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Auction: 25113 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 333

'Dear Mother this is Princess Mary's present and those photos post cards + Christmas cards which I told you I should send home please take care of them for me. Cigarettes in the box for dad + Cyril to smoke I have kept the tobacco in case I run short of fags because nobody at home smokes a pipe.
As ever best love
Will'

(A letter from Leading Seaman Turner to his mother contained within his Princess Mary's Christmas tin)

The Campaign group of three awarded to Leading Signaller W. H. Turner, Royal Navy, who sent home his Princess Mary Gift tin with its cigarettes still together, while serving with H.M.S. Milne, just prior to taking part in the Battle of Dogger Bank

1914-15 Star (J.9459, W. H. Turner, Sig., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (J.9459 W. H. Turner. L. Sig. R.N.), sold together with a Princess Mary's Christmas Tin, including Christmas Fund Cigarette packet with one cigarette remaining, Princess Mary Christmas card, and the above quoted letter, good very fine (3)

William Henry Turner was born at Regent's Park, London on 6 February 1894 and attested as Boy Signaller on 10 August 1910. Reaching his majority as Ordinary Signaller on 6 February 1912 Turner was appointed Signaller with Sapphire on 3 July 1913.

Serving ashore when the war began Turner was posted to the destroyer Milne, at the time stationed with the Harwich Flotilla, on 16 January 1915. She steamed out on 23 January 1915 to engage a German Battlecruiser Force raiding British fishing vessels off Dogger Bank.

In the ensuing action on 24 January the British overhauled and sank the armoured cruiser Blucher but were unable to reach the German Battlecruisers in time. Milne remained with the Harwich Flotilla for some time seeing action off Zeebrugge on several occasions.

He was transferred away in May 1917 and was finally discharged on 2 May 1919; sold together with copied research.


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Estimate

Starting price
£80