A Patriotic 'First Day Battle of the Somme Casualty' & WW2 medal group of 5 to an Officer whose Pilot son was KIA 1943 & awarded a D.F.C.: Captain Rene Percival Turgel, General List (Infantry) late 2nd/4th (City of London) Battalion London Regiment

- 1914-15 Star (3336 Pte. R. P. Turgel. 4-Lond. R.)
- British War Medal. Silver issue (3336 Pte. R, P. Turgel. 4-Lond. R.)
- Interallied Victory Medal (3336 Pte. R. P. Turgel. 4-Lond. R.)
- Defence Medal
- War Medal
- Silver War Badge (36352). Complete with original pin, clasp & fob chain fittings

Sold together with:

- Royal Air Force. Pilots 'Brevet' Wings 'Sweetheart' gilded silver and enamel brooch. Circa Second World War - and of fine quality

1st Day Battle of the Somme 'Wounded-in-Action': Rene Turgel is confirmed in his extant service papers as 'Wounded-in-Action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916

Medals verification: All Great War awards confirmed as entitled per the respective official medal rolls and sources cited below:

- 1914-15 Star: WO 329/2864
- British War Medal. Silver issue: WO 329/1910
- Interallied Victory Medal: WO 329/1910
- Defence Medal: Medal roll not in public domain. Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant (246947) 14 September 1942
- War Medal: Medal roll not in public domain. Lieutenant resigns commission 16 December 1946 (Hony Captain)
- Silver War Badge (36352): WO 329/3162 (shown enlisted 6 November 1914 / discharged 9 March 1917, due to 'Wounds')

Rene Percival Turgel, son of Nicholas Turgel (described as a 'Traveller') and Minnie Elizabeth Turgel (nee Fisher) was a native of, Hackney, London, England, where he was born on, 11 October 1895. Rene Turgel was embodied for service with the 2/4th Battalion, London Regiment on 6th November 1914 and embarked for overseas service on 23 August 1914, disembarking at, Malta on, 2 January 1915. Rene remained in the Mediterranean theatre of war through to 17 March 1916, during which time he served variously at: Malta, followed by the cauldron of 'Gallipoli' and latterly in Egypt with the Egyptian Field Force - hus unit embarked at Alexandria on 17 March 1916, for the French port of Marseilles, and ultimately service on the Western Front a the Somme! Rene transferred to the 1/4th Battalion London Regiment on, 23 May 1916, and was still with this unit when it went over the top at Gommecourt on the First Day of the Somme. The battalion advanced into a hurricane of machine-gun and artillery fire, however, Turgel, was not so lucky, as he is recorded 'Wounded-in-Action' on that fateful date for the British Army. The nature of his wounds show that a he had a seriously damaged knee and was found to be suffering from shell shock. After treatment at 43 Casualty Clearing Station, he was moved to No. 2 Canadian General Hospital and by the end of the month was back in Britain. Declared Supernumerary on, 25 July, 1917, Turgel's wounds received on 'Day 1 of the Somme' were so severe that as a consequence he was invalided from the British Army on, 9 March 1917 - and awarded a Silver War Badge

The recipients Great War service papers (a good clear detailed set) are extant and accessible at The National Archives, and interestingly record that Rene's father, Nicholas Turgel, was, his notified next-of-kin, who at the time was still alive and living at his residence located in France!

During the last quarter of 1919, Rene, married Fanny May Woods (b.1893) at Birkenhead, Cheshire, England. The couple had two children, a son, Philip Raymond Turgel (b. 1921) and a daughter, Barbara Ann Elizabeth Turgel (b. 1929). By the time of the compilation of the 1939 National Register of England & Wales. Rene Turgel, his wife and daughter were recorded residing at the family residence located at, 'Baytrees', Vicarage Gate, Guildford, Surrey, England, at which time his profession was described as 'Manager, Oil Seeds and Feeding Stuffs Merchant Presently Suppling Ministry of Foods'. Shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War, the men of the Turgel family, father and son, rallied to the cause of the nation. Rene re-joined the British Army, and on 14 September 1942, he was appointed a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant (Infantry). Later appointed Lieutenant, Rene Turgel relinquished his commission on, 16 December 1946, at which time he was granted the use of Hony Captain. Captain Turgel, described as a 'Gentleman', and late resident of 17 Hillside Court, Guildford, Surrey, England, is recorded to have died at Guildford on, 9 May 1976

Death of Squadron Leader Philip Raymond Turgel, D.F.C. , 100 & late 144 Squadrons Royal Air Force

Squadron Leader Philip Raymond Turgel, was sometime employed with Special Operations Executive (ref The National Archives for respective S.O.E. Personnel File in file series HS 9/1490/8)

Philip Raymond Turgel was the only son of Rene and Fanny Turgel. He was born at Richmond, Surrey, England, on 23 April 1921. Flight Lieutenant Peter Turgel, a Royal Air Force 'Pilot' was twice decorated during the Second World War. Firstly he was awarded the DistiNguished Flying Cross - an early award - while serving with 144 Squadron Royal Air Force, that was published in the London Gazette issue of, 21 November 1941. Secondly he was awarded a Mention-in-Despatches, published in the London Gazette issue of, 5 June 1942. Squadron Leader Turgel was shot down by enemy action on, 26 May 1943, while captain of an Avro Lancaster of 100 Squadron, on a bombing raid to Dusseldorf, Germany. The bodily remains of Philip Turgel, who was only 22 years of age, together with his 6 x fellow crew members, now lie buried at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery located at the Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Netherlands, where Philip's life and memory are perpetuated for posterity on a headstone, which latter bears the epitaph:

Quote,

"He will not grow old"

Unquote.

The circumstances surrounding the death of Squadron Leader Philip Turgel, D.F.C., were that he was captain of a Lancaster III Bomber, vis LM320 HW-C of 100 Sqn. The bomber was flying on an operation to bomb the German City of Dusseldorf, and had taken off from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England, at 23.33 Hours. The aircraft was shot-down by an enemy Luftwaffe night fighter, flown by German 'Air Ace' Oblt. Manfred Meurer, 3./NJG1, and marked his 29th victory, near Vlodrop SW Roermond: 6.800 m. The bomber crashed 01.36 near Vlodrop, Limburg, Netherlands. a village on the Dutch-German border 8 km SE of Roermond. The bodies of the crew were given temporary burials, and between 1947-48 were later exhumed and transferred for re-burial at the Jonkerbos War Cemetery

At the time of his death, Philip was un-married, and his D.F.C. and war medals would have been sent to his grieving parents, Captain and Mrs. Rene Turgel, at their home located at, Guildford, Surrey

Undoubtedly, the R.A.F. Pilot's 'Sweetheart' brooch here included in this poignant group, would have been a treasured and much worn keepsake by the Mother and or Sister of Squadron Leader Turgel

A superb 'Patriot's grouping to a casualty of the 1st day of the Battle of the Somme, who rallied to 'The Colours' a second time during the Second World War, and whose only son, a Pilot, and holder of the Distinguished Flying Cross (awarded in 1943) was 'Shot Down' and Killed-in-Action in 1943.

The medals all retaining and fitted with their original silk ribands

Condition: About EF

Code: 23071