Name
John Henry Turk
1892
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
18/10/1918
26
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
52568
Essex Regiment
11th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
VADENCOURT BRITISH CEMETERY, MAISSEMY
III.A.23
France
Headstone Inscription
He has no family inscription on his Headstone.
UK & Other Memorials
Monken Hadley Memorial, Hadley Common Village Memorial, Not on the Cheshunt memorials
Pre War
John Henry Turk was born in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, in 1892, son of Alfred Walter Turk, a Gardener and Sarah Turk (nee Brand). One of twelve children although three died in infancy.
1901 Census records John aged 9, living with his parents, brothers Walter (12), Thomas (1) and sister Edith (7), at Woodbine Cottage, Bulwer Road, New Barnet, Herts.
1911 Census, John aged 19, is working as a Gardener, living with his parents, four sisters and two brothers at, 2 Primrose Cottages, Clifford Road, New Barnet, Herts. The family have a Boarder Stanley Hopkins, a Laundry Carman.
John married Minnie Smith, of Great Hormead, Herts, the daughter of John and Ida Smith, at the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, Monken Hadley, Herts, on 15th January 1916, they had one son John Albert Turk born in June 1917.
Wartime Service
John enlisted at New Barnet, Herts, posted to the Royal Army Service Corp (RASC) with the service number R4/234737, later transferred to the Essex Regiment with the service number 52568.
John served on the Western Front. He died on 18th October 1918, of wounds received in action, he is buried in Vadencourt British Cemetery, Maissemy, France. Grave Ref: III. A. 23.
Additional Information
Minnie received a grant of £6, in November 1918, a widow’s pension of £1-00-05, a week from 28th April 1919, his effects of £6-17s-03d, pay owing and his war gratuity of £9.
Minnie remarried in 1919 to Charles Henry Baker.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
David Harbott
