TURNER, Avenal Richard
| Service Numbers: | NX172961, 443280, O22168 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 26 July 1943 |
| Last Rank: | Flight Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | No. 77 Squadron (RAAF) |
| Born: | Manly, New South Wales, 20 July 1925 |
| Home Town: | Double Bay, Woollahra, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Died: | Natural causes, Victoria, Australia, 25 November 2005, aged 80 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: |
World War 2 Service
| 26 Jul 1943: | Enlisted Private, NX172961, Sydney, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 26 Jul 1943: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, NX172961 | |
| 5 Oct 1943: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, NX172961 | |
| 5 Oct 1943: | Discharged Signaller, NX172961, Royal Australian Signals Corps | |
| 6 Oct 1943: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Aircraftman 2 (WW2), 443280, Sydney, New South Wales | |
| 1 Aug 1946: | Discharged Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, 443280 |
Korean War Service
| 27 Jun 1950: | Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, O22168 | |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Jun 1950: | Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, O22168, No. 77 Squadron (RAAF) | |
| 18 May 1952: | Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, O22168 | |
| 18 May 1952: | Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, O22168, No. 77 Squadron (RAAF) | |
| 21 Mar 1955: | Discharged Royal Australian Air Force, O22168 |
Help us honour Avenal Richard Turner's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by John Edwards
"Having lied about his age to join the Army in 1942, Dick Turner was serving in New Guinea when the truth was discovered. He was only 16 and had told the recruiting officer he was two years older than that. Of course he was sent home.
Two years later at the age of 18 he joined the RAAF and travelled to Canada under the Empire Air Training Scheme where he eventually qualified as a pilot just as the war in Europe was ending.
Disappointed that he had not been able to contribute to the cause, he became a civilian but rejoined the RAAF in 1949 and was serving with 77 Squadron in Japan for almost 12 months before the Korean War started.
Dick Turner had two tours of duty with RAAF, the first based in Japan flying Mustangs and the second based in Korea, flying Meteor jet fighters. In all he flew 244 individual sorties in a wide range of weather conditions and earned a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)..." - READ MORE LINK (www.australiansatwar.gov.au)
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