Auction Catalogue

4 December 2002

Starting at 12:00 PM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Grand Connaught Rooms  61 - 65 Great Queen St  London  WC2B 5DA

Lot

№ 1146

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4 December 2002

Hammer Price:
Withdrawn

A fine Second World War C.B.E., Great War M.C. group of twelve awarded to Brigadier W. A. S. Turner, Royal Artillery, latterly Deputy Director of the Public Relations Department, S.H.A.E.F., which services won him the American Legion of Merit and French Legion of Honour

The Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Military) 2nd type neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels; Military Cross, G.V.R., the reverse privately engraved, ‘Major W. A. S. Turner, R.H.A., 3rd June 1918’; 1914 Star, with clasp (Lieut., R.H.A.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Major); 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf, all four privately engraved, ‘Brig. W. A. S. Turner’; American Legion of Merit, Officer’s breast badge, gilt and enamel, the reverse engraved, ‘W. A. S. Turner’; French Legion of Honour, Chevalier’s breast badge, silver and enamel; French Croix de Guerre 1940, with palm, mounted as worn, together with associated Great War period miniatures, the Legion of Honour slightly chipped and damaged, otherwise very fine or better (16) £1200-1500

C.B.E. London Gazette 2 August 1945. The recommendation states:

‘Since its inception, Brigadier Turner has served as senior British representative in the Public Relations Division, S.H.A.E.F., first as Assistant Chief and then as Deputy Chief of the Division. In addition to his general Public Relations duties Brigadier Turner has had particular charge of the Film and Photo. Section. Brigadier Turner’s work has throughout been of a very high order of excellence. Not only has he been outstandingly successful in maintaining harmony among all sorts and conditions of British correspondents but he managed over a long period to compose the many and varied international differences inevitable in a Public Relations Organisation of the nature of that set up for the recent campaign in North-West Europe. His untiring efforts and unfailing imperturbability have earned the respect of all with whom he has come in contact. The undoubted success of the Public Relations aspect of the operations can be attributed in large measure to Brigadier Turner’s devoted efforts.’

M.C.
London Gazette 3 June 1918.

American Legion of the Merit
London Gazette 8 November 1945. The recommendation states:

‘Brigadier W. A. S. Turner, British Army, served from May 1944 to May 1945 as Assistant to the Director and later as Deputy Director of the Public Relations Division, Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force. He was instrumental in the preliminary planning for Public Relations activities in the invasion of North-West France and later organized and supervised the operation of film and photo. coverage of the campaigns in western Europe. Through his tact, ingenuity and meticulous spirit of abnegation, he played an exemplary role in composing the many nationalistic difficulties in the allocation of war correspondents to ensure proportional representation and the establishment of equitable quotas throughout operations on the Continent. He contributed immeasurably to the efficient operation of the Public Relations Division and to the successful conclusion of the war against Germany.’

William Arthur Scales Turner was born in Leicester in January 1890 and was educated at Leys School and Trinity College, Cambridge. Commissioned into the Royal Artillery in December 1911, he gained advancement to Lieutenant shortly after the outbreak of hostilities.

Turner arrived in France with ‘I’ Battery, R.H.A. on 7 August 1914, and, accompanied by his faithful black pony, “Betty”, served throughout the retreat from Mons. Transferring to 2/A Battery, H.A.C. in November 1917, as an Acting Major and C.O., he was gassed during a heavy bombardment near Loos on 6 April 1918 and evacuated with three other Officers and 80 other ranks - a large area had been saturated with gas during this shelling, and as fast as reinforcements came up from the wagon lines, they in turn became casualties. Returning to duty in May, he resumed command of the Battery at a position near Mazingarbe, but in the following month he was invalided home with neurasthenia (shell shock) after nearly four years continuous active service. Turner was awarded the M.C.

Post-war appointments included a stint at the War Office and attendance at the Royal Naval Staff College, Greenwich in 1932. Three years later he was appointed Assistant Adjutant General and in 1937, the year of his retirement, he attained the substantive rank of Colonel. He was, however, quickly re-employed at the War Office and in 1941, as a Brigadier, he became Deputy Director of Public Relations, a role that would eventually lead to his distinguished services at S.H.A.E.F. between 1943-45. His French awards are confirmed in
Who’s Who.

Sold with original American Legion of Merit certificate of award and related White House citation, both signed by the President.

Withdrawn