Wilbur Lewis Turner was born on 21 March  1915 and  was the son of Grayson L. and Betsy Ann Turner. He was married to Miriam Annabel Rose Turner from Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Wilbur joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and in August 1942 became a Pilot with 218 Squadron, operating out of Downham Market, Norfolk. The squadron flew Stirling bombers at the time.

On 4/5 May 1943, 596 bombers were sent out to attack the German city of Dortmund.

218 "Gold Coast" Squadron

F/L Turner piloted Stirling BF505 on this mission. The rest of his crew consisted of second pilot Sgt. F.N. Robinson, Navigator Sgt J.L. White, Bomb Aimer P/O P.S. Beck, Air Gunner Sgt J.M.J. Smith DFM, Flight Engineer Sgt William N. Forth, and Air Gunners Sgt Herbert W. Sawkings and Sgt George A. Hinshelwood.

BF505 was intercepted by a German night fighter, possibly that flown by Lt. Robert Denzel of 12./NJG1. After an aerial combat, the Stirling exploded in the air and crashed at 01.07 on 5 may 1943 Between the Dutch town of Damwoude (then called murmerwoude) and Dokkum. Five of the crew are killed; F/L Turner, Sgt Robinson, Sgt Forth, Sgt Sawkings and Sgt Hinshelwood are all buried at Damwoude General cemetery. The three others survived. One of them landed by parachute near Roodkerk and was taken prisoner. The two others landed and hid in a barn were pigs were kept. the next morning they were found by the farmer Pieter Gosma. He took them into his house where one of the men was helped with a head wound. One of the men decided he wants to leave the safe house and was shortly after taken prisoner by the Germans. The other, Sgt John Smith from Wolverhampton, decided to stay. The Dutch underground tries to get him back to England and after some trips ended up in Arnhem. What happens next is not known but Sgt Smith was arrested by the Germans on 8 July 1943 and spent the rest of the war as a PoW. Sgt White and P/O Beck also survived the war as PoWs.

F/L Wilbur Turner is buried at Damwoude General Cemetery.

(picture by Wim Bastiaanse)

Damwoude, The Netherlands

See also:
Sgt Frank Robinson
Sgt William Forth
Sgt George Hinshelwood
Sgt Herbert Sawkings

Sources:
Mrs. Gena Pfister Turner
Jansen, Ab A., Wespennest Leeuwarden, Volume I, II and III, Baarn: Hollandia 1976
Jansen, Ab A. Gevleugeld Verleden, Baarn: Forum ny
RAF Bomber Command 60th Anniversary Site
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
 

Acknowledgements:
RAF Squadron crest © Crown Copyright is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office

Directions to Damwoude General Cemetery

If you have any suggestions, comments or additional information, please contact me.

This website is dedicated to the men and women who died and/or are buried in The Netherlands during World War II.

 

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