Victor Buller Turner

Lieutenant-Colonel Victor Buller Turner VC, CVO (17 January 1900 – 7 August 1972) was a British Army officer and an English recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC) during the Second World War, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to members of British and other Commonwealth forces.

After attending the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Turner was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) in December 1918.

The citation for his award was published in the London Gazette on 20 November 1942 and reads as follows: Major (temporary Lieutenant-Colonel) Victor Buller Turner (17630), The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) (Thatcham, Berks).For most conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty on the 27th October, 1942, in the Western Desert.Lieutenant-Colonel Turner led a Battalion of the Rifle Brigade at night for 4,000 yards through difficult country to their objective, where 40 German prisoners were captured.

All of these were repulsed with a loss to the enemy of 35 tanks which were in flames, and not less than 20 more which had been immobilised.Throughout the action Lieutenant-Colonel Turner never ceased to go to each part of the front as it was threatened.

In one case, finding a solitary six-pounder gun in action (the others being casualties) and manned only by another officer and a Sergeant, he acted as loader and with these two destroyed 5 enemy tanks.