This is one of a series of posts to mark the international Rugby players who died during The Great War. If anyone has further information on the men concerned, I’d be most grateful if it could be added to the thread. Gareth Turner, Frederick Harding (‘Tanky’) played for Scotland Internationals: 15 : 1911 F- (1c) W- (1t) I- E- ; 1912 F+ (1t 5c) W- I- (1t) E+ SA- ; 1913 F+ (3c) W- I+ (4c) E- ; 1914 I- E- (1c) Frederick Turner was born on 29 May 1888 in Liverpool, the son of William and Jessie Turner. Played as a Flanker for: Greenbank School, Sedburgh School, Oxford University (Blue 1908-1910), Liverpool Profession: He worked in his father’s printing firm, Turner & Dunnett. Remarks: He was nicknamed ‘Tanky’ due to his physical size and robustness. Played for the Officers of the Army v the Officers of the Royal Navy in February (14-15) and December 1907 (0-15). Played for Oxford University (3-19) v the 1908-1909 Wallabies, and captained the University team. His 5 conversions v France in 1912 was an equal Scottish record (shared with J W Allan). Cricket for Oxford University and Lancashire County Cricket Club II. He was one of the six members of the last pre-War Scottish team who were killed in action. His older brother, Lt William Stewart Turner, 1/10th (Liverpool Scottish) Battalion, The King’s (Liverpool) Regiment, 166th (South Lancashire) Brigade, 55th (West Lancashire) Division, was killed in action at Hooge on 16 June 1915, and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial to the missing. War service: 2nd Lieutenant, 1/10th (Liverpool Scottish) Battalion, The King’s (Liverpool) Regiment, 166th (South Lancashire) Brigade, 55th (West Lancashire) Division. He went to France on 1 November 1914, and spent the winter in flooded trenches. He was killed in action on 10 January 1915 near Kemmel, while walking to the end of a trench to organise the arrangement of a barbed wire entanglement, and is commemorated in Kemmel Churchyard, Heuvelland, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium [Sp. Mem. 13.].
I had included a bit about him on the Percy Kendall thread ...... http://ww1talk.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=1462&highlight=turner
Kemmel Churchyard has a small grass plot containing the majority of the CWGC burials, but the memorial to Second Lieutenant Frederick Harding Turner of 10th Bn. The King's (Liverpool Regiment) is in an isolated plot. Freddy Turner captained Oxford University at rugby, and was capped 15 times by Scotland, becoming captain of the national side in 1914. He was killed on 10 January 1915 in a trench occupied by his platoon of the Liverpool Scottish when overseeing the organisation of a barbed wire entanglement. http://www.fylde.demon.co.uk/gardiner2.htm http://www.viswiki.com/en/Liverpool_Scottish
Blues register: TURNER, Frederick Harding. Born 1888. Educated at Sedburgh and Trinity College, Oxford. Played in Oxford Fifteen 1908, 1909, 1910. International Football, Scotland v. England 1911, v. Ireland 1911, v. Wales 1911, v. France 1911. Played cricket for Oxford Eleven 1909, but not against Cambridge. Address: 4 Mossley Hill Drive, Sefton Park, Liverpool. Picture of the 1910 Oxford Rugby team, Turner is centre picture holding the ball. Andy
