Hanson Victor Turner
VC (17 July 1910 – 7 June 1944) was an English recipient of the
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
forces.
Details
Turner was 33 years old, and an acting
sergeant
Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
in the 1st Battalion,
,
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
during the Second World War. He was awarded the VC for his actions on 6/7 June 1944 during
Operation U-Go
The U Go offensive, or Operation C (ウ号作戦 ''U Gō sakusen''), was the Japanese offensive launched in March 1944 against forces of the British Empire in the northeast Indian regions of Manipur and the Naga Hills (then administered as part ...
at
Ningthoukong,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, when he almost "single-handedly" and with "doggedness and spirit of endurance of the highest order" held off Japanese attacks until the morning by running back to replenish his supplies. He was killed while throwing a grenade.
Citation
The citation refers to Ningthoukong as being in Burma, but it is actually in the state of Manipur in India.
Legacy
Although Hanson Victor Turner was 'originally' a 'Duke', he was serving with
when he was awarded his VC. When his medal was put up for sale, at auction, it was purchased by the
Halifax Town Council, as he was a local, Halifax, resident. It is displayed in
The Duke of Wellington's Regiment Regimental Museum in
Bankfield Museum,
Halifax, West Yorkshire, England.
Museum
References
*'' British VCs of World War 2'' (John Laffin, 1997)
*''Monuments to Courage
David Charles Harvey (29 July 1946 – 4 March 2004) was a historian and author. He is notable for his seminal work, ''Monuments To Courage'', which documents the graves of almost all recipients of the Victoria Cross, a task that took him over 36 ...
'' (David Harvey, 1999)
*''The Register of the Victoria Cross
''The Register of the Victoria Cross'' is a reference work that provides brief information on every Victoria Cross awarded until the publication date. Each entry provides a summary of the deed, along with a photograph of the recipient and the fol ...
'' (This England, 1997)
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Turner, Hanson Victor
1910 births
1944 deaths
British Army personnel killed in World War II
West Yorkshire Regiment soldiers
Duke of Wellington's Regiment soldiers
People from Andover, Hampshire
British World War II recipients of the Victoria Cross
British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross
Military personnel from Hampshire