William Turner (British Army officer)

Lieutenant General Sir William Francis Robert Turner KBE CB DSO (1907–1989) was a senior British Army officer active during the Second World War and the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Sir William Turner
Born	1907
Died	1989
Allegiance	British Army
Service/branch	United Kingdom
Years of service	1928–1964
Rank	Lieutenant General
Unit	King's Own Scottish Borderers
Commands held	5th Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers British Military Mission to Greece 128th Infantry Brigade 44th (Home Counties) Division and Home Counties District Scottish Command
Battles/wars	Second World War
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companion of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order
Other work	Governor of Edinburgh Castle

Military career

William Turner was commissioned into the King's Own Scottish Borderers in 1928.[1]

He served in World War II with his Regiment which formed part of the British Expeditionary Force to France in 1939.[1] He was Commandant of the Junior Leaders School from 1940 to 1941.[1] In 1942 he was appointed Commanding Officer of 5th Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers, a post he held for the remainder of the War.[1]

After the War he went with his Regiment to Palestine for a while.[2] He then held various General Staff Officer positions before becoming Commander of the British Military Mission to Greece in 1950.[1] He was then made Commander of 128th Infantry Brigade in 1952.[1] He was Brigadier on the General Staff at Headquarters Western Command from 1954 and was then appointed General Officer Commanding 44th (Home Counties) Division and Home Counties District in 1956.[1] He was also Deputy Constable of Dover Castle at that time.[1]

In 1959 he became President of the Regular Commissions Board and in 1961 he was appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Scottish Command and Governor of Edinburgh Castle: he retired in 1964.[1]

References

1. "Turner, William". Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
2. Small Wars: Palestine