Date of Birth
30 June 1885
College
Borough Road College
Job(s)
Grove Road School, Hounslow
Service number
Unknown
WW1 rank
Lieutenant
Royal Engineers, 121st Company
Theatre of war
Europe
Date of death
21 December 1916
Location of death
2nd Casualty Clearing Station, Bailleul, France
Buried/memorial
Bailleul Cemetery, France
Biography
Lieutenant Herbert John Palmer was the son of Eliza and Thomas Braithwaite Palmer. He was a regular member of his local church before attending Borough Road College for two years from 1904-06, and played rugby for the college team. He gained a BSc in 1907. Palmer joined up in September 1914 and was commissioned into the 121st Field Company Royal Engineers. After seeing serious fighting on the Somme he was transferred to a less active zone. On 19 December 1916, whilst behind the front line his right shoulder was wounded by a ‘chance’ shell. He died two days later at 2nd Casualty Clearing Station aged 31.
Sources
Entry on p.85 [Roll of Honour page], Mentioned on Framed Borough Road College Roll of Honour, Borough Road College 1903 applications, BFSS/2/9/14/27, Secondary source information provided by Douglas Craik (taken from Commonwealth War Graves Commission), 1907 Annual Report, The O.B.’s War Hum and Roll of Service (1918, 4th Edition)