The fascinating Richthofen’s Flying Circus Casualty set of four groups to two familys, one the Palmer family of Market Harborough, Leicestershire, the other the Jeffery family of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire and Twickenham, London. Two of these four men, were the pilot and observer of an Airco D.H.4 day bomber which was shot down on 25th May 1917 by the German ace Karl Allmenroder, who was one of Manfred von Richthofen’s Flying Circus. The pilot was 2nd Lieutenant R.E. Jeffery, General List attached Royal Flying Corp, the observer was 2nd Lieutenant P.R. Palmer, M.C., 11th Service Battalion - the Midland Pioneers, Leicestershire Regiment attached Royal Flying Corps, formerly a Private in the 19th Service Battalion - 2nd Public Schools, Royal Fusiliers. Palmer had previously won a particularly fine Military Cross during the latter stages of the Battle of the Somme, when he displayed great courage and determination in firing a torpedo under most difficult conditions, and later rescued two wounded men. Also included are the awards to Lieutenant G.W. Jeffery, Army Service Corps, who was the father of 2nd Lieutenant R.E. Jeffery. He saw service with a Motor Transport Company out in Mesopotamia and was awarded a Mention in Despatches. The fourth group is to Farrier Staff Sergeant H.W. Palmer, Army Service Corps, the brother of 2nd Lieutenant P.R. Palmer, who was serving with the 46th Divisional Train when he was killed in action on 12th January 1918.
1) Group of 3: Military Cross, GVR GRI cypher, unnamed as issued; 1914-1915 Star; (PS-6742 PTE. P.R. PALMER, R.FUS.); British War Medal; (2.LIEUT. P.R. PALMER.)
Condition: Victory Medal missing, otherwise Nearly Extremely Fine.
2) Pair: British War Medal and Victory Medal; (2.LIEUT. R.E. JEFFERY.)
Condition: Extremely Fine.
3) Pair: British War Medal and Victory Medal with Mention in Despatches Oakleaf; (2. LIEUT. G.W. JEFFERY)
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine.
4) Group of 3: 1914-1915 Star; (2184 FAR.CPL. H.W. PALMER. A.S.C.); British War Medal and Victory Medal; (2184 A.S.SGT. H.W. PALMER. A.S.C.)
Condition: Good Very Fine.
2nd Lieutenant P.R. Palmer, M.C., 11th Service Battalion - the Midland Pioneers, Leicestershire Regiment attached Royal Flying Corps, formerly a Private in the 19th Service Battalion - 2nd Public Schools, Royal Fusiliers. Palmer was present with the 2nd Public Schools Battalion out on the Western Front from November 1915 to May 1916, before being commissioned in October 1916, and then posted back to the front with the Midland Pioneers Battalion. With this unit he won a particularly fine Military Cross during the latter stages of the Battle of the Somme, when he displayed great courage and determination in firing a torpedo under most difficult conditions, and later rescued two wounded men. Palmer was however then attached as an observer to the Royal Flying Corps, and flew operationally in day bomber aircraft with 55 Squadron. Palmer was shot down and killed on 25th May 1917 during the Battle of Arras, his aircraft becoming the 20th victim of the German ace Karl Allmenroder, who was one of Manfred von Richthofen’s Flying Circus. His pilot’s medals are also included with this grouping.
Percy Roger Palmer was born on 13th November 1897 in Market Harborough, Leicestershire. Educated at Harborough Grammar School, he went on to work as a chemist’s assistant, with his parents being shown as living in Market Hill, Rothwell, Northamptonshire. Owing to the Great War he then enlisted into the British Army on 7th April 1915 at Epsom, joining as a Private (No.PS-6742) the 19th Service Battalion - 2nd Public Schools, Royal Fusiliers. As such he saw service out on the Western Front from 14th November 1915, as part of the 98th Brigade in the 33rd Division.
Palmer was on service out in France when he was then recommended for a commission on 13th March 1916. Posted home on 18th May 1916, he was sent to the No.6 Officer Cadet Battalion at Balliol College, Oxford on 19th May 1916, and having been discharged to a commission on 25th September 1916, was then commissioned on 16th October 1916 as a 2nd Lieutenant into the Leicestershire Regiment, and posted to the 11th Service Battalion - the Midland Pioneers, which unit was then on service out on the Western Front, where he joined the battalion.
Shortly afterwards Palmer won the Military Cross towards the end of the Battle of the Somme, the award being published in the London Gazette for 17th April 1917, when he is incorrectly shown as Royal Welsh Fusiliers attached Leicestershire Regiment, but this was amended in the London Gazette of 18th June 1917, to just read Leicestershire Regiment. The citation reads as follows: ‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He displayed great courage and determination in firing a torpedo under most difficult conditions. Later, he rescued two wounded men.’
Palmer was then attached to the Royal Flying Corps in March 1917 as an observer, and found himself posted to 55 Squadron, operationally as the observer in Airco D.H.4 day bombers. His squadron only arrived at the front in early March 1917, and operated as part of the 9th Wing.
Flying as the observer to 2nd Lieutenant R.E. Jeffery, Palmer was killed in action on 25th May 1917, however he was initially posted as missing in action, until his name appeared in a casualty list published by the Germans in the Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung on 19th June 1917, which confirmed he had been killed. A report on his death was also dropped by a German aircraft. His aircraft had been involved in a daylight raid on an enemy aerodrome, and he was lost in aerial combat, his aircraft being last seen going into a dive.
