Scott Turner, 34, a United States citizen from Lansing, Michigan, was an unmarried mining engineer on his way to Spitsbergen, Norway via the RMS Lusitania. He was to develop and operate mines there. He was friends with James Houghton, Carlton Brodrick, and Richard Freeman. Turner survived the Lusitania sinking, as did Houghton. Brodrick and Freeman were lost in the disaster.
When the Lusitania, he was thrown into the water. Supported only by a life-belt, he was in the water for four or five hours before he was rescued. He sustained not only great shock but numerous cuts and bruises on his body, leg, thigh, and face. His right knee was badly wrenched and swollen; his left arm dislocated at the shoulder and the ligaments torn so that he could not use it for more than a year, leaving the muscles of the left shoulder atrophied. His nose was broken, disfiguring him, making breathing difficult, impairing his sense of smell, and leaving him susceptible to infection and nasal and bronchial disorders.
Following the Lusitania sinking, Turner was detained in England for some time because of his injuries. He continued to Norway but was unable to leave for Spitsbergen until September, and even then his injuries prevented his actively engaging in field operations. Finally he was compelled to abandon the work and return to the United States.
In 1916, Turner contracted to serve as chief engineer a company operating in South America. He later claimed that because of his impaired physical condition, he was unable advantageously to conduct field operations and as a consequence these operations were not successful.
On 30 April 1918 the claimant was appointed a Lieutenant (Senior Grade) in the United States Naval Reserve Force and served until January 12, 1919, as Special Production Officer in the Great Lakes District with headquarters at Cleveland, Ohio. No physical disability was noted upon his entering the service. Turner explained this by stating that this physical examination was “perfunctory”.
Related pages
Scott Turner at the Mixed Claims Commission
Contributors:
Richard Bailey
References:
Mixed Claims Commission, Docket No. 1332.
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