Personal information

Son of Mrs. Eunice Virginia Mayson Turner Hale, of Montgomery, AL. Aaron Elwood Turner, or Elwood as his family called him, was a typical teenager. He loved to swim, fish and enjoyed bicycling. He had a collection of turtles and green snakes and he loved his beautiful collie dog, named Beauty. Since his uncle, John B. Mayson was secretary of the National Rifle Association of the State of Alabama, he spent much time at the rifle range. Elwood was an expert marksman. Since his brother, Walter Glover Turner, was in the US Navy, it was Elwood's greatest desire to enlist. He joined the US Navy in May 1942, became a member of the US Naval Armed Guard and was assigned to the gun crew aboard the William Clark. It was said that he was well liked by the crew, who called him PeeWee because he was so young and so little. On 4 November 1942 his ship was torpedoed and sunk by U-354 after being damaged earlier by bombs from a German Ju88 aircraft. The survivors abandoned ship in three lifeboats and Elwood was in the motorboat which towed the other two boats. After they became separated survivors in the two lifeboats were rescued by British armed trawlers. The motorboat with the master and 22 other men, including Elwood, was never seen again.