LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Valentine Ralph Lewis TURNER
Service No: 410422
Born: Echuca VIC, 10 June 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 December 1941
Unit: No. 80 Squadron
Died: Air Operations: (No.80 Squadron Kittyhawk aircraft A29-1178), Tarakan, 17 July 1945, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Ralph Burton Turner and Dora Jane Turner, of Terang, Victoria
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 32, Labuan Memorial, Malaysia
Remembered: Panel 104, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 17 July 1945, Kittyhawk A29-1178 was one of four aircraft detailed to bomb and strafe the Segama Estate at Lahu Datu, Tarakan. On return from the mission, the formation of four buzzed the strip. In doing so, the starboard main plane of A29-1178 struck the port side of A29-1183 flown by Warrant Officer Jack Allan Schmidt (419541) (Discharged: 23 July 1947). Warrant Officer Turner was flying No. 2 and Warrant Officer Schmidt was No 3. The main plane of A29-1178 was damaged and Warrant Officer climbed to 8,000 feet to test the stalling speed of the aircraft preparatory to carrying out a forced landing. He was forced to jettison the canopy and rolled the aircraft on its back. His parachute caught in the tail of the aircraft, but he pilot was not seen to leave the aircraft cockpit and A29-1178 crashed into the sea in position 03.15N 117.35E. The other aircraft circled the area and crash launches searched, but no trace was found of Warrant Officer Turner.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/40/649; A9845, 172