John Palmer

Forenames

John AWMM

Surname

Palmer AWMM

Service number

WWI 25303 AWMM

Gender

Male AWMM

Next of kin

Mrs J. Palmer (mother), Waituna West, Feilding, New Zealand AWMM

War

World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM

Campaign

1917 AWMM Passchendaele AWMM

Armed force / branch

Army AWMM

Service number

WWI 25303 AWMM

Medals and Awards

• Military Medal (MM) AWMM
  Military Medal - London Gazette, 29 August 1918, p10142, Rec No 2126: AWMM
• Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) AWMM
  Operations: On British Front, opposite Beaumont Hamel, 26th March 1918, and subsequent days. For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. At about 6.30pm on 30th March 1918, Private Palmer rendered particularly gallant service as a runner. In retaliation for a minor operation on our left, the enemy systematically bombed all the trench area. It became impossible to maintain telephone communication, and Private Palmer's services were therefore required to carry messages from Company Headquarters to the Platoons in the line. His work he carried out at great personal risk, and it was due mainly to his gallant efforts that the organisation of the Company was maintained throughout. On other occasions during these operations, this runner has rendered similar good services. AWMM
• Victory Medal AWMM
  Meritorious Service Medal - London Gazette, 17 June 1918, p7180, Rec No 1886: AWMM
• Victory Medal AWMM
  Operations Belle Vue Spur - 4th October to 20th October 1917. For devotion to duty. Private John Palmer has been a company runner for twelve months, and during that time has served, not only for long periods in stationary warfare, but also in the battles of Messines and Belle Vue Spur. His work throughout has been characterised by exceptional efficiency, and marked devotion to duty. He is always quite fearless under fire AWMM
• British War Medal (1914-1920) AWMM

Enlistment

WW1 Unknown AWMM Labourer/Civilian AWMM

Embarkation details

WW1 26 Jun 1916-22 Aug 1916 AWMM
HMNZT 56 AWMM Vessel was Maunganui AWMM Private AWMM 14th Reinforcements, J Company AWMM New Zealand Expeditionary Force AWMM

Medical notes

Died of Disease, Cause of Death AWMM
Peritonitis AWMM

Last rank

WW1 Private AWMM
Otago Infantry Regiment AWMM

Son of Francis and Jane Palmer of Waituna West, New Zealand AWMM

Death

23 Dec 1918 AWMM
Age  25 AWMM

Cause of death

Died of Disease AWMM

Cemetery

Brookwood Military Cemetery, Woking, Surrey, England AWMM II G 3 AWMM

Related objects

Related Serviceperson

External links

• Military personnel file
  https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R21383601
  Further Reference
• A Street Near You record
  https://astreetnearyou.org/person/399678/-
  Further Reference
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission Casualty record
  https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/399678
  Further Reference
• Passchendaele Museum Profile
  https://archives.passchendaele.be/en/soldier/1401
  Further Reference

References

• Macdonald, L. (1978). Passchendaele : the story of the third Battle of Ypres 1917. London : Penguin Books.
• Harper, G. (2000). Massacre at Passchendaele : the New Zealand story. Auckland, N.Z.: HarperCollins.
• McDonald, W. (2013). Honours and Awards to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War, 1914-1918. (3rd ed.). Hamilton, N.Z.: Richard Stowers.
• New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1917). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force Volume II. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
  34: 18
• Beattie, P.J. & Pomeroy, M. (2013-2020). Onward : portraits of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (vols 1-5). Auckland, New Zealand: Fair Dinkum Publications
  Vol. 1: Includes portrait
• The Fields of Remembrance Trust: Brothers Field, Auckland Museum (Armistice, 2018)
• Information kindly provided by family
• HMNZT 56 - The kit-bag : the unofficial record of the following units of the Fourteenth Reinforcements on board the "Maunganui", Troopship 56 -- Cape Town : Printed by Cape Times : 1916.
• Byrne, A. E. Official History of the Otago Regiment, NZEF in the Great War, 1914–1918. Dunedin: J. Wilkie, 1921.