Award of Victoria Cross newspaper cuttings
Title
Award of Victoria Cross newspaper cuttings
Description
Top - V.C for pilot RAF always chose for their difficult bombing jobs. Gives some operational and personal history. Includes b/w photograph.
Bottom left - full face b/w portrait photograph and announcement of award of V.C, reported missing.
Bottom right - the shy V.C. flew on. Describes some background and events leading to award of V.C.
Bottom left - full face b/w portrait photograph and announcement of award of V.C, reported missing.
Bottom right - the shy V.C. flew on. Describes some background and events leading to award of V.C.
Temporal Coverage
Language
Type
Format
Three newspaper cuttings on an album page
Publisher
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
Identifier
SPalmerRAM115772v10011
Transcription
THE DAILY SKETCH, SATURDAY, MARCH [missing text]
[underlined] 'MAD ABOUT FLYING' BOY IS HERO OF 100 MISSIONS [/underlined]
V.C. For Pilot RAF Always Chose For Their Difficult Bombing Jobs
[Italics] By 'Daily Sketch' Correspondent [/italics]
ACTING Squadron Leader Robert Anthony Maurice Palmer, 24-year-old double-D.F.C. who was always selected for special operations against vital targets, has been awarded the V.C.
[photograph]
[italics] Squadron Leader Palmer, V.C. [/italics]
Palmer, whose home was at Gravesend, was reported missing after he had made a superb and accurate attack in a blazing Lancaster on the marshalling yards at Cologne.
His plane was last seen spiralling to earth in flames.
The citation to the announcement of his award says:
“This officer has completed 110 bombing missions. Most of them involved deep penetration of heavily defended territory. Many were low-level 'marking' operations against vital targets. All were executed with tenacity, high courage and great accuracy.”
At his home in Belman-avenue, Gravesend, surrounded by model aeroplanes, propeller blades from “dad’s plane in the last war,” and pieces of aircraft made into all kinds of ornaments by “the boys,” I talked with Mr. and Mrs. A.R.F. Palmer, the air ace’s parents, yesterday.
“His whole life interest has been the air since he was a small boy, and he loved flying,” said Mr. Palmer. “He refused to talk about his job when at home, but we knew that he was an excellent pilot when we learned he had been chosen as a Pathfinder pilot.
“We are a family of airmen. I myself joined the R.F.C. in the last war, and have held my interest in aeroplanes ever since, joining up again as an A.T.C. officer in this war.
“On winter evenings I used to entertain Rob and Douglas (his younger brother now 19 and an R.A.F. officer cadet) round the fireside with stories of my last war flying. It became very life blood to the boys.”
[page break]
[underlined] NEWS CHRONICLE, Saturday, March [/underlined]
The shy V.C flew on
A SQUADRON-LEADER, described by his friends in civilian life as “a shy boy, very quiet and reserved,” has won the 134th V.C. of the war.
He is Acting Sqdn-Ldr. R.A.M. Palmer, R.A.F.V.R., 109 Squadron, 24-year-old double D.F.C., whose home is at Gravesend.
He was reported missing after he had made a “superb and accurate attack” in a burning Lancaster on the marshalling yards at Cologne, undeterred by the double risk of fire and explosion.
His plane was last seen spiralling to earth in flames.
He had completed 110 bombing missions and had a record of “prolonged and heroic endeavour.”
He was always selected to take part in special operations against vital targets.
Though he was heavily attacked and two of his engines were set on fire he refused to take avoiding action. He went on and completed his task of providing an aiming point for the other bombers.
Half were lost
“Such was the strength of the opposition,” says the citation, “that more than half of his formation failed to return.”
Sqdn.-Ldr. Palmer was born at Gillingham and went to school at Gravesend. Before the war he was in the office of the Gravesend borough engineer.
His father, who is a Ministry of Labour official, was a pilot in the last war.
[page break]
[inserted] TIMES. MAR. 24TH [/inserted]
[photograph]
A/Sqdn. Leader R.A.M. Palmer, who has been awarded the V.C. He was missing after a daylight attack on Cologne, in which his machine went down in flames.
[underlined] 'MAD ABOUT FLYING' BOY IS HERO OF 100 MISSIONS [/underlined]
V.C. For Pilot RAF Always Chose For Their Difficult Bombing Jobs
[Italics] By 'Daily Sketch' Correspondent [/italics]
ACTING Squadron Leader Robert Anthony Maurice Palmer, 24-year-old double-D.F.C. who was always selected for special operations against vital targets, has been awarded the V.C.
[photograph]
[italics] Squadron Leader Palmer, V.C. [/italics]
Palmer, whose home was at Gravesend, was reported missing after he had made a superb and accurate attack in a blazing Lancaster on the marshalling yards at Cologne.
His plane was last seen spiralling to earth in flames.
The citation to the announcement of his award says:
“This officer has completed 110 bombing missions. Most of them involved deep penetration of heavily defended territory. Many were low-level 'marking' operations against vital targets. All were executed with tenacity, high courage and great accuracy.”
At his home in Belman-avenue, Gravesend, surrounded by model aeroplanes, propeller blades from “dad’s plane in the last war,” and pieces of aircraft made into all kinds of ornaments by “the boys,” I talked with Mr. and Mrs. A.R.F. Palmer, the air ace’s parents, yesterday.
“His whole life interest has been the air since he was a small boy, and he loved flying,” said Mr. Palmer. “He refused to talk about his job when at home, but we knew that he was an excellent pilot when we learned he had been chosen as a Pathfinder pilot.
“We are a family of airmen. I myself joined the R.F.C. in the last war, and have held my interest in aeroplanes ever since, joining up again as an A.T.C. officer in this war.
“On winter evenings I used to entertain Rob and Douglas (his younger brother now 19 and an R.A.F. officer cadet) round the fireside with stories of my last war flying. It became very life blood to the boys.”
[page break]
[underlined] NEWS CHRONICLE, Saturday, March [/underlined]
The shy V.C flew on
A SQUADRON-LEADER, described by his friends in civilian life as “a shy boy, very quiet and reserved,” has won the 134th V.C. of the war.
He is Acting Sqdn-Ldr. R.A.M. Palmer, R.A.F.V.R., 109 Squadron, 24-year-old double D.F.C., whose home is at Gravesend.
He was reported missing after he had made a “superb and accurate attack” in a burning Lancaster on the marshalling yards at Cologne, undeterred by the double risk of fire and explosion.
His plane was last seen spiralling to earth in flames.
He had completed 110 bombing missions and had a record of “prolonged and heroic endeavour.”
He was always selected to take part in special operations against vital targets.
Though he was heavily attacked and two of his engines were set on fire he refused to take avoiding action. He went on and completed his task of providing an aiming point for the other bombers.
Half were lost
“Such was the strength of the opposition,” says the citation, “that more than half of his formation failed to return.”
Sqdn.-Ldr. Palmer was born at Gillingham and went to school at Gravesend. Before the war he was in the office of the Gravesend borough engineer.
His father, who is a Ministry of Labour official, was a pilot in the last war.
[page break]
[inserted] TIMES. MAR. 24TH [/inserted]
[photograph]
A/Sqdn. Leader R.A.M. Palmer, who has been awarded the V.C. He was missing after a daylight attack on Cologne, in which his machine went down in flames.
Collection
Citation
“Award of Victoria Cross newspaper cuttings,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed July 22, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/38259.
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