Chester Murray Turner

Second Lieutenant Chester Murray Turner (O-753462) served in 3rd Combat Crew Replacement Center, 8th United States Army Air Force during the Second World War. Born on 14th June 1921, he was the son of Raleigh C. Turner and Grace E. Turner of Cowley County, Kansas, U.S.A.

Chester enlisted on 20th May 1942 at Arkansas City, Cowley County, Kansas, U.S.A. At the time of his final flight in Northern Ireland, Murray was no the original co-pilot of the crew.

Second Lieutenant Turner died on 10th April 1944 while serving as a co-pilot on B-26B #41-18150 “Winnie Dee”. The plane crashed on Chimney Rock Mountain in The Mourne Mountains near Newcastle, Co. Down. The crew was on a gunnery training flight from Toome Airfield, Co. Antrim, and flying at a low level in cloud when the incident took place. All 5 crew members died as a result. Two other Marauder aircraft on the same non-operational flight returned safely.

Burial first took place at Plot B, Row 2, Grave 2 of Lisnabreeny American Military Cemetery, Belfast on 20th April 1944. Exhumation from Lisnabreeny took place on 11th November 1947. On 25th July 1948, Turner was repatriated to Kansas Memorial Lawn Garden Cemetery, Cowley County, Kansas, U.S.A.