William Thomas Turner
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OBE RNR William Thomas Turner |
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Captain Turner aboard RMS Aquitania, 1914
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| Born |
23 October 1856 Liverpool, United Kingdom |
| Died | 23 June 1933 (aged 76) Great Crosby, Lancashire, United Kingdom |
| Cause of death | Stomach cancer |
| Nationality | British |
| Other names | Bowler Bill |
| Occupation | Captain |
| Years active | 1864–1919 |
| Employer | Cunard Line |
| Known for | Captaining the RMS Lusitania |
| Spouse(s) | Alice Elizabeth Hitching (m. 1883; separation 1903) |
| Partner(s) | Mabel Every (1908– 1933) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) |
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Commander William Thomas Turner, OBE, RNR (23 October 1856 – 23 June 1933) was the Captain of RMS Lusitania when it was sunk by a German torpedo in May 1915.
Born in Liverpool, England to Charles Turner, also a seaman, Turner first set sail aboard Grasmere between the ages of 8 and 13. Turner served under his father's command on Queen of the Nations. While best known now for his role in the Lusitania disaster, Turner was an excellent navigator who accomplished several crossings at notable speeds, including Liverpool to New York in 12 days in 1910, and was promoted for his skill despite his unsuitably gruff demeanor around passengers. Turner was said to have referred to passengers as, "a load of bloody monkeys who are constantly chattering".
While appointed to Cherborg, Turner gained recognition for personally rescuing a man and a boy who had fallen into the water after Alice Davies was wrecked in a collision with Cherborg. He again gained fame for rescuing a 14-year-old boy who had fallen off the Alexandra Dock, and was awarded the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society's Silver Medal. He received an illuminated address from the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society for rescuing the crew of Vagne in 1897. Turner received the Transport Medal for outstanding service in 1902 when, as Chief Officer of Umbria, he moved troops to South Africa during the Boer War. Turner received yet another illuminated address from the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society upon rescuing the crew of the West Point in 1910.
Turner joined the Cunard Line in 1878 as Fourth Officer, following in his father's footsteps, and left Cunard in 1883 to gain additional experience required for a promotion. Turner gained his Captain's license in 1886, and then rejoined the line again in 1889. In 1903, Turner was given his first command, Aleppo. While Cunard initially had concerns about Turner's gruff demeanour and avoidance of passengers, they found to their surprise that passengers actually enjoyed Turner's elusive act and that he was in high demand.
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