George Palmer
Title
George Palmer
Description
Gunner George Palmer (10227, B Battery Royal Field Artillery, 78th Brigade, part of the 17th Division of the British Army) enlisted in Oxford on 1 September 1914. He was born in Wiltshire where his father was a gardener at Zeals House but enlisted in Oxford because he was working as a gardener there. Like so many others, he enlisted on 1 September 1914.
After training, he was first posted to the front on 12 July 1915. He was first involved around the Ypres Salient in 1915, and later the Battle of the Somme, including the battle of Albert and the battle of Delville Wood. In 1917 he was involved in the Arras offensive, including the two battles of the Scarpe and the two battles at Passchendaele. He was victim of a gas attack at Passchendaele during the second battle on 6 November 1917.
He returned to Britain on 19 November 1917 and married Florence Alberta Morgan on 23 August 1918. She kept many of his postcards home as well as other ephemera from the war, such as silk postcards and a silk handkerchief holder - the kind of thing many soldiers brought home for their sweethearts. He later joined the London and Tyne Electrical Engineers (serial number 366126) before he was transferred to Army Reserve on 14 May 1919.
He was my grandfather and died in 1958. His son, Mostyn, was later a soldier in the 89 Light Aircraft Regiment in World War II, including Operation Overlord and the Normandy landings.
This story and additional photographs can also be found in the Europeana 1914-1918 collection.
After training, he was first posted to the front on 12 July 1915. He was first involved around the Ypres Salient in 1915, and later the Battle of the Somme, including the battle of Albert and the battle of Delville Wood. In 1917 he was involved in the Arras offensive, including the two battles of the Scarpe and the two battles at Passchendaele. He was victim of a gas attack at Passchendaele during the second battle on 6 November 1917.
He returned to Britain on 19 November 1917 and married Florence Alberta Morgan on 23 August 1918. She kept many of his postcards home as well as other ephemera from the war, such as silk postcards and a silk handkerchief holder - the kind of thing many soldiers brought home for their sweethearts. He later joined the London and Tyne Electrical Engineers (serial number 366126) before he was transferred to Army Reserve on 14 May 1919.
He was my grandfather and died in 1958. His son, Mostyn, was later a soldier in the 89 Light Aircraft Regiment in World War II, including Operation Overlord and the Normandy landings.
This story and additional photographs can also be found in the Europeana 1914-1918 collection.
Contributor
Chris Palmer
Licence
CC BY-SA Chris Palmer
Files
Citation
“George Palmer,” Oxford at War 1914-1918, accessed April 26, 2024, http://www.oxfordatwar.uk/items/show/23.
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