The outstanding Second World War Atlantic and Mediterranean Convoy, first hand witness to the Italian Human Torpedo Attack in Alexandria in December 1941, Operation Husky, Operation Baytown and Operation Neptune, post-war South China Sea and Palestine Patrol, and Korean War Belfast Cruiser operations and long service group awarded to Leading Seaman V.B.E. Palmer, Royal Navy. From Southwold, Suffolk, he saw service in the navy between March 1940 and April 1959, though he re-enlisted during this period. He was most actively employed during the Second World War, being initially aboard the battleship Valiant as part of the Malta Convoys, and in supporting Force “K” in attacks on Italian convoys, he was with her when she was seriously damaged by limpet mines placed by Italian frogmen of Decima Flottiglia MAS in Alexandria harbour on 19 December 1941. He then further saw service with her during Operation Touchstone and during preparations for Operation Ironclad, before taking part in Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicity, and Operation Baytown, when covering the attacks across the Strait of Messina during the invasion of mainland Italy. He served on an Atlantic Convoy escort duty aboard the battleship Malaya in late 1943, before participating in Operation Neptune, the invasion of Normandy when aboard the corvette Potentilla, and then ended the war in the Mediterranean aboard the sloop Erne. Post-war he was sent out to the Far East aboard the anti-aircraft frigate Whitesand Bay when she was deployed in the South China Sea on patrols and trade defence, and remained with her when in the Mediterranean as part of the Palestine Patrol, and tasked with intercepting, boarding and detaining ships carrying illegal Jewish immigrants to Palestine. She operated on this duty between April 1947 and March 1948 when based at Haifa. Palmer, who was originally a Torpedo Rating, went on to become a Torpedo Detector and ultimately an Underwater Weapons and Underwater Control rating. During the Korean War he was was actively engaged aboard the light cruiser Belfast, the same vessel that is now famously moored next to Tower Bridge in London, and served with her on active operations between September 1951 and September 1952. Belfast steamed over 80,000 miles in the combat zone and fired more than 8,000 rounds from her 6-inch guns during the Korean War. Palmer was released from service in January 1954 but rejoined in February 1955, and went on to be awarded his long service medal in late 1957.
Group of 10: 1939-1945 Star; Atlantic Star with France and Germany Clasp; Africa Star; Pacific Star; Italy Star; War Medal; Naval General Service Medal 1909-1962, GVI 2nd type bust, 1 Clasp: Palestine 1945-48; (C/JX.188468. V.E.B. PALMER. LDG. SMN. R.N.); Korea Medal 1950-1953, 1st type obverse; (C/JX.188468. V.B.E. PALMER LDG.SMN. R.N.); Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, EIIR Dei.Grat. bust; (J.944514 V.B.E. PALMER. LDG.SEA. H.M.S. PEMBROKE.); United Nations Medal for Korea. Court mounted for display.
Condition: Good Very Fine.
Together with the recipient’s Royal Navy canvas Certificate of Service, issued in the name of: Victor Benjamin Ephraim Palmer, and also his service card when aboard the battleship H.M.S Plant as a Boy 1st Class between June and November 1941. He was allotted to No.4 Floatnet in the event of being required to abandon ship.
Provenance: ex Spink Medal Circular December 1998.
Victor Benjamin Ephraim Palmer was born on 11 November 1923 in Southwold, Suffolk, and having worked as a painter’s mate, then joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class (Chatham No.JX.1884668) with the training establishment St. George from 27 March 1940, being rated as a Boy 1st Class on 2 November 1940. Posted to Pembroke from 30 January 1941, he then saw service aboard the battleship Valiant from 2 June 1941, and remaining with her until October 1943, during which period he was rated as an Ordinary Seaman on 11 November 1941, and as an Able Seaman on 11 June 1942. As such he took part in Malta Convoys, and then supported Force “K” in attacks on Italian convoys to Benghazi on 23 to 25 November 1941. Further to this, he was aboard her in Egypt at Alexandria harbour when on 19 December 1941, she was seriously damaged by limpet mines placed by Italian frogmen of Decima Flottiglia MAS, who entered Alexandria harbour riding two-man “human torpedoes”. Her sister ship Queen Elizabeth was also damaged.
