9th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers (British Army)
Date Of Birth:
15/11/1891
Died:
23/11/1917 (Killed in Action)
Age:
26
Summary
William James Turkington was the eldest son of William and Hannah Turkington. He was born on 15th November 1891 in Killygarvan, near Donaghy, just outside Cookstown. He was the fifth of seven children, all born in the Cookstown area. Sometime between April 1896 and the census of 1901, the family moved to Belfast. His father was a railway porter. By 1911, William was employed as a railway clerk. William served with the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons. Private Turkington later transferred to the Royal Irish Fusiliers. He was killed in action at the Battle of Cambrai on Friday 23rd November 1917, a week after his 26th birthday.
Further Information
William James Turkington was the eldest son of William James and Hannah Turkington. William James Turkington and Hannah L Millar were married on 5th December 1882 in the district of Cookstown.
William James Turkington was born on 15th November 1891 in Killygarvan, near Donaghy, just outside Cookstown. He was the fifth of seven children, all born in the Cookstown area.
Family: William James Turkington, Hannah L Turkington, Mabel A Turkington (born 15th October 1883), Lily Agnes Turkington (born 1st February 1886), Ella Turkington (born 14th March 1887), Amanda Turkington (born 17th May 1888), William James Turkington (born 15th November 1891), David Oliver Turkington (born 11th January 1893), Emma Maud Turkington (born 7th April 1896).
Sometime between April 1896 and the census of 1901, the family moved to Belfast.
The 1901 census lists William James as age 8, living with the family at house 69 in Dunluce Avenue, Belfast. His father was a railway porter.
The 1911 census lists William James as age 19, living with the family at house 15 in Ulsterville Gardens, Belfast. William had left school and was employed as a railway clerk.
William enlisted in the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons Service Squadron at Belfast. On 6th October 1915 the squadron embarked for France. Turkington, however, remained at the reinforcements depot at Enniskillen.
By June 1917 he had risen to the rank of squadron quartermaster-sergeant. Then, according to a later report in the Belfast Newsletter, "in order to get to the front more quickly he gave up his stripes and proceeded on active service". There he joined his squadron, which since June 1916 had been part of the 2nd Battalion of the North Irish Horse.
A couple of months later the battalion was disbanded and its men, following training, were transferred to the Royal Irish Fusiliers on 20th September and were posted to the 9th Battalion.
Private William James Turkington was serving with the 9th Battalion of the Royal Irish Fusiliers when he was killed in action at the Battle of Cambrai on Friday 23rd November 1917, a week after his 26th birthday.
Private William Turkington has no known grave and is commemorated on Panel 10 of the Cambrai Memorial at Louverval.
Private William Turkington is commemorated on the Great Northern Railway of Ireland War Memorial, which is in Lanyon Place Station in Belfast.
The CWGC record Private William James Turkington as the son of William James and Hannah Turkington of 19 University Avenue, Belfast.
