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The Life of Ches (T.C.) Turner

In July 1941 Mr. Turner left to go overseas and headed to Chatham and then drafted to ships as a member of the 16th Royal Navy Contingent.

"Quite a few of our contingent were sent across the Atlantic to join the Battleship, Warspite, but three of us including myself joined the HMS Cleopatra. Of course we were just young sailors." (Taken from 'Action of the HMS Cleopatra - Two Newfoundlanders Killed in Action' on page 41 of Herb Wells' - Under the White Ensign.)

As told by Carl Turner, Ches' youngest son.....

'He came back from the war in the last part of 1945 and he married Momma on the 2nd of January 1946. Then they went to start farming in Cormack on the west coast of Newfoundland. It was a part of the land agreement where land was given to men who had served in the war. He stayed there for a couple or three years. He fathered his little girl over there then came back home and had his two boys then long after that I was born.

Dad was a logger before he went overseas. He was over in Howley and places like that so he already knew the west coast a little.

Shortly after he returned to Happy Adventure, they started the legion in 1958 (that was even before me). He was working in Gander at that time and the current legion building here in Eastport came in pieces from Gander.

In 1961, they formed the current community of Happy Adventure. Dad was vice-chairman of the community. He was one of the original councillors who formed the council.

He was involved in the church forever. He was on the select vestry, the parish council and all that. I served with him during his last term.

He served on every office of the legion. If you look at his legion bars, there is not one that isn't there. You can see his service on his legion medals. He got his life membership in the legion and was involved from the beginning until he died....'

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Thomas C Turner
1940
Happy Adventure, Newfoundland
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Action on HMS Cleopatra
22 March 1942
Atlantic Ocean

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T.C. Turner RN
1940

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'His service medals include the Atlantic Star with France and Germany bar, the Italy/Mediteranean Star, the Africa Star and many more. The last one he got was the Malta Cross, that's where his ship sunk.'

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'It is me had it taken Sept. 5th 1944' Thomas Chesley Turner
5 September 1944
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This photo was taken overseas and sent home to Grandmother. On the back it says 'It is me had it taken Sept. 5th 1944'

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Thomas C Turner
1940
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T.C. Turner Legion
1940
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Dad got life membership in the legion. He served in almost every available office. He even got the highest award you can get in the legion - The meritorious service award. (on the right).

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Thomas C Turner
1995
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...Dad was involved in a lot in the community, the legion was his life until he died July 10, 1997. Because I was the little one I didn't live through most of his life but we spent a lot of time together in the end.

We spent an awful lot of time together in the last twenty years as we did the same things. I was the little boy who was still home after the others were gone so I knew alot about the later years but little about the earlier years.'