Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Raymond Roy Palmer was born in Brighton, South Australia in 1890. His father, Thomas William Palmer died 7 years later in 1897 so for most of his childhood, he lived with his mother, Annie Charlotte Cox and his brother, Thomas George William Palmer who was three years older than him (born in 1887). Palmer and his brother both worked as labourers before the war started. On the 4th of August, 1914, Britain declared war on Germany. Both Australia’s Prime Minister, Joseph Cook, and Opposition Leader, Andrew Fisher, pledged to support Britain in the war which meant Australia needed to start forming an army. Many people signed up for the war for the adventure and the high wage they would be paid. On the 21st of August in 1914, when he was 24, Palmer decided to sign up for the war. He enlisted on the 26th of August at Morphettville in Adelaide. His brother also enlisted on the 28th of August. It is said that neither knew that the other had volunteered until they met in camp. Palmer was enlisted as a private in the 10th Battalion, G Company, 3rd Brigade, 1st A.I.F. His service number was 433.

It is unknown whether Palmer trained in Australia but most Australian soldiers did basic training in camps across Australia for many months before they were sent to Egypt for further training. Palmer departed Adelaide with the rest of the 10th Battalion on the ship ‘Ascanius’ on the 20th of October 1914. The 10th Battalion arrived in Egypt in early December. While in Egypt, soldiers learned military discipline and how to fight with a rifle. However, the conditions of these training camps were very basic as supplies and equipment were limited. The soldiers lived in tents which were usually very crowded and crammed together.

After months and months of training, Palmer left for Gallipoli from Egypt on a ship called the ‘Ionian’ on the 2nd of March, 1915. The 3rd Brigade was one of the first of the ANZAC forces that landed ashore at Ari Burnu on the 25th of April, 1915 at around 4:30am. It turned out that the Australian troops had landed one kilometre north of their planned objective. The troops were brought to within about 100 metres of the shore by large steamer ships. From there, they all made it to shore in row boats and even though they were trying to stay absolutely silent, the Turkish soldiers ashore spotted them and started firing at them. At the first landing, the shore was too narrow so the 9th, the 10th and the 11th Battalions all became mixed up on the beach with a lot of confusion. This made it very difficult for the soldiers to regroup. On the first morning, soldiers from the 10th Battalion (Lance Corporal Robin and Private Blackburn) are believed to have penetrated further inland than any other Australians during the entire Gallipoli campaign.

For the next eight months, the Australian troops did not advance further than where they had started on the first day. Palmer’s brother, Thomas George William got killed in action within two days of landing at Gallipoli. Since Raymond Roy Palmer was an infantry private, he most likely fought in front line combat. After around a week of fighting at Gallipoli, Palmer received wounds in action at the Gallipoli Peninsula. He got sent back to Alexandria, Egypt and on the 2nd of May, 1915, he died in a French hospital. Raymond Roy Palmer was buried in Alexandria in the Alexandria (Chatby) Military and War Memorial Cemetery. After he died, a brown paper parcel was found that belonged to him. Inside the parcel were religious books which were then sent back to his mother. A memorial scroll and a memorial plaque were also presented to his mother. Private Raymond Roy Palmer received the 1914-15 Star Medal, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

Mother is Charlotte Anne (née Taylor), father is Thomas William Palmer who died 1897, Brighton, South Australia. Charlotte Anne later remarried, a Mr Phillip Cox.

See also his brother, Thomas George William Palmer.