Charles Daniel Turner

Charles Turner aboard a ship [ca 1919] War: World War, 1939-1945; World War, 1914-1918 Branch: Army; Navy Unit: USS Rowan (DD 64) Service Location: Atlantic Ocean; Northern Ireland Rank: Electrician First Class

While the collective memory of World War I focuses on those who served on the ground and in the trenches, American sailors also took part in the war. Electrician First Class Charles Daniel Turner enlisted in the Navy in 1916, at the age of 29. His VHP collection consists of a service diary that he kept while aboard UB-88, a German submarine that was surrendered to the United States at the end of the war. Sailing from England to California, Turner took photos of the sub itself--such as the engine room, diving control station, and torpedo tubes--as well as his shipmates, and recorded detailed lists of provisions, rations, and menus. According to his notes, on one unnamed Saturday, the crew dined on roast pork and boiled spuds. An interview with his daughter, the donor of the collection, accompanies the materials