He attended Truro Cathedral School on a choral scholarship where he was Head Boy and Captain of the Rugby XV.
He then went up to Jesus College, Cambridge, to read English after which he completed the Overseas Civil Service Course for Administrative Officers.
It was during this time that he married Irene Philomena de Sousa and together they had three children Paul, Eva, and Camilla.
[3] The islands were being used as a refuelling point for light aircraft plying the illegal supply route of narcotics from South America to the United States and, in conjunction with the American Drug Enforcement Administration, he played a key role in disrupting this traffic, and his success in this activity resulted in death threats being made against him, after which armed bodyguards were required for his protection.
Turner retired in 2004 to live in Winchester, England where he continued to travel, garden, and entertain his seven grandchildren with tales of his exploits abroad.