Three years later Turner made another trip to Australia on the windjammer Oaklands, but on arrival at Port Adelaide, relinquished his merchantman and joined the Protector crew as an able seaman in 1884.

[4] Turner enlisted in the South Australian Naval Force on 24 October 1884 and joined the crew of the newly completed warship HMAS Protector as an able seaman.

[7] The previous month Turner had arranged with the Adelaide Advertiser to act as the paper's Special Correspondent during the ship's passage to China.

[9] Turner recalled that the Protector reservists drilled for about six hours per day on the trip to China and when they arrived compared favourably with any of the regular naval crews.

[11] In October 1913, the Naval Cadets won the Empire Challenge Shield with Turner credited and recognised for his instruction of the Port Adelaide team.

[12] Turner was promoted to lieutenant on 1 January 1914 and transferred to the depot ship HMAS Penguin berthed at Garden Island where he was Assistant District Naval Officer.

[14] On 1 September 1916 Turner was appointed District Naval Officer, Thursday Island where he formed and operated the Torres Strait Patrol Service.