Name
Bryan Barrington Palmer
6 Mar 1899
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
17/04/1918
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lieutenant
Royal Air Force
H.M.S. "Pegasus"
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BUSHEY (ST. JAMES) CHURCHYARD
A/C Spec. Mem.in Churchyard.
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Bushey Town Memorial, St James’ Church Memorial, Bushey, Aldenham School Memorial, Aldenham
Pre War
Born in Ewell near Epsom in Surrey on 6 March 1899 and baptised in Oxhey on 20 May 1899, Bryan Barrington Palmer was the elder son of Thomas Howard Barrington and Emmeline Austin (nee Neame) Palmer. His parents were married on 1 January 1897 in Ludlow, Shropshire. He was the grandson of stockbroker Ricardo Palmer of ‘Claybury’, Bushey who was a benefactor of St Peter’s Church, Bushey Heath.
At the 1901 Census, the family is living at ‘Giltar’, Eastbury Road in Oxhey, Watford. Thomas and Emmeline are 27 and 29 years old respectively and Thomas, like Bryan’s grandfather, is working on his ‘own account’ as a member of the stock exchange. Their two children, Gwinnifried B and Bryan B are 3 and 2 years old. Also present are Gwenllien Herkness [sister?] and three servants.
By the time of the 1911 Census, the family had moved to ‘Ivy House’, Bushey High Street. Bryan attended Aldenham School for just a year, from April 1915 to April 1916.
It is possible the family later moved to Jersey in the Channel Islands. There is a marriage at St Luke’s in St Hellier on 20 June 1922 between Nancy Barrington Palmer and Harper Vernon Edwards and an entry for Thomas in the National Probate Calendar for 1922, which states: “Palmer Thomas Howard Barrington of Ommaroo Hotel Havre de Pas St. Helier Jersey died 23 July 1922 Probate London 22 to Claude Harold Albany Palmer stockbrocker. Effects £108 15s. 10d.”
Wartime Service
Bryan joined the Royal Naval Air Service, which was merged with the Royal Flying Corps to form the Royal Air Force on 1 April 1918. Bryan was appointed a probationary Flying Officer on 6 May 1917 and undertook training at Crystal Palace through to 11 Jun 1917, posted at Vendome in France to 28 Jul 1917 when he moved again to Cranwell until 22 Oct 1917 and then to Calshot until 22 Nov 1917.
Bryan was later appointed Lieutenant and assigned to H.M.S. Pegasus, which had been converted with a forward flight deck to enable it to operate with wheeled aircraft and seaplanes. H.M.S. Pegasus spent the last year of the war supporting the Grand Fleet in the North Sea but saw no combat.
Bryan’s last posting was at East Fortune, near Edinburgh. He was killed, aged 19, in a flying accident on 17 April 1918 while stunt flying in a Sopwith Camel 2F1 which crashed after he lost control and went into a spinning nose dive. He was buried in St James’ churchyard in Bushey and is commemorated on the Bushey memorial, in St James’ Parish Church and on the Roll of Honour at Aldenham School.
The National Archives, Kew contains a service record [Ref: AIR 76/386/ 118] for Bryan and there is also an entry for Bryan in the National Probate Calendar for 1918, which reads: “PALMER Bryan Barrington of 1 Sutton Court Chiswick Middlesex lieutenant Royal Navy Air Corps died 17 April 1918 at Glasgow North Britain Administration London 27 June to Thomas Howard Barrington Palmer lieutenant Royal Marines. Effects £94.”
His father also served in the Royal Navy and the Royal Naval Officers’ Service Records Index shows him as Temporary 2nd Lieutenant with an enrolment date of 31 May 1918.
Additional Information
His headstone is non-standard and lists 4 men with the information "THOSE HONOURED HERE DIED IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY AND LIE BURIED IN THIS CHURCHYARD", suggesting that the position of these men's graves have been lost.
Dianne Payne - www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk,
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper, Andrew Palmer
Dianne Payne - www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk, Jonty Wild, Tony James
