Alexander William Turner MID
From Our Contribution
 | |
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 11 Sep 1910 |
| Place of Birth | Jarrahdale, Western Australia |
| Death | 12 Jul 1992, aged 81 |
| Place of Death | Parkes, New South Wales |
| Age at Enlistment | 30 years, 7 months |
| Description | 6' (1.83m) tall ; ; dark complexion ; brown eyes ; grey hair |
| Occupation | Bus driver |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Address | Bunbury road, Armadale, Western Australia |
| Next of Kin | Mother , Mrs. Winnie Midwin Turner |
| Military Information | |
| Reg Number | W13522 & WX11863 |
| Date of Enlistment | 28 Apr 1941 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Unit/Formation | 2/22nd Australian Field Park Company |
| Military Movement | |
| 1st Departure from Australia | |
| Journey Dates | 7 Sep 1941 ‒ 22 Sep 1941 |
| Transport Details | HMT Queen Mary Fremantle to Port Tewfik |
| Return to Australia | |
| Journey Dates | 14 Mar 1942 ‒ 11 Apr 1942 |
| Transport Details | SS Aalsum Port Tewfik to Ceylon |
| Journey Dates | 11 Jul 1942 ‒ 4 Aug 1942 |
| Transport Details | unknown Ceylon to Melbourne |
| 2nd Departure from Australia | |
| Journey Dates | 2 Nov 1942 ‒ 10 Nov 1942 |
| Transport Details | HMT Duntroon Brisbane to Port Moresby |
| Return to Australia | |
| Journey Dates | 4 Feb 1943 ‒ 11 Feb 1943 |
| Transport Details | HMT Taroona Port Moresby to Brisbane |
| 3rd Departure from Australia | |
| Journey Dates | 3 Nov 1944 ‒ 7 Nov 1944 |
| Transport Details | HMT Duntroon Cairns to Aitape, New Guinea |
| Return to Australia | |
| Journey Dates | 1 Dec 1943 ‒ 7 Dec 1945 |
| Transport Details | HMT Duntroon Wewak, New Guinea to Brisbane |
| Post War Details | |
| Fate | Returned to Australia |
Pre War
Electoral Roll entries: 1931 - 1937 Armadale, bus driver.
War Service
On 28 Apr 1941 Alexander enlisted in the 2nd AIF and was initially posted to ASC General Reinforcements. On 28 Apr 1941 he was promoted Acting Corporal, and the following day transferred to the 1st Corps Petrol Park reinforcements. Given his previous experience in the CMF where he had served as a Corporal in AASC, it appears that he was deemed trained enough to be sent overseas as he was granted pre-embarkation leeave from 1 - 5 May 1941. However, on 8 Jun 1941 he was admitted to the 110th Australian Base Hospital with Synovitis of the left knee, which, with concussion had resulted from a motor vehicle accident. A Court of Inquiry was held, but no action taken. On 15 Jul 1941 Alexander was transferred to the 109th Australian Convalescent Depot at Naval Base, returning to duty on 1 Aug 1941.
On 12 Aug 1941 he was posted to 20 Group Reinforcements AASC. They embarked aboard HMT Queen Mary on 9 Sep 1941 for the Middle East, disembarking via small craft in Port Tewfik on 22 Sep 1941. Ashore, Alexander reverted to Private, and was posted to the Middle East Service Training Regiment before being detached to the 1st Australian Corps Signals unit on 30 Oct 1941. On 14 Jan 1942 he was transferred to the 22nd Australian Field Park Company. Alexander's records show that he embarked at Port Tewfik on 14 Mar 1942, and disembarked in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) on 11 Apr 1942, these dates matching the movements of SS Aalsum having become involved in the attempt by Churchill to send them to Rangoon against Australia's wishes, with a short stay in Ceylon until British troops arrived the outcome. On 1 Jun 1942 Alexander was appointed Lance Corporal, and on 15 Jun 1942 he was detached to the 2/8th Australian Field Company, returning to the 22nd Field Company on 20 Jun 1942. On 11 Jul 1942 they embarked in Ceylon for Melbourne where they disembarked on 4 Aug 1942.
Following leave they proceeded to Greta in New South Wales where on 2 Oct 1942 Alexander was classified as a TG1 Excavator Operator. They moved to Queensland on 23 Oct 1942 in order to embark in Brisbane on 2 Nov 1942 aboard HMT Duntroon which departed for Port Moresby where they disembarked on 10 Nov 1942. On 4 Feb 1943 Alexander embarked in Port Moresby on HMT Taroona for Brisbane where he disembarked on 11 Feb 1943.
From 30 May until 12 July 1943 Alexander attended a Mechanical Equipment and Road Making Machinery Operaters Course at Liverpool in New South Wales, before returning to his unit on 13 Jul 1943. Granted leave in December, he detrained in Kalgoorlie on 6 Dec 1943 and returned to the Australian Staging Camp - Kalgoorlie on 1 Jan 1944. He then entrained for return to his unit in Queensland. On 1 Mar 1944 Alexander was promoted Corporal. On 10 Sep 1944 he was charged with having been AWOL from 8:15am on 9 Sep 1944 until 8:00am on the 10th. He was Admonished, and automatically forfeited a day's pay.
On 3 Nov 1944 Alexander embarked aboard HMT Duntroon in Cairns for Aitape in New Guinea where he disembarked on 7 Nov 1944. On 6 Sep 1945 Alexander was promoted Sergeant before he was transferred on 10 Oct 1945 to the 2/2nd Australian Field Park Company. On 1 Dec 1945 he was transferred again, this time to the 2/3rd Australian Field Regiment, and the same day he embarked on HMT Duntroon in Wewak, New Guinea for Australian, disembarking in Brisbane on 7 Dec 1945. Following some leave Alexander reported on 8 Jan 1946 to the Western Command Recruit Reception & General Details Depot to prepare for his discharge which took place on 10 Jan 1946.
In August 1947 Alexander was notified that he had been Mentioned in Despatches which had been published in the Australian Gazette No. 43 of 6 March 1947.
Post War
During 1946 Alexander married Louise O'Keeffe.???
Electoral Roll entries:
Notes