TURNER, Leonard William



No.LT/JX 657260, Ordinary Seaman, Leonard William TURNER
Aged 22


H.M. Trawler "Gairsay", Royal Navy Patrol Service
Killed in Action on Thursday, 3rd August 1944


Leonard William Turner was born on 30th August 1922 (Bury St. Edmunds Q4-1922 4A:1493) son of Frederick Charles and Millicent Sarah TURNER (née DAVIES).

In the 1939 register, a farm worker, he was at 1 Council Houses, Troston with his father Frederick Charles [6-3-1887] horseman; his mother Millicent Sarah [15-9-1886] and brother Charles [12-12-1917] a farm worker. There are no closed records.


The German radio-controlled Sprengboot Linse motorboat was first developed by the Abwehr and employed by the Brandenburg Regiment. It was inspired by the Italian MTM boats as special weapons for commando usage. These boats, of which 30 had been built, were later taken over by the Kriegsmarine K-Verband ( Naval Small Battle Force). With a length of 5.75 metres and powered by a 95 hp Ford V8 petrol engine, these craft operated in threes, two explosive boats and one control boat. The former, packed with a 300 kg (later 400 kg) charge in the stern, was piloted by a single crewman until the moment when the control boat took over by radio control. The boat operator then jumped overboard to be rescued by the control boat. The rail at the front operated the detonator on contact with the target.

H.M.T. Gairsay ( pennant T-290) was sunk by one of these boats off Normandy with the loss of 31 crewmen.



photo: Imperial War Museum (IWM), A-16382




"Sprengboot Linse..the explosive boat




Leonard Turner is commemorated on the Lowestoft Naval Memorial, panel 14, col 3

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


BACK