Name
Harry Palmer
1897
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
18/08/1916
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
5424
Royal Berkshire Regiment
1st/4th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 11 D.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Hemel Hempstead Memorial
Pre War
Harry Palmer was born in 1897 in Hemel Hempstead, the son of Ann Palmer who later married Sidney Goddard at the Register Office in Newbury in January 1902.
On the 1901 Census, he was living with his single mother at the home of his grandmother Elizabeth Pocock at Shaw cum Donnington, Berkshire, where his grandmother was working as a Charwoman.
On the 1911 Census, he was living at Letcombe Bowers, Wantage, Berks, with his mother, stepfather and siblings. Both Harry and his father were working as Farm Labourers. He was living in Newbury on enlistment.
His mother died in 1918, aged 43 and his stepfather was living at 3 Jackson's Cottages, Stroud Green, Newbury, Berks on pension records.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Newbury and served with the 2/4th Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire) Regiment.
It is not known exactly when he enlisted but the Battalion were training on Salisbury Plain in March 1916 and landed at Le Havre on 27 May 1916.
He was killed in action on 18 August 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.
Additional Information
His stepfather received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £5 4s 9d. He also received a pension of 5 shillings a week. On pension records his stepfather is described as a foster parent. N.B. His stepfather also enlisted in May 1917, aged 41 and served with the Labour Corps as Class C2 which meant he was sufficiently fit for labour service at home camps. He was later transferred to Class W and discharged on 12 November 1918. N.B. unable to find registration for birth of Harry Palmer in Hemel Hempstead, but there is one in 1886 in Cookham, Berks.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
