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LEONARD TURNER 1925-2024
Leonard Turner passed away peacefully on Wednesday 3 January 2024. Born 13 March 1925, he was 98.
A loving husband to Kathleen Turner, who sadly passed in 1997. He had two sons, five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Born in Shawforth, Lancashire, England to Amos and Minnie, Leonard endured an impoverished childhood with his four siblings.
When WW II broke out, Leonard joined the British Army at age 18 and proudly served in the Lancashire Regiment as a foot soldier. At first he was too small for combat and was sent away to a special physical training camp to build his body strong enough to fight. The officers were impressed with his performance, and it was suggested he become an instructor if he survived the war. He returned home to attend the Army School of Physical Training in Aldershot where he became an instructor and rose to the rank of Sergeant in the APTC. He went on to be stationed at the Tower of London and was amongst the first Army Instructors assigned to Sandhurst Military College.
Leonard completed two tours of duty with the 6th Battalion The Kings African Rifles / KAR in Kenya where he became fluent in Swahili and was known to be fair and
Leonard Turner attending the APTC’s 150th Anniversary in 2010
honest when dealing with the African soldiers in his charge.
In 1961, the Turner family emigrated to the United States and he became a Physical Training Instructor at Valley Forge Military Academy in Pennsylvania (PA), rising to the honorary rank of Major. Later he became the physical director for the Upper Main Line YMCA in Berwyn Pennsylvania a n d e v e n t u a l l y s t a r t e d L e n Tu r n e r ’ s Gymnastics School in Bryn Mawr, PA.
Known to all as outgoing and generous, he was quick to bring a smile to everyone’s face. By all accounts a happy man, indeed.
An avid golfer, he spent his retirement years in Phoenix, Arizona.
He will be missed by family, friends and by all who were fortunate enough to have crossed paths. His experience with ‘The Corps’ defined him as a person and were the happiest days of his life. He embodied the values the APTC instilled in him as a young man.
JOHN WILLIAM GRIFFEE
F1938-2024
ormer WO2 (QMSI) John Griffee passed away at the age of 85 in Poole General Hospital. He
enlisted in 1958 and served with the Royal Engineers in Gibraltar and Germany (Paderborn) as part of his National Service. He subsequently transferred to the APTC in 1962 and remained with The Corps until 28 April 1981.
John served with the APTC in Blandford, Colchester (1st RHA), Germany (Detmold), Aldershot, Hong Kong, Aldershot again (ACC) and Blandford (School of Signals). He also completed two tours of Northern Ireland.
His final Colonel’s report described his military conduct and character as exemplary, and he had been awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.
John is survived by his wife Kay, to whom he was married for 64 years, and his children Andrew, Simon, Lorraine and Janice, 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO HAVE PASSED AWAY IN THE LAST YEAR
Name
Enlisted
Transferred
Discharged
Rank on Discharge
Passed Away
Barry Miller
George Bleasby Denis Williams Derrick Twitchin Derek Hetherington Bill Ferguson George Bent
John Griffee
Brian Daley MBE
8 Nov 76 3 Sep 42 22 Oct 64 17 Feb 53 27 Jan 58 1 Nov 56 30 Jan 52 26 Feb 62 8 Aug 58
28 Jul 83 22 Nov 45 15 Mar 71 9 Apr 60 8 Mar 62 12 Dec 59 15 Jun 56 22 Oct 64 30 Jul 60
14 Nov 98 WO2 28 Mar 47 SSgt 6 Sep 78 SSgt 23 Dec 77 SSgt 26 Jan 80 WO2 31 Oct 78 WO2 5 Aug 77 WO1 28 Apr 81 WO2 9 Aug 80 WO1
Jul 23 Jul 23 Aug 23 Sep 23 Dec 23 Feb 24 Mar 24 Mar 24 Jun 24
Ken Haslam
16 Oct 49
8 Apr 55
1 Jan 75
WO2
Jul 23
Trevor Bayes
22 Apr 54
15 Feb 57
20 Sep 77
WO2
Aug 23
Rick Johns
17 Feb 67
27 Jul 73
17 Feb 89
WO2
Sep 23
Ernie Walker
9 Sep 66
19 Jul 75
14 Aug 80
SSgt
Dec 23
Leonard Turner
17 Jun 43
23 Dec 45
NK
NK
Jan 24
Jim Darrah
20 Jul 82
2 Aug 91
27 Dec 05
WO2
Feb 24
Douglas MacGregor
4 Mar 54
29 Oct 57
9 Sep 73
WO1
Mar 24
Dave Orange
24 Sep 70
6 Dec 79
12 Oct 92
SSgt
May 24
Michael Fogarty
25 Jul 68
30 Jul 76
9 Aug 80
Sgt
Jul 24