No.5446, Private, Robert Henry PALMER
Aged 34
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Born in Horringer in 1883 (birth registration not found) son of Emily Jane PALMER. Baptised in St Leonard's, Horringer on 8th February 1883
1891 census...Aged 8, he was at The Street, Horringer with his widowed grandmother Charlotte PALMER [56] charwoman born Little Saxham; uncle William PALMER [35] farm labourer;aunt Margaret PALMER [28]] domestic servant. All except Charlotte were born in Horringer. He is now Henry Robert ( probably to avoid confusion with Charlotte's son Robert. His mother [31] was at 67 Cannon Street, Bury St.Edmunds, housekeeper to John MELTON [36] and his children.) 1901 census...Aged 19, he was at Fort Chateau a L'Etoc Barracks, Alderney, a Private in the Suffolk Regiment. His mother seems to have died in 1908 In 1910 He married Annie SEELEY [17-3-1886] who already had an illegitimate son George Edward SEELEY [18-11-1906]. 1911 census...Aged 30, a gas company labourer, he was at 28 Westgate Street, Bury St.Edmunds with his wife Annie [25]; stepson George Edward SEELEY [4] ; daughter Ivy Lucy [9 months] and sister in law Nellie SEELEY [13]. All except Robert were born in Bury St.Edmunds. Robert and Annie's daughter Kathleen Maud was born 26th March 1912. Ivy Lucy died in 1918 |
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He enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds in the 3rd Bn, Suffolk Regiment No.5005 on 7th November 1899, giving his age as 17 years 10 months, a labourer working for Mr Harvey at Ixworth.
He was 5 feet 6.2 inches
tall, weighed 115 lbs, chest 32 to 34 inches, blue eyes, brown hair, Church of England. Disembodied 3-7-1901, embodied 24-2-1902, disembodied 27-9-1902. He gave his next of kin as grandmother, Mrs Palmer, Horringer On the 11-12 October 1917 the battalion moved up from the Yser canal near Essex Farm to Rose Trench near Poelcapelle, marching in the pouring rain and being gas shelled on the way. Rose Trench was a water filled ditch and the troops spent the night in icy water up to their waists. Battalion HQ was in the remains of a building called Pheasant Farm and could only be entered by crawling on all fours. At about 5:30 on the 12th a British attack was launched and about an hour later the battalion moved forward following 55th Brigade, the right company going towards the left corner of Poelcapelle. A heavy enemy barrage met them as they went from Rose Trench to the Langemarck-Poelcapelle road. and after crossing the Dixmunde-Langemarck road they had to cope with heavy machine gun fire. The ground was so badly pock marked with shell holes filled with water that drowning was an ever present danger. That was a far as they got, being relieved the following day and having incurred over 230 casualties. Of these, 46 were killed, only 11 have identified graves.
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