Information about birth

Year of birth:
1897
Place of birth:
Oldham, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom

General information

Last known residence:
48 Watersheddings Street, Oldham, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom
Profession:
Turner (cotton mill)

Army information

Country:
Verenigd Koninkrijk
Force:
British Expeditionary Force
Rank:
Private
Service number:
307180
Enlistment place:
Oldham, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom
Units:
 —  Lancashire Fusiliers, 1/6th Bn.  (Last known unit)

Information about death

Date of death:
06/09/1917
Place of death:
Beck House, Zonnebeke, Belgium
Cause of death:
Killed in action (K.I.A.)
Age:
20

Cemetery

Tyne Cot Cemetery
Plot: VII
Row: D
Grave: 19

Points of interest 4

#1 Place of birth
#2 Last known residence
#3 Enlistment place
#4 Place of death (approximate)

My story

Joseph Turner was the son of Grace and Wilson Turner. He was born around 1897 in Oldham, Lancashire. He worked as a turner (cotton mill). Joseph enlisted in the British Army and belonged to the 1/6th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers Regiment (125th Brigade, 42nd (East Lancashire) Division).

Joseph fell on 6 September 1917 at the Battle of Passchendaele. The 1/6th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers attacked positions near Beck House and Iberian that day. One company managed to take Beck House, while two other companies attacked Iberian Farm and came under machine-gun fire from the southern slopes of Hill 35. During a German counterattack, the newly taken position of Beck House was again lost and the battalion suffered heavy losses. In addition, the left flank was also exposed to shelling from Hill 35. The 1/6th Battalion had to retreat back to their original positions.

Joseph died at the age of 20. After the war, his body was found near Beck House. He was reburied in Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.

Sources 3

1/6 Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers Regiment war diary (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2654/3).
http://nationalarchives.gov.uk
Sources used
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG14).
http://nationalarchives.gov.uk
Sources used
McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 1995), p. 72.
Sources used

More information 3