Name
William John Palmer
1895
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
08/11/1918
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Rifleman
S/6434
Rifle Brigade
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HAMBURG CEMETERY
I. F. 16.
Germany
Headstone Inscription
REST IN PEACE UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial, Chesham Bois War Village Memorial, St Leonard's Church Memorial, Chesham Bois, Chesham Bois Scouts WW1 Roll of Honour
Pre War
William John Palmer was born in 1895 in Amersham Common, Bucks, the son of Alfred and Elizabeth Palmer. His brother Edward was born in Bourne End, Hemel Hempstead. Herts.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at The Moor, Chesham Bois, Bucks where his father was working as a water cress gatherer. He joined the Chesham Bois Scout Troup, an organisation begun by Robert Baden-Powell in 1907 for boys aged 11 to 18.
By the time of the 1911 Census William was a working as a Bench Sawyer and they were living at 6 Bois Cottages, Bois Moor Road, Chesham.
Wartime Service
He enlisted soon after the outbreak of war at Watford, Herts and served with the 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade in France from 24 March 1915.
He was wounded in the arm and taken prisoner early in the war. He died from Spanish Flu as a prisoner of war in Gadebusch, in northern Germany, aged 22. He is buried in the Hamburg Cemetery, Germany.
Additional Information
His father was granted probate of William's estate on 13 January 1920 with effects of £109 8s 6d. He also received a war gratuity of £23 and pay owing of £83 8s 6d. His brothers Alfred Palmer and Edward also served but survived the war. N.B. It is not known for certain if this soldier is the J Palmer named on the war memorial, but is the only one found so far who has a connection to Hemel Hempstead. His father was living at Bovingdon in the Hemel Hempstead district on 1891 Census and his brother Edward was born in Bourne End, also part of Hemel Hempstead district.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.amershammuseum.org.
