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3894 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards
Arthur Turner was born in 1882 in Sudbury, one of five children of William and Susan Turner. His father was employed as a foreman in a local mat factory. In 1901 the family was living at St. Mary’s Street West in Long Melford and employed a servant. They later moved to Rectory Cottages in Liston.
Arthur married Jessie Emma Fenton in 1910 and they had a son Frederick. Arthur was employed as an engine driver; driving a steam roller and the family lived at Chapel Green, Long Melford before moving to 15 School Street in Sudbury.
Arthur had served in the South Africa Campaign and he first served in France on 26 August 1914. He was most likely a reservist and had been recalled to his regiment as the battalion formed part of the 4th (Guards) Brigade, 2nd Division and was part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and had landed at Le Havre a few weeks earlier and had fought at the Retreat at Mons (23 August).
After the Retreat at Mons the Allies fought a successful offensive to try and halt the German Army and the battalion saw action at the battles of the Marne
(7 - 10 September) and Aisne (12 - 15 September). In October Arthur’s battalion saw action at the First Battle of Ypres (19 October – 30 November) when both sides fought for the town of Ypres, the resulting stalemate led to both sides becoming entrenched around the Ypres Salient and along the western front for 440 miles for the next four years.
Arthur died aged 32 on 12 November 1914. There is no known grave and he is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium. A Cross of Remembrance was laid at the Menin Gate in April 2006, April 2009 and October 2012.
He was awarded the 1914 Star and Clasp, British War Medal and Victory Medal. The clasp "5TH AUG - 22ND NOV 1914" was awarded with the 1914 Star for any soldier who came under enemy fire or within range of enemy mobile artillery in France or Belgium between those dates. This was to differentiate between those who were also serving in France or Belgium but behind the lines.
Arthur is also remembered on the Trinity Congregational Church Memorial which was moved to the United Reformed Church, School Street when Trinity closed. The United Reformed Church closed in 2017 and it is proposed that the memorials from both churches will be relocated to the Sudbury Cemetery Chapel.
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