Boer War
Turner was 29 years old and a captain in the Militia cavalry regiment the Queen's Own Canadian Hussars when he joined the second Canadian contingent to the Second Boer War. He reverted to lieutenant to join The Royal Canadian Dragoons, Canadian Army. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) with effective date 29 November 1900. for his actions at the Vet River on 6 May 1900. Following action at Leliefontein near the Komati River on 7 November 1900, Turner was one of three men from his regiment who were subsequently awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery. (The others were Lieutenant Hampden Zane Churchill Cockburn and Sergeant Edward James Gibson Holland.)
Turner was Mentioned in Despatches on 16 April 1901, and the VC citations were published in the London Gazette on 23 April 1901. Turner's read:
Later in the day when the Boers again seriously threatened to capture the guns, Lieutenant Turner, although twice previously wounded, dismounted and deployed his men at close quarters and drove off the Boers, thus saving the guns.Read more about this topic: Richard Ernest William Turner
Famous quotes containing the word war:
“... it is a commonplace that men like war. For peace, in our society, with the feeling we have then that it is feeble-minded to strive except for one’s own private profit, is a lonely thing and a hazardous business. Over and over men have proved that they prefer the hazards of war with all its suffering. It has its compensations.”
—Ruth Benedict (1887–1948)