The mine attached to Valiant was not actually in contact with her hull, so the damage was far less severe than to Queen Elizabeth. Despite having a heavy trim forward, her decks were above water, and she remained clear of the harbour bottom. Although nearly immobilised, she was able, although only for a few days, to give the impression of full battle readiness, at least until she could be repaired. Valiant was repaired in Durban, South Africa, carrying out post-refit trials in July 1942, and took part in exercises with the Far Eastern Fleet the following month, hence his qualification for the Pacific Star. At the end of August, Valiant took part in Operation Touchstone, an exercise to test East Africa's defences against a seaborne invasion and to conduct a dress rehearsal for Operation Ironclad, the invasion of French Madagascar. She remained in African waters until the end of the year, and returned to Devonport for a refit in January 1943. Palmer qualified as a Torpedo Rating on 23 January 1942. On 17 June, Valiant departed Scapa Flow for Gibraltar along with the Nelson, Rodney and Warspite, joining Force H on arrival, and then took part in Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicity. Between 2 and 3 September, Valiant and Warspite participated in Operation Baytown, and covered the attack across the Strait of Messina and bombed the Italian coastal batteries at Reggio during the invasion of mainland Italy. After then briefly operating in the Ionian Sea, she returned home for overhaul in October 1943.
Palmer was briefly aboard the battleship Malaya from 15 October to 26 November 1943 during an Atlantic Convoy, and was then posted to Pembroke, and before seeing service with Nimrod from 4 December 1943, this being a shore establishment at Campbeltown, Argyll, then was the principal Asdic training school for officers and men. Further posted to Osprey from 29 January 1944, this being the anti-submarine training establishment established at Portland, he then joined Eaglet for service aboard the corvette Potentilla from 14 March 1944, this being the date that the vessel was returned to the Royal Navy after service with the Royal Norwegian Navy. This vessel was employed on convoy escort duty, and Palmer was with her when she took part in the D-Day operations on 6 June 1944, and subsequent operations in support of the invasion, and he remained with her until posted back to Osprey from 8 December 1944.
From 11 February 1945, Palmer was operating out of St Angelo at Malta when aboard the sloop Erne, and spent the remainder of the war aboard her, being rated as an Acting Leading Seaman on 30 August 1945, and then as temporary Leading Seaman on 30 August 1946, he returned to Pembroke from 13 October 1946, and was then confirmed in the rank of Leading Seaman on 17 December 1946. Palmer had been posted out to the Far East from 2 December 1946, and was with Tamar at Hong Kong when he joined the anti-aircraft frigate Whitesand Bay on 6 January 1947. This vessel was deployed in the South China Sea on patrols and trade defence, and he would remain aboard her until October 1948.
In March 1947 Whitesand Bay was transferred to the Mediterranean, along with Bigbury Bay, Veryan Bay and Widemouth Bay for attachment to the Palestine Patrol. The ships sailed via Singapore, Trincomalee and Aden, transited the Suez Canal, and arrived at Malta on 22 April to join the 5th Frigate Flotilla of the Mediterranean Fleet. There Lieutenant-Commander R.F.C. O'Sullivan took command of Whitesand Bay and prepared for her new duty which was to intercept, board and detain ships carrying illegal Jewish immigrants to Palestine. Boarding ramps and protective nettings were fitted, and special training for Boarding Parties was carried out. She remained on the Palestine Patrol until March 1948, while based at Haifa. Palmer would be awarded his Naval General Service Medal with Palestine 1945-48 clasp on 29 May 1952.
Whitesand Bay then returned to Malta, and in April was sent to Trieste for guardship duties. She was refitted at HM Dockyard, Malta, from May to June, at which time she received a new Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Commander J.V. Brothers, and a change of pennant number to F633. In July she took part in the Mediterranean Fleet's Summer Cruise Programme, and carried the Olympic Torch from the Greek island of Corfu to Bari in Italy as part of its journey from Greece to London for the Olympic Games. In August she was at Argostoli for a Regatta, and also visited Bone and Tunis, while in September she was deployed with the Flotilla and visited Sfax and Sorrento. Whitesand Bay was transferred to the West Indies Station, sailing from Malta on 20 September 1948, calling at Gibraltar, Madeira, and Horta in the Azores, before arriving at Bermuda on 14 October.
