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Fred Turner served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War.
Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.
![Phillip Turner]({"id":"10cdcb3b-70e4-4917-893c-696af7ba5623","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"7556_original","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":444011,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T23:17:25.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T23:17:25.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #7556","alt":"Phillip Turner","caption":"Fred G. Turner, \"at readiness\" while serving with No. 403 (Wolf) Squadron, RCAF at RAF Catterick, August 1942.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7556 - Veteran #3808","source":"Phillip Turner","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7556_original.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7556_original.jpg","credit":"Phillip Turner","pivot":{"mediable_id":"350cadbc-347a-4d19-a031-f157e4190fd3","media_id":"10cdcb3b-70e4-4917-893c-696af7ba5623","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":1},"translations":[{"id":"07c8f84a-1a8f-4195-ab8e-c0e5a5a261b7","media_id":"10cdcb3b-70e4-4917-893c-696af7ba5623","title":"Memory Project Image #7556","alt":"Phillip Turner","caption":"Fred G. Turner, \"at readiness\" while serving with No. 403 (Wolf) Squadron, RCAF at RAF Catterick, August 1942.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7556 - Veteran #3808","source":"Phillip Turner","locale":"en","credit":"Phillip Turner"},{"id":"bbc6cb6f-4205-4b55-8139-b9f598ce8501","media_id":"10cdcb3b-70e4-4917-893c-696af7ba5623","title":"Memory Project Image #7556","alt":"Phillip Turner","caption":"Fred G. Turner \"\u00e0 la lecture\" pendant qu'il servait avec l'escadron No. 403 (Wolf), RCAF \u00e0 RAF Catterick, en ao\u00fbt 1942.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7556 - Veteran #3808","source":"Phillip Turner","locale":"fr","credit":"Phillip Turner"}]} "Memory Project Image #7556")
![Phillip Turner]({"id":"2c6fa1c4-3b49-41b8-a457-89826abfbf27","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"7558_original","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":528575,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T23:17:29.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T23:17:29.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #7558","alt":"Phillip Turner","caption":"Flying Officer Fred G. Turner (second from right) and comrades - from left to right W\/O Pete Sexton, Turner, S\/L Tubby Mayne, F\/L W.L. Walker, and their dog - of No. 19 Squadron at RAF Gatwick, 1944.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7558 - Veteran #3808","source":"Phillip Turner","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7558_original.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7558_original.jpg","credit":"Phillip Turner","pivot":{"mediable_id":"350cadbc-347a-4d19-a031-f157e4190fd3","media_id":"2c6fa1c4-3b49-41b8-a457-89826abfbf27","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":2},"translations":[{"id":"e75dca75-1645-4304-9612-a8cec36032fb","media_id":"2c6fa1c4-3b49-41b8-a457-89826abfbf27","title":"Memory Project Image #7558","alt":"Phillip Turner","caption":"Flying Officer Fred G. Turner (second from right) and comrades - from left to right W\/O Pete Sexton, Turner, S\/L Tubby Mayne, F\/L W.L. Walker, and their dog - of No. 19 Squadron at RAF Gatwick, 1944.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7558 - Veteran #3808","source":"Phillip Turner","locale":"en","credit":"Phillip Turner"},{"id":"ce954437-190a-43de-a49e-ec788660051a","media_id":"2c6fa1c4-3b49-41b8-a457-89826abfbf27","title":"Memory Project Image #7558","alt":"Phillip Turner","caption":"Lieutenant Fred G. Turner (second \u00e0 droite) et des camarades - de gauche \u00e0 droite W\/O Pete Sexton, Turner, S\/L Tubby Mayne, F\/L W.L. Walker, et leur chien - de l'escadron No.19 \u00e0 RAF Gatwick, 1944.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7558 - Veteran #3808","source":"Phillip Turner","locale":"fr","credit":"Phillip Turner"}]} "Memory Project Image #7558")
![The Historica-Dominion Institute]({"id":"405ddadd-79dd-4299-9285-862bbb84e7e6","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"5984_original","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":285091,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T22:09:35.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T22:09:35.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #5984","alt":"The Historica-Dominion Institute","caption":"Fred Turner, Stellarton, Nova Scotia, September 26, 2010.","creator":"Memory Project Image #5984 - Veteran #3808","source":"The Historica-Dominion Institute","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/5984_original.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/5984_original.jpg","credit":"The Historica-Dominion Institute","pivot":{"mediable_id":"350cadbc-347a-4d19-a031-f157e4190fd3","media_id":"405ddadd-79dd-4299-9285-862bbb84e7e6","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":3},"translations":[{"id":"fa4c8390-a1e3-425c-a496-c17359de7abf","media_id":"405ddadd-79dd-4299-9285-862bbb84e7e6","title":"Memory Project Image #5984","alt":"The Historica-Dominion Institute","caption":"Fred Turner, Stellarton, Nova Scotia, September 26, 2010.","creator":"Memory Project Image #5984 - Veteran #3808","source":"The Historica-Dominion Institute","locale":"en","credit":"The Historica-Dominion Institute"},{"id":"bd7a91fa-8412-40a3-9e38-5424884b641c","media_id":"405ddadd-79dd-4299-9285-862bbb84e7e6","title":"Memory Project Image #5984","alt":"L'Institut Historica-Dominion","caption":"Fred Turner \u00e0 Stellarton, Nouvelle \u00c9cosse, le 26 septembre 2010.","creator":"Memory Project Image #5984 - Veteran #3808","source":"L'Institut Historica-Dominion","locale":"fr","credit":"L'Institut Historica-Dominion"}]} "Memory Project Image #5984")
