken ill with acute pneumonia and admitted to the 2nd Eastern General (Military) Hospital at Brighton; a large establishment able to accommodate 98 officers and 1190 other ranks. He died there on 20 February 1917, aged 18.
His entry in the Register of Soldiers’ Effects, located at the National Army Museum, states that his estate did not qualify for a gratuity, as he had served less than six months. This indicates that he was probably mobilised, following conscription, in the autumn of 1916.
Driver Maurice Edward Sedgley Turner was taken back to Adlestrop and he was buried in the churchyard of St Mary Magdalene Church on 26 February 1917.
A private stone cross now marks his grave. The name of his brother, Fred, is also inscribed on the cross.
Private Frederick James Sedgley Turner (51014) was killed in action on 19 July 1917 while serving with the 9th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment. He had previously served as a Private (24056) with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment.
He is buried in Oosttaverne Wood, CWGC Cemetery, near Ieper, Belgium.
Both brothers are commemorated on the Great War Memorial inside St Mary Magdalene Church, Adlestrop.
Research by Graham Adams 7 September 2020