THE hunt is on for the life story of a Colchester military man.

Researchers from the Royal Fusiliers Museum have issued the plea for information as they compile histories of some of the service battalions dating from the First World War.

They are keen to know all about Sydney Claridge Turner, a reclusive Colchester man who became the representative in England of the 11th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers between 1914 and 1919.

Military historian David Carter said Sydney was already in his late forties when the First World War was declared in 1914 and was secretary of the Essex and Sussex Insurance Society.

The 1871 Census also records Sydney as being the son of Francis Turner and his wife, Jane.

Sydney’s military role stems from him becoming an agent for the 11th Battalion Royal Fusiliers, supplying soldiers with gifts or money which had been passed on to him by their relatives.

He also provided soldiers with small value French Franc notes, which were then hard to come by.

Before the end of the war, Sydney also visited the battalion in France and presented each soldier with a pen knife.

Researchers believe Sydney lived for a time in South London and retired to Poole in Dorset.

There he married late in life and amassed a picture collection which he donated to the country on his death in 1948.

A freshly-discovered link is Sydney commissioning the construction of the Homestead in Second Avenue, Frinton.

The employed architect Charles Francis Voysey in 1906, who also designed the offices used by the Essex and Sussex Insurance Society in Colchester High Street.

Sydney, who was single at the time, wanted to have a retreat for the weekends and also to enjoy the sea and so chose Frinton, where he could walk from the golf club to his house.

David, who wrote a book on the 10th Royal Fusiliers and is a volunteer for the Royal Fusiliers Museum in the Tower of London, said Sydney seems to have been fairly reclusive and said the museum does not have a photograph of him.

He added: “The archive is doing research to answer individual queries and build up the story of some of the service regiments.

“We can then put it into text or the web and also make it available to other people.”

David added: “We would be interested in any reason for the connection between Sydney Turner and 11th Battalion RF.

“Why did he choose to undertake the role of English representative of the Battalion? What else did he do of a similar charitable nature while in Essex?

“We would love to be able to include any accounts of aspects of his life as we attempt to fill in the details of his relationship with the battalion.”

Anyone who can help is asked to supply information to David via fusiliermuseumlondon@gmail.com.