Killed in action aged 27 
Buried in the Churchyard at Zandvoorde

Christopher Randolph was born at 37 Pont Street, London SW, fourth child and second son of Algernon Turnor, formerly Financial Secretary to the Treasury, and Private Secretary to the Earl of Beaconsfield from 1874 to 1880, and his wife Lady Henrietta nee Stewardt, 6th daughter of Randolph 9th Earl of Galloway.

His grandfather was Christopher Turnor JP, DL, MP, of Stoke-Rochford, co Lincoln.

Educated at the Revd the Marquis of Normanby’s Private School at Mulgrave Castle, and at Eton and Christ Church Oxford, Christopher matriculated 1905.

He was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant 10th Hussars 20 December 1908, and promoted Lieutenant 17th September 1910. He joined his regiment at Rawl Pindi, India in January 1909 and served with it there, and in South Africa, before returning to England in September 1914 when the regiment was recalled to England.

The 10th Hussars embarked at Southampton on 6 October 1914, landed at Ostend on 8 October and were immediately engaged in the fierce struggle near Ypres which stemmed the advance of the Germans to the Coast. Lieutenant Turnor was killed in action in the trenches at Zandvoorde, near Ypres while trying to locate with his glasses an enemy’s field gun. He was first buried in the Churchyard at Zandvoorde, quite close to the village Church, a cross marking his grave, and later reburied.

Stained glass window in Zandvoorde Church (near Ypres) in memory of Lieutenant Christopher Randolph Turnor

His Colonel wrote of him: “He was a universal favourite, and a very good officer and is a great loss to the regt. and to the country”; and the Major: “He is a very great loss to us as an educated and thoroughly grounded soldier and officer, and also from his personal charm, which endeared him to all ranks.” The Eton Chronicle, recording his death, said “He was a boy of strong character, high principles, and considerable ability. He was a keen all-round sportsman, a good rider to hounds, and fond of shooting, especially big game shooting which latter pursuit he followed successfully in Kashmir, Central India, and British East Africa. He was devoted to his profession, a great student of Military History, as well as a lover of books and music.” He was unmarried.

After the war Christopher’s parents commissioned a stained glass window for Zandvoorde Church in his memory.