Squadron Sergeant Major Lawrence William Turnbull
Unit : "E" Squadron, No.1 Wing, The Glider Pilot Regiment
Awards : Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
The following was published in The Eagle, in April 1998.
The Conspicuous Gallantry Medal was awarded to only one soldier during World War 2, and that unique honour went to SSM Buck Turnbull of the Glider Pilot Regiment for his actions on Operation 'Varsity'. The circumstances of the award were chronicled in his obituary in the December 1987 'Eagle'.
On his death, it had been hoped that his group of medals would be donated to the Museum of Army Flying, but it was then found that they had been sold to a collector when Buck had fallen on hard times. However, in tribute to him a replica set was made up for display in the Museum.
In late November 1997 Lt Col Derek Armitage, Curator of the Museum of Army Flying, informed our President that the Turnbull medals were to be auctioned in London in mid-December, and they were expected to fetch at least £16,000. It was immediately agreed that we would combine with the Museum and the Army Air Corps in making a bid for them, and we were informed that the Middle Wallop Sergeants' Mess had already promised £2000 towards the cost, with the Officers' Mess matching it. The Director of Army Aviation promised to underwrite the total amount, providing we gave what support we could.
Such generosity was an inspiration, and we were determined that the Glider Pilot Regimental Association would play its full part in helping to raise the money. With a little under three weeks to go, an appeal to the whole membership would have been costly and impractical, so it was decided to make an approach to some 15 designated members for substantial gifts, with President Mike hand-writing and despatching the letters. This part of the operation itself took three days, and it was supplemented by personal appeals by Nick Nicholls at two branch functions which resulted in generous donations. Money began coming in almost immediately and by the day before the auction we had raised almost £3,000 from our generous members. (Donations received since then have taken us to our target.) The plan was to show a strong Regimental interest at the auction, and on 16th December 1997 Mike Dauncey, Nick Nicholls and Derek Armitage took their places before the auctioneer's rostrum. However, we were somewhat dismayed to find that important sets of medals were being knocked down for sums as high as £60,000 and it seemed that we might find ourselves woefully out of our league! Nonetheless, when it came to the Turnbull medals, apart from a single starting bid of £13,000 there was complete silence, and Derek Armitage's bid of £14,000 went unchallenged.
Of course, various contacts among the staff of Spinks, and potential bidders, had been made beforehand and it was clear that our spadework had paid off, as those who otherwise might have bid held back to allow us to succeed. As a result, the 'combined operation' involving the Association, Museum and Army Air Corps, secured the medals for the Museum of Army Flying, to add authenticity to yet another important part of the Regiment's story. Buck's many friends and comrades in the Association will be well satisfied that his medals and logbook have at last found their proper home.
Nick Nicholls
Spink's illustrated auction catalogue featured Buck's medals on the front cover and page 148 detailed his service career and operation with the following description of the action on 'Varsity' for which the CGM was awarded:
On 24 MARCH 1945 Turnbull took part in 'Operation Varsity' the invasion of Germany - where he was to win his unique CGM, carrying on this occasion a heavy load of personnel and medical equipment. "There was this terrific smoke screen which Montgomery had put down over the Rhine and I was looking down for this railway station and then Jonah yelled out and there was this Dakota right across my front..." Turnbull was then at 2000 feet and the Dakota's loose tow rope smashed across the cockpit destroying most of the glider's controls and breaking the machine's fin and rudder. "I flipped on my back and found half the control column gone and finished up practically upside down [with] the section of Infantry in the back..." But amazingly he managed to bring the glider back to level flight, while all the time under heavy small arms and anti-aircraft fire which tore away one of the wing tips and holed the fuselage. Jonah was killed beside him, and two of the infantrymen were wounded, but still Turnbull remained calm and collected, and by 'sheer concentration' brought the glider down to the LZ only a hundred yards from his assigned position. In spite of the small arms fire sweeping the area he then organised a stretcher party and successfully extricated the wounded, before going into action. His Commander Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Murray, recommended him for the CGM as soon as was practicable. The recommendation received the endorsement of Major-General 'Windy' Gale, commanding 1 Brigade, Airborne Forces, and was counter-signed by the C-in-C- 21st Army Group, Field Marshal Montgomery himself on 18 May 1945. Turnbull remained in the Glider Pilot Regiment until 1948, when he returned to the East Yorkshires, and before retiring in 1961 was Regimental Sergeant-Major of the 6th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. Lawrence Turnbull, CGM, died in 1987.