Palmer transferred to the light cruiser Sheffield from 15 October 1948, and then sailed home with her, being posted back to Pembroke on 6 November 1948, followed by Vernon from 28 January 1949. He qualified for the specialist rating of Torpedo Detector 2nd Class on 16 September 1949, and then rejoined Pembroke on 26 September 1949, before being posted to Pembroke II for service aboard the fleet destroyer Jutland from 17 November 1949, and serving with the 4th Destroyer Flotilla in the Home Fleet. He was then posted to Neptune, the naval base on the Clyde, from 2 August 1950, before rejoining Pembroke from 17 August 1950, and was then posted out to the Far East to join the cruiser Kenya from 18 August 1950. Based with Tamer at Hong Kong when aboard the anti-aircraft frigate Mounts Bay from 27 October 1950, he then transferred to the light cruiser Belfast from 3 September 1951, and was then involved in naval operations during the then ongoing Korean War.
In September 1951 Belfast provided anti-aircraft cover for a salvage operation to recover a crashed enemy MiG-15 jet fighter. She conducted further bombardments and patrols before receiving a month's leave from operations, returning to action on 23 December. In 1952 Belfast continued her coastal patrol duties. On 29 July 1952 Belfast was hit by enemy fire while engaging an artillery battery on Wolsa-ri island. A 75mm shell struck a forward compartment, killing a British sailor of Chinese origin in his hammock and wounding four other Chinese ratings. This was the only time Belfast was hit by enemy fire during her Korean service. On 27 September 1952 Belfast was relieved by two other Town-class cruisers, Birmingham andNewcastle, and sailed back to the UK. She had steamed over 80,000 miles in the combat zone and fired more than 8,000 rounds from her 6-inch guns during the Korean War. Belfast was sailing for home when on 30 September 1952, Palmer qualified as an Underwater Weapons Rating 2nd Class.
Palmer was paid off Belfast and posted back to Pembroke from 2 December 1953, and was released from service on 23 January 1954, and awarded a £100 Gratuity. This Gratuity was however recovered when he rejoined the Royal Navy as an Able Seaman and Underwater Weapons Rating 2nd Class with Pembroke on 14 February 1955, this time with the Devonport Division and given a new service number: J.944514. He was re-rated as a Leading Seaman on 15 February 1955, and posted back to Vernon from 11 March 1955, and returning to Pembroke from 19 March 1955.
Posted aboard the anti-submarine frigate Whirlwind from 13 April 1955, this vessel was then operating from Phoenix, the fire fighting training establishment at Portsmouth. Palmer qualified as an Underwater Control Rating 2nd Class whilst with her on 16 April 1956. In that year, Whirlwind was part of the Royal Navy force deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean as part of the Suez Crisis. At this time she was part of the 5th Frigate Squadron. She also undertook patrols off the Cyprus coast. Palmer was posted back to Vernon from 14 August 1956, and then to Pembroke from 16 January 1957, before joining the anti-submarine frigate Tumult and serving with the anti-submarine school Osprey from 22 January 1957. He was back with Pembroke from 24 August 1957, and was serving with Pembroke IV aboard the destroyer Alamein from 20 November 1957, and was with her and operating from Phoenix from 29 November 1957, before returning with her to Pembroke IV from 11 October 1958. In the meantime, Palmer he qualified for his award of the Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 2 December 1957, and this award was presented to him on 6 April 1958, on which date his Gratuity was also awarded.
Posted back to Vernon from 24 February 1959, and then back to Pembroke from 25 February 1959, he latterly joined Drake X for service with the anti-submarine frigate Vigilant from 9 April 1959, and appears to have been released from service on 27 April 1959. Palmer returned to live in Southwold, and died there on 9 December 2000. With copied images of the recipient in service, clearly wearing all of his medal ribbons.
