Commodore Richard (‘Shorty’) Turner Royal Navy

Regret to report the death of Commodore Richard ‘Shorty’ Turner on Boxing Day aged 83.

Shorty joined the Royal Navy in 1942 at the age of thirteen.

He joined Submarines in 1949 as a Sub Lieutenant, going on to serve in Artful, Alderney, Auriga, Seraph and a streamlined Artful. He completed Perisher in 1957 and went on to command HMS Seraph, Aeneas and Otter, before being promoted to Commander.

He then served as Flotilla Operations Officer to FOSM at Dolphin, and went on to command HMS Lincoln.His next job was to run the work-ups under the then Captain, later Admiral, Martin Wemyss.

Richard then went on to command HMS Yarmouth and HMS Kent but managed to fit in a couple of years as Naval Attache in Moscow in between these commands. Richard’s final job was as Commodore Naval Intelligence. It was at this point in his career that he asked the then First Sea Lord, and old friend, Admiral Sir Henry Leach if he was going to make Admiral, after some thought he replied “I think not Shorty, you have fished and shot your way round the world at the Queen’s expense, had a good career, and you may now buy the farm!!”’

With thanks to Rear Admiral Paddy O’Riordan for the above information who added an additional snippet When I was CSST Shorty was driving Kent and brought her up for Clyde Week. He shifted his anchor berth every day, so his Ship’s Company thought to fend off potential swimmer saboteurs, but in reality to park his vessel opposite the house in which he would be dining that night!