A fellow member of his squadron, Captain E.A.B. Rice, would subsequently recall ‘I was up that day and I saw Lt. Jeffery’s machine suddenly go out of control and break of pieces, close to Donai over the German lines. Certainly he was killed before the machine reached earth. 2nd Lt. Palmer was Lt. Jeffery’s observer that day and of course was also killed.’
Some of Palmer’s personal effects were later returned from Germany, which included a the ribbon for his Military Cross. Palmer was initially buried in Lecluse Military Cemetery, to south west of Douai, but now lies buried in Vis-En-Artois British Cemetery at Haucourt.
2nd Lieutenant R.E. Jeffery, General List attached Royal Flying Corps, a pilot of day bomber aircraft with 55 Squadron, who was shot down and killed on 25th May 1917 during the Battle of Arras, his aircraft becoming the 20th victim of the German ace Karl Allmenroder, who was one of Manfred von Richthofen’s Flying Circus. His observer’s medals are also included with this grouping.
Rowland Edward Jeffery was born on 10th July 1896 in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, but went on to live at Wyke Lodge, Pope’s Grove, Twickenham, London, and having been educated at Worksop College where he was a member of the Officer Training Corps Junior Division through to July 1912, he went on to work as an articled clerk. With the Great War, Jeffery attested for service with the Territorial Force at Lincoln’s Inn in London on 1st November 1915, joining as a Private (No.7104) the Inns of Court Officer Training Corps, he would sign the Imperial Service obligation at Berkhamsted on 15th February 1916.
Having then been selected for a commission, Jeffery was then attached for pay and ration purposes to No.11 Officer Cadet Battalion at Camberley from 8th May 1916, where he remained until commissioned on 5th September 1916, he being discharged from the Territorial Force at London on 21st September 1916, on his taking up his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant with the General List, being then attached to the Royal Flying Corps on probation and confirmed on 20th April 1917.
Present out on the Western Front with 55 Squadron from 10th April 1917, he flew operationally as the pilot of Airco D.H.4 day bombers. His squadron only arrived at the front in early March 1917, and operated as part of the 9th Wing, flying its first bombing mission against Valenciennes railway station on 23rd April 1917 in support of the Battle of Arras. Jeffery was killed in action on 25th May 1917, however he was initially posted as missing in action, until his name appeared in a casualty list published by the Germans in the Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung on 19th June 1917, which confirmed he had been killed. A report on his death was also dropped by a German aircraft. His aircraft had been involved in a daylight raid on an enemy aerodrome, and he was lost in aerial combat, his aircraft being last seen going into a dive.
A fellow member of his squadron, Captain E.A.B. Rice, would subsequently recall ‘I was up that day and I saw Lt. Jeffery’s machine suddenly go out of control and break of pieces, close to Donai over the German lines. Certainly he was killed before the machine reached earth. 2nd Lt. Palmer was Lt. Jeffery’s observer that day and of course was also killed.’
Jeffery was in fact the victim of one of Manfred von Richthofen’s Flying Circus, he being the 20th confirmed victim of the German ace Karl Allmenroder, who is photographer alongside the Red Baron in a number of photographs. Allmenroder went on to gain 30 kills, and was the recipient of the Pour le Merite, before being killed in action on 27th June 1917.
Some of Jeffery’s personal effects were later returned from Germany, which included a wallet. Jeffery now lies buried in Vis-En-Artois British Cemetery at Haucourt.
Lieutenant G.W. Jeffery, Army Service Corps, who was the father of 2nd Lieutenant R.E. Jeffery. He saw service with a Motor Transport Company out in Mesopotamia and was awarded a Mention in Despatches.
George William Jeffery was born in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, but later lived in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire and then Twickenham, London. He was the father of Rowland Edward Jeffery. Like his sone he saw service during the Great War, but as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Service Corps with a Motor Transport Company. Present out in Mesopotamia from 26th July 1917 . He was promoted to temporary Lieutenant on 2nd January 1919, and is confirmed as having been awarded a Mention in Despatches for gallant and distinguished service in Mesopotamia. Jeffery claimed his medals in April 1924 when living in Twickenham.
Farrier Staff Sergeant H.W. Palmer, Army Service Corps, who was present out on the Western Front from February 1915 and was serving with the 46th Divisional Train when he was killed in action on 12th January 1918.
Horace William Palmer came from Market Harborough, Leicestershire, and was the brother of Percy Roger Palmer. He originally joined the Territorial Army on 16th February 1911, before being transferred to the Regulars in 1912 and serving as a Private (No.2184 later No.T4-244022) in the Army Service Corps. By the outbreak of the Great War he was a Farrier Corporal and Acting Staff Sergeant and saw service out on the Western Front from 28th February 1915. Palmer was promoted to Farrier Staff Sergeant and was serving with the 46th Divisional Train when he was killed in action on 12th January 1918. He is buried in Sailly-Labourse Communal Cemetery Extension. Aged 22 at the time of his death, he was the son of Mr. W.E. and Mrs. M.J. Palmer, of Rothwell, Kettering, Northamptonshire.
