Robert Anthony Maurice Palmer
Encyclopedia
Robert Anthony Maurice Palmer VC
, DFC & Bar (7 July 1920 - 23 December 1944) was an English
recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
and Commonwealth
forces.
, Kent
on 7 July 1920 the son of Arthur and Lilian Palmer. As a boy Palmer attended Gravesend Grammar School
in Kent
, and there is a memorial portrait and his VC citation hanging in the school's hall.
in 1942. He was one of the first pilots to drop a 4,000-lb. 'Cookie' bomb. In 1943 he served with 20 OTU at Lossiemouth
in Scotland.
By the end of 1944 Palmer had completed 110 bombing missions, many as a member of the Pathfinder
force, necessitating deep penetration of enemy territory and low-level ‘marking’ operations against heavily defended targets.
He was 24 years old, and a Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Squadron Leader
serving in 109 Squadron
, during the Second World War
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 23 December 1944 over Cologne
, Germany
, Squadron Leader Palmer was detialed to lead a formation of Lancaster bomber
s to attack the marshalling yards in daylight and it was the task of his aircraft (serial
PB371) to use the "Oboe" radio bombing aid and mark the target as "master bomber".
Palmer flew one of 27 Lancasters and 3 Mosquitoes from 8 Group to attack the Gremberg railway yards. The raid went badly. The force was split into 3 formations, each led by an Oboe-equipped Lancaster with an Oboe Mosquito as reserve leader. During the outward flight, two Lancasters collided over the French coast, their crews all killed. On approaching the target, it was found that the forecast cloud cover had cleared, and because the formations would have been very vulnerable to Cologne's flak defences during the long, straight Oboe approach it was thus decided to allow the bombers to break formation and bomb visually.
Unfortunately the order to abandon the Oboe run did not reach Palmer, who continued on with his designated role, even though his aircraft was already damaged by flak. Some minutes before reaching the target two engines were set on fire, but disdaining the possibility of taking evading action and being determined to provide an accurate and easily visible aiming point for the other bombers, he managed to keep the badly damaged aircraft on a straight course, made a perfect approach and released his bombs. The Lancaster was last seen spiraling to earth in flames and only one member of his crew escaped.
The formation suffered a Lancaster and a Mosquito shot down by Flak and fighters, with a further Lancaster abandoned by its crew over Belgium. The losses were thus six aircraft out of the 30 dispatched.
Palmer is buried at the Rheinberg War Cemetery in Germany.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, DFC & Bar (7 July 1920 - 23 December 1944) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
Early life
Palmer was born at GillinghamGillingham, Kent
Gillingham is a town in the unitary authority of Medway in South East England. It is part of the ceremonial county of Kent. The town includes the settlements of Brompton, Hempstead, Rainham, Rainham Mark and Twydall....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
on 7 July 1920 the son of Arthur and Lilian Palmer. As a boy Palmer attended Gravesend Grammar School
Gravesend Grammar School
Gravesend Grammar School is a selective secondary school located in Gravesend, Kent, England. The school accepts boys at age 11 by examination and boys and girls at 16, based on their GCSE results.-The school:...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, and there is a memorial portrait and his VC citation hanging in the school's hall.
Details
Palmer first flew operations in January 1941 and took part in the first 1,000-bomber raid against CologneCologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
in 1942. He was one of the first pilots to drop a 4,000-lb. 'Cookie' bomb. In 1943 he served with 20 OTU at Lossiemouth
Lossiemouth
Lossiemouth is a town in Moray, Scotland. Originally the port belonging to Elgin, it became an important fishing town. Although there has been over a 1,000 years of settlement in the area, the present day town was formed over the past 250 years and consists of four separate communities that...
in Scotland.
By the end of 1944 Palmer had completed 110 bombing missions, many as a member of the Pathfinder
Pathfinder (RAF)
The Pathfinders were elite squadrons in RAF Bomber Command during World War II. They located and marked targets with flares, which a main bomber force could aim at, increasing the accuracy of their bombing...
force, necessitating deep penetration of enemy territory and low-level ‘marking’ operations against heavily defended targets.
He was 24 years old, and a Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve consists of a number of groupings of individual military reservists for the management and operation of the Royal Air Force's Air Training Corps and CCF Air Cadet formations, Volunteer Gliding Squadrons , Air Experience Flights, and also to form the...
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
serving in 109 Squadron
No. 109 Squadron RAF
No. 109 Squadron RAF was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War II. It operated Wellington VIs.-History:The squadron first formed on 1 November 1917 as 109 Squadron Royal Flying Corps at South Carlton in 1917 operating the de Havilland DH.9 until it was disbanded on 19 August...
, during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 23 December 1944 over Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Squadron Leader Palmer was detialed to lead a formation of Lancaster bomber
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
s to attack the marshalling yards in daylight and it was the task of his aircraft (serial
United Kingdom military aircraft serials
In the United Kingdom to identify individual aircraft, all military aircraft are allocated and display a unique serial number. A unified serial number system, maintained by the Air Ministry , and its successor the Ministry of Defence , is used for aircraft operated by the Royal Air Force , Fleet...
PB371) to use the "Oboe" radio bombing aid and mark the target as "master bomber".
Palmer flew one of 27 Lancasters and 3 Mosquitoes from 8 Group to attack the Gremberg railway yards. The raid went badly. The force was split into 3 formations, each led by an Oboe-equipped Lancaster with an Oboe Mosquito as reserve leader. During the outward flight, two Lancasters collided over the French coast, their crews all killed. On approaching the target, it was found that the forecast cloud cover had cleared, and because the formations would have been very vulnerable to Cologne's flak defences during the long, straight Oboe approach it was thus decided to allow the bombers to break formation and bomb visually.
Unfortunately the order to abandon the Oboe run did not reach Palmer, who continued on with his designated role, even though his aircraft was already damaged by flak. Some minutes before reaching the target two engines were set on fire, but disdaining the possibility of taking evading action and being determined to provide an accurate and easily visible aiming point for the other bombers, he managed to keep the badly damaged aircraft on a straight course, made a perfect approach and released his bombs. The Lancaster was last seen spiraling to earth in flames and only one member of his crew escaped.
The formation suffered a Lancaster and a Mosquito shot down by Flak and fighters, with a further Lancaster abandoned by its crew over Belgium. The losses were thus six aircraft out of the 30 dispatched.
Palmer is buried at the Rheinberg War Cemetery in Germany.