![Phillip Turner]({"id":"cf751e44-f056-4662-864e-ee55f619986f","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"7557_original","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":240566,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T23:17:27.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T23:17:27.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #7557","alt":"Phillip Turner","caption":"Fred G. Turner (second from right) and three of his comrades from No. 403 (Wolf) Squadron, RCAF, June 1942. From left to right: George Graham of England, Turner, Jimmie Dow of Ontario, and Ralph Kennedy of New Zealand.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7557 - Veteran #3808","source":"Phillip Turner","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7557_original.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7557_original.jpg","credit":"Phillip Turner","pivot":{"mediable_id":"350cadbc-347a-4d19-a031-f157e4190fd3","media_id":"cf751e44-f056-4662-864e-ee55f619986f","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":4},"translations":[{"id":"6524e2c4-a336-42ea-a455-370f62aff51b","media_id":"cf751e44-f056-4662-864e-ee55f619986f","title":"Memory Project Image #7557","alt":"Phillip Turner","caption":"Fred G. Turner (second from right) and three of his comrades from No. 403 (Wolf) Squadron, RCAF, June 1942. From left to right: George Graham of England, Turner, Jimmie Dow of Ontario, and Ralph Kennedy of New Zealand.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7557 - Veteran #3808","source":"Phillip Turner","locale":"en","credit":"Phillip Turner"},{"id":"2ebed837-a0f1-4c0f-8cb2-219f75959569","media_id":"cf751e44-f056-4662-864e-ee55f619986f","title":"Memory Project Image #7557","alt":"Phillip Turner","caption":"Fred G. Turner (second \u00e0 droite) et trois de ses camarafes de l'escadron No. 403 (Wolf), RCAF, en juin 1942. De gauche \u00e0 droite: George Graham d'Angleterre, TUrner, Jimmie Dow d'Ontario et Ralph Kennedy de Nouvelle-Z\u00e9lande.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7557 - Veteran #3808","source":"Phillip Turner","locale":"fr","credit":"Phillip Turner"}]} "Memory Project Image #7557")
![Phillip Turner]({"id":"db5ad7dc-3a6f-4ff2-abe7-f3a3e4a75ef2","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"7555_original","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":251222,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T23:17:23.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T23:17:23.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #7555","alt":"Phillip Turner","caption":"Flying Officer Fred G. Turner in the cockpit of his Spitfire, June 1943.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7555 - Veteran #3808","source":"Phillip Turner","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7555_original.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7555_original.jpg","credit":"Phillip Turner","pivot":{"mediable_id":"350cadbc-347a-4d19-a031-f157e4190fd3","media_id":"db5ad7dc-3a6f-4ff2-abe7-f3a3e4a75ef2","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":5},"translations":[{"id":"d2937afe-8106-41ea-b26f-842dd8027f86","media_id":"db5ad7dc-3a6f-4ff2-abe7-f3a3e4a75ef2","title":"Memory Project Image #7555","alt":"Phillip Turner","caption":"Flying Officer Fred G. Turner in the cockpit of his Spitfire, June 1943.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7555 - Veteran #3808","source":"Phillip Turner","locale":"en","credit":"Phillip Turner"},{"id":"afa1293d-39aa-43db-ae57-8fca27e449e2","media_id":"db5ad7dc-3a6f-4ff2-abe7-f3a3e4a75ef2","title":"Memory Project Image #7555","alt":"Phillip Turner","caption":"Lieutenant Fred G. Turner dans la cabine de son <em>Spitfire<\/em>, en juin 1943.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7555 - Veteran #3808","source":"Phillip Turner","locale":"fr","credit":"Phillip Turner"}]} "Memory Project Image #7555")
Transcript
I was always interested in flying. I made model airplanes. The first chance I had to go in the air force, I took it. Well, I started as a kid building model airplanes and I was always interested in planes. The first solo flight was simple, I mean, you have your left hand on the throttle, your right hand on the stick, push the throttle forward, the aircraft starts to move; the tail comes up, then you pull the joystick back. And in no time flat, you’re in the air. And you use your rudder and the stick. If you want to turn left, you push the stick to the left and use the left rudder. If you want to turn right, you push the stick to the right and use the right rudder. The [Supermarine] Spitfire’s [fighter aircraft] great, absolutely beautiful. It was so smooth to operate and control. I was with [No.] 19 Squadron [Royal Air Force], an English squadron, and [No.] 403 [Wolf Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force], a Canadian squadron. We were based near Dover [England] and we patrolled the [English] Channel down to the Isle of Wight and some other squadrons did the Isle of Wight to Land’s End. So all that time, I don’t think I ever saw a German aircraft. We flew over France once and saw a squadron of German aircraft on the ground, that’s all.
