Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Waterloo 1815 (Captain William Turnor, 3rd Batt. 14th Reg. Foot) fitted with original steel clip and contemporary silver bar suspension, this fitted with gold pin-brooch penultimate letter of surname corrected from ‘E’ to ‘O’, minor edge bruise, otherwise very fine £4000-5000

William Turnor was gazetted Ensign on 15 August 1804, becoming Lieutenant in June 1805. He served in Hanover with the 14th Foot in 1805-6 and the campaign of 1808-1809, including the battle of Corunna. He also served on the expedition to Walcheren and at the siege of Flushing in 1809. In the campaign of 1815 he fought at the battle of Waterloo as Captain of a company. He also received the Military General Service Medal with one clasp for Corunna. He died in the rank of Major-General on 12 December 1860.

Captain Turnor is mentioned numerous times in the book “Fifty Years of My Life” written by the Earl of Albemarle who served as Ensign the Hon. George Thomas Keppel in the 14th Regiment Foot at Waterloo.

Upon joining the 14th Regiment Foot, the young Ensign Keppel wrote of Captain Turnor:

‘Desperate were now my struggles to extricate myself from leading strings. My youthful appearance caused the Colonel to appoint me to the company of the oldest and steadiest officer in the regiment, Captain (afterwards General) William Turnor, who took great care of me – much too great, according to my then mode of thinking – made an inventory of my “kit,” sent my clothes to the wash, and even superintended the darning of my stockings. All these acts of real kindness were repaid with ingratitude by me, and obtained for him in the regiment the nickname of “Keppel’s dry nurse.”

The Earl of Albemarle also included in his biography a letter written by Captain Turnor describing Turnor’s own experiences at Waterloo (this same letter is also contained in The Historical Records of the 14th Regiment edited by Captain H. O’Donnell).

‘In the absence of my letter to my father, which was lost, I give the following letter from the captain of my company, William Turnor, my “dry nurse” as he was called by his comrades, addressed to his friend, J. P. Clarke, Esq., Welton Place Daventry:

Mont St. Jean,
The field of battle ten miles from Brussels
19th June, 1815

Tho’ the papers will give you better information relative to the sanguinary conflict of yesterday, I am unwilling to permit a courier to proceed to England without acquainting you that your friends in the 14th are well. The contest just terminated commenced at twelve o’clock, and lasted without intermission till nine in the evening. It was the most bloody as well as the most decisive battle that has been fought since the commencement of the French revolution, and its result will be more important than even that of Leipzig. The cannonade was tremendous on both sides. The French fought with desperation, and I am fully convinced that no troops on earth except the English could have won the victory. They are in action savagely courageous. The cavalry of the enemy particularly distinguished themselves, and charged our infantry when in squares of battalions, four, five, six times, but they were not to be broken. Our infantry has immortalized itself, and its conduct has never been surpassed, indeed never equaled. We are so fortunate as not to have suffered very great loss, having been posted on the right of the line to hold in check a very strong body of the Imperial Guard. The whole day we were exposed to the fire of several batteries of artillery, and particularly to that of two pieces brought to bear upon us. The situation was trying in the extreme, but our young soldiers behaved well. They would have been glad to have been led against the infantry, but we dared not lose sight of the cavalry. Many regiments both of infantry and cavalry are almost annihilated, but it is said that some regiments of dragoons were not so forward as they ought to have been. One regiment of hussars is particularly mentioned as having refused to charge. The field of battle exhibits this next morning a most shocking spectacle, too dreadful to describe. Every effort was made by Buonaparte to turn our right, within 200 yards of which we were posted; he showed the greatest courage, led in person many charges both of infantry and cavalry. Those officers who were in the Peninsula describe the battles as mere combats in comparison with that of yesterday, and this may easily be credited when we reflect that napoleon fought for a crown, and was opposed to the greatest General of the age. The escape of Lord Wellington is next to a miracle, for he was exposed the whole day to the hottest fire. We know not the extent of our loss, but it must be great indeed.’

The final mention of Captain Turnor by the Earl of Albemarle was during the occupation of Paris where they also served together:

‘July 8th – The next day Captain Turnor and I strolled into the Tuileries. Huissiers in embroidered uniforms were posted at the doors of the several apartments, but we were allowed to pass unquestioned. While we were gazing at the pictures, a body of gentlemen in court-dress advanced towards us from the opposite end of the room. The only one in plain clothes we at once recognized by his portraits as Louis XVIII. The King was dressed like an English country gentleman of the period – a blue coat with gilt buttons, pantaloons and Hessian boots. We had only just time to draw up on one side, to assume the attitude of “attention,” and to greet his Majesty with a military salute as he passed – a mark of respect which was acknowledged by a bow and the most gracious of smiles. Why we were permitted to penetrate into the Royal sanctum is to me a riddle. Perhaps the King – he had only been twenty-four hours on the throne – had given orders to allow British officers a passpartout.’

Sold with full research including extensive copied extracts from Albemarle’s autobiography and from Historical Records of the 14th Regiment.