Son of Cleva Irene (Fodrea) and Harry Virgil Turner of Albany, Indiana
Although Robert Turner died on July 9, 1943, he wasn't officially declared dead until Jan 7, 1946.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
USNR
Service No. 6278949
Award: Purple Heart
Entered the Service from Indiana
Seaman First Class ROBERT EUGENE TURNER was a US Naval Armed Guard assigned to the SS Samuel Heintzelman, an American merchant ship. The newly built ship was one of the first Liberty ships. On May 11, 1943, Robert Turner was on board as the steamer left Charleston, SC bound for Calcutta via the Panama Canal.
On July 1, the unescorted ship left Fremantle (western Australia) carrying 5644 tons of ammunition and general cargo. After July 4th the ship was reported missing and was believed to have been sunk by a Japanese surface raider. However, on July 9 German submarine U-511 spotted the Heintzelman in the Indian Ocean, fired several torpedoes and immediately dived without observing the results. Underwater explosions were heard and when the U-boat surfaced there was only debris floating in the water. Wreckage of the ship was found on an island in the Maldives on Sept 30, a day after two empty lifeboats had been seen in the vicinity. Nothing else was ever found.
There were 43 Merchant Mariners, 27 US Naval Armed Guards and six passengers on board. None survived.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
About the US NAVY ARMED GUARD
"The U.S. Navy Armed Guard was a service branch of the United States Navy that was responsible for defending U.S. and Allied merchant ships from attack by enemy aircraft, submarines and surface ships during World War II.
The men of the Armed Guard served as gunners, signal men and radio operators on cargo ships, tankers, troop ships and other merchant vessels..."
from:http://www.armed-guard.com/about-ag.html
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Although Robert Turner died on July 9, 1943, he wasn't officially declared dead until Jan 7, 1946.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
USNR
Service No. 6278949
Award: Purple Heart
Entered the Service from Indiana
Seaman First Class ROBERT EUGENE TURNER was a US Naval Armed Guard assigned to the SS Samuel Heintzelman, an American merchant ship. The newly built ship was one of the first Liberty ships. On May 11, 1943, Robert Turner was on board as the steamer left Charleston, SC bound for Calcutta via the Panama Canal.
On July 1, the unescorted ship left Fremantle (western Australia) carrying 5644 tons of ammunition and general cargo. After July 4th the ship was reported missing and was believed to have been sunk by a Japanese surface raider. However, on July 9 German submarine U-511 spotted the Heintzelman in the Indian Ocean, fired several torpedoes and immediately dived without observing the results. Underwater explosions were heard and when the U-boat surfaced there was only debris floating in the water. Wreckage of the ship was found on an island in the Maldives on Sept 30, a day after two empty lifeboats had been seen in the vicinity. Nothing else was ever found.
There were 43 Merchant Mariners, 27 US Naval Armed Guards and six passengers on board. None survived.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
About the US NAVY ARMED GUARD
"The U.S. Navy Armed Guard was a service branch of the United States Navy that was responsible for defending U.S. and Allied merchant ships from attack by enemy aircraft, submarines and surface ships during World War II.
The men of the Armed Guard served as gunners, signal men and radio operators on cargo ships, tankers, troop ships and other merchant vessels..."
from:http://www.armed-guard.com/about-ag.html
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Son of Cleva Irene (Fodrea) and Harry Virgil Turner of Albany, Indiana
Although Robert Turner died on July 9, 1943, he wasn't officially declared dead until Jan 7, 1946.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
USNR
Service No. 6278949
Award: Purple Heart
Entered the Service from Indiana
Seaman First Class ROBERT EUGENE TURNER was a US Naval Armed Guard assigned to the SS Samuel Heintzelman, an American merchant ship. The newly built ship was one of the first Liberty ships. On May 11, 1943, Robert Turner was on board as the steamer left Charleston, SC bound for Calcutta via the Panama Canal.
On July 1, the unescorted ship left Fremantle (western Australia) carrying 5644 tons of ammunition and general cargo. After July 4th the ship was reported missing and was believed to have been sunk by a Japanese surface raider. However, on July 9 German submarine U-511 spotted the Heintzelman in the Indian Ocean, fired several torpedoes and immediately dived without observing the results. Underwater explosions were heard and when the U-boat surfaced there was only debris floating in the water. Wreckage of the ship was found on an island in the Maldives on Sept 30, a day after two empty lifeboats had been seen in the vicinity. Nothing else was ever found.
There were 43 Merchant Mariners, 27 US Naval Armed Guards and six passengers on board. None survived.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
About the US NAVY ARMED GUARD
"The U.S. Navy Armed Guard was a service branch of the United States Navy that was responsible for defending U.S. and Allied merchant ships from attack by enemy aircraft, submarines and surface ships during World War II.
The men of the Armed Guard served as gunners, signal men and radio operators on cargo ships, tankers, troop ships and other merchant vessels..."
from:http://www.armed-guard.com/about-ag.html
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Although Robert Turner died on July 9, 1943, he wasn't officially declared dead until Jan 7, 1946.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
USNR
Service No. 6278949
Award: Purple Heart
Entered the Service from Indiana
Seaman First Class ROBERT EUGENE TURNER was a US Naval Armed Guard assigned to the SS Samuel Heintzelman, an American merchant ship. The newly built ship was one of the first Liberty ships. On May 11, 1943, Robert Turner was on board as the steamer left Charleston, SC bound for Calcutta via the Panama Canal.
On July 1, the unescorted ship left Fremantle (western Australia) carrying 5644 tons of ammunition and general cargo. After July 4th the ship was reported missing and was believed to have been sunk by a Japanese surface raider. However, on July 9 German submarine U-511 spotted the Heintzelman in the Indian Ocean, fired several torpedoes and immediately dived without observing the results. Underwater explosions were heard and when the U-boat surfaced there was only debris floating in the water. Wreckage of the ship was found on an island in the Maldives on Sept 30, a day after two empty lifeboats had been seen in the vicinity. Nothing else was ever found.
There were 43 Merchant Mariners, 27 US Naval Armed Guards and six passengers on board. None survived.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
About the US NAVY ARMED GUARD
"The U.S. Navy Armed Guard was a service branch of the United States Navy that was responsible for defending U.S. and Allied merchant ships from attack by enemy aircraft, submarines and surface ships during World War II.
The men of the Armed Guard served as gunners, signal men and radio operators on cargo ships, tankers, troop ships and other merchant vessels..."
from:http://www.armed-guard.com/about-ag.html
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Inscription
TURNER ROBERT E SEAMAN 1 C USNR INDIANA
Gravesite Details
BODY LOST AT SEA. Robert Eugene Turner was on the SS Samuel Heintzelman when the ship was torpedoed and sunk during WWII.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
