Lieutenant Ronald William Turner , was an English World War I

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviation, military aviator credited with shooting down a certain minimum number of enemy aircraft during aerial combat; the exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ...

. He was credited with nine aerial victories while flying as an observer/gunner in two-seater fighters.

Early life

Ronald William Turner was born in York, England, on 17 November 1897. He worked for five years as a

joiner Joinery is a part of woodworking that involves joining pieces of wood, engineered lumber, or synthetic substitutes (such as laminate), to produce more complex items. Some woodworking joints employ mechanical fasteners, bindings, or adhesives, ...

and carpenter prior to enlisting in 1914 to serve in World War I.

World War I

Turner served in the Royal Engineers as a

lance corporal Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many English-speaking armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organisations. It is below the rank of corporal. Etymology The presumed origin of the rank of lance corp ...

, until selected for officer training, and was commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant in the

Yorkshire Regiment The Royal Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) (abbreviated R YORKS) is an infantry regiment of the British Army, created by the amalgamation of three historic regiments in 2006. It lost one battalion as part of the Future of ...

on 27 June 1917. Turner transferred to the

Royal Flying Corps The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...

in December 1917, and was appointed an

aerial observer Aerial may refer to: Music * ''Aerial'' (album), by Kate Bush, and that album's title track * "Aerials" (song), from the album ''Toxicity'' by System of a Down Bands * Aerial (Canadian band) * Aerial (Scottish band) * Aerial (Swedish band) ...

on 27 April 1918. Posted to No. 20 Squadron to crew a Bristol F.2b two-seater fighter, his first aerial victory came on 18 May 1918 with pilot Lieutenant John Henry Colbert. Turner was flying with Lieutenant Paul Iaccaci on 4 July when they shot down three enemy fighters, and they gained two further victories on 10 and 14 July. Turner then returned to flying with Colbert for his final two victories on 24 and 29 July. On 9 August 1918, he was medically evacuated to a London hospital. He was rewarded for his valour with the Distinguished Flying Cross on 4 November 1918. His award citation short-changed him when it read: :2nd Lieutenant (Temporary Lieutenant) Ronald William Turner (Yorkshire Regiment) ::"A skilful and determined observer who in recent operations has shot down six enemy machines, accounting for two Albatross scouts in one flight." He was subsequently promoted to temporary lieutenant, with seniority from 27 December 1918. Upon recovery, he would serve at the School of Air Gunnery to the end of the year, and at the 50th Training Depot Station in early 1919.

List of aerial victories

Post-war

On 1 June 1919, he was transferred to the unemployed list of the Royal Air Force, and relinquished his commission in the Yorkshire Regiment on 1 December 1920, retaining the rank of lieutenant.

References

;Bibliography * {{DEFAULTSORT:Turner, Ronald William 1896 births Year of death missing Royal Engineers soldiers Green Howards officers Royal Flying Corps officers Royal Air Force personnel of World War I British World War I flying aces Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Military personnel from York