William Turner (British Army officer)

Lieutenant General Sir William Francis Robert Turner, KBE, CB, DSO (1907–1989) was a senior British Army officer active during the Second World War and the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Sir William Turner
Born1907
Died1989 (aged 81–82)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army
Years of service1928–1964
RankLieutenant General
Service number39501
UnitKing's Own Scottish Borderers
Commands heldScottish Command (1961–64)
44th (Home Counties) Division (1956–59)
128th Infantry Brigade (1952–54)
British Military Mission to Greece (1950–52)
1st Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers (1945–46)
5th Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers (1942–45)
Battles/warsSecond World War
Palestine Emergency
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Companion of the Order of the Bath
Distinguished Service Order
Other workGovernor of Edinburgh Castle

Military career edit

William Turner was commissioned into the King's Own Scottish Borderers in 1928.[1] He served in the Second World War with his regiment, which formed part of the British Expeditionary Force to France in 1939.[1] He was Commandant of the Junior Leaders School from 1940 to 1941.[1] In 1942 he was appointed Commanding Officer of 5th Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers, a post he held for the remainder of the war.[1]

After the war Turner went with his regiment to Palestine.[2] He then held various General Staff Officer positions before becoming commander of the British Military Mission to Greece in 1950.[1] He was then made commander of the 128th Infantry Brigade in 1952.[1] He was Brigadier on the General Staff at Headquarters Western Command from 1954 and was then appointed General Officer Commanding of the 44th (Home Counties) Division and Home Counties District in 1956.[1] He was also Deputy Constable of Dover Castle at that time.[1]

In 1959 Turner became President of the Regular Commissions Board and in 1961 he was appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Scottish Command and Governor of Edinburgh Castle: he retired in 1964.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Turner, Sir William Francis Robert". Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  2. ^ "Small Wars: Palestine". Archived from the original on 19 June 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2009.
Military offices
Preceded by GOC 44th (Home Counties) Division
1956–1959
Succeeded by
Preceded by GOC-in-C Scottish Command
1961–1964
Succeeded by