Few, if any, soldiers could have received more expressions of gratitude from his fellow prisoners of war than Pte Henry J. Turner, of the Bedfordshire Regiment. No fewer than 425 warrant officers, NCOs and men signed a letter to the Army Council at the War Office in London in recognition of his unselfishness and untiring devotion to duty on their behalf.
Battalion Orders by Lieut-Col H. P. Green, 3rd Battalion Beds Regiment, said he had been pleased to receive and publish the following letter: “In recognition of the unselfish and untiring devotion to duty of No 21210 Pte H. J. Turner, 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, who previously served in No 8 Company of this Battalion.”
The full letter, addressed from Mannschafts-Gefanenenlager, Mersburg, to the Army Council was published in the Tuesday Telegraph (February 11, 1919). It had been signed by 425 warrant officers, NCOs and men of various Corps and Regiments to bring to notice the care Pte Turner had shown in his sick and wounded fellow prisoners at the camp.
The letter went on: “It may not be necessary for us to bring attention to the fact that the treatment of the German medical staff has been both brutal and callous towards us, but we hereby, most sincerely, desire to invite your attention to the fact that the sufferings here woud have been considerably intensified if Pte Turner had not given his entire services in this matter.
“This man, classified – even by German doctors – in Category III (i.e. 'Arbeitsunfahig' or 'unfit' for work) commenced his voluntary duties immediately after his capture, 21/3/1918, and has, owing to the large number needing treatment, worked practically from dayllight until dark, dealing with the most terrible cases of wounds, sores caused by blood poisoning and brutal beating and 'La Grippe'.
“His knowledge was little; his medical stores have been insufficient and inadequate, but his efforts and success have been great – beyond description or expectations, and during all this he himself has been in a low state of health, even now suffering from septic poisoning. So we, who have seen and fully realise his devotion to us, feel sure that the liberty we now take in forwarding this to the Army Council is pardonable.
“If, then, our obligation to him is great, our gratitude should be great also – it is! But out means of expressing it fall far short of what we would desire. However, the support of those in authority would, we feel confident, be most fitting in this case of great unselfishness and devotion to duty this side of the firing line.
“May we further point out that we have no officer here to represent us, and in view of this fact we have taken this, the only opportunity we have, to present our testimonial collectively.”
Pte Turner's Red Cross record shows he was captured at St Quentin on March 22, 1918. He was born Henry John Joseph Turner in Peckham, London, on June 24, 1893, and interned first at Langensalza and later at Merseberg. He was later repatriated.
[Beds & Herts Tuesday Telegraph: February 11th, 1919]