Album relating to the First World War career of Eng. Sub. Lt. W. G. Turner RNR

This is a black cloth covered album containing 198 photographs glued in.

This album contains photographs relating to Engineer Sub-Lieutenant William Gordon Turner’s service in the armed merchant cruiser HMS Orama (1911) in which he served from the time of her commission on 12/9/1914 to presumably the time of her loss on19th October 1917. He then served in HMS Orbita (1915) until the end of the war. Ships represented include Macedonia (1904), Edinburgh Castle (1910) armed merchant cruisers, HMS Glasgow (1909), Lancaster (1902) and Amethyst (1903). Places include Auckland, Barbados, Falklands and Sydney. There are also views of shipboard life and officers and crew. In 1914 Orama was on patrol on south-east American station.

The album also includes the following locations: Arica, Abrothos, Auckland, Barbados, Callao, Cape Horn, Falklands, Fernando Noronha, Montevideo, Sydney, New South Wales, Trinidad Island, Brazil, Waitemata.

William Gordon Turner was born in Grays Essex, the son of a marine engineer. He is listed in the 1911 census as an apprentice marine engineer. In 1914 he was an assistant engineer probably on the Orama before she was requisitioned. He received a temporary commission in the RNR in 1916. In the 1939 Register he is listed as an Engineer and Surveyor living in Ilford.

See NOTES Field for contents.

Object Details

ID: ALB1085
Type: Photograph album
Display location: Not on display
Date made: 1914-1917
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Overall: 203 mm x 266 mm
Parts: Album relating to the First World War career of Eng. Sub. Lt. W. G. Turner RNR