For Moggy C

[skyboy]

Dear Moggy. In a previous post you asked about the identity of 'Pussy' in Paul Richey's book 'Fighter Pilot'. In the 1980 reprint are photos of all of the airmen mentioned in the text. The picture of Pussy is captioned 'F/O Palmer DFC (Anglo-American) of A flight. He shot down ten enemy a/c in France and was shot down three times by front guns. He was killed in action in 1942 leading his fighter squadron over Brest'. Hope this is of interest. Skyboy.

[Moggy C]

Hi Skyboy!!

Great information, thanks for that.

Perhaps you, or somebody else can throw some further light on F/O Palmer.

I have checked all the listings for BoB veterans and he never gets a mention, yet it seems he wasn't killed until 1942.

Perhaps he spent the summer of 1940 recovering from wounds received in France?

What a shame he missed the Battle, scoring at the rate that he did in France would have been quite a contribution.

Moggy

[skyboy]

Hi Moggy, glad the info was of interest. Palmer gets a number of mentions in Brian Cull's 'Twelve Days in May' and I will check these out re possiblity of injuries sustained by Palmer that precluded him being involved in BoB.
Can you confirm if 'Piece of Cake' was based on Richey's 'Fighter Pilot' and do you know if the TV series of PoC is available on vid or DVD as I have never seen it.
Many thanks. Skyboy.

[kev35]

Moggy and Skyboy.

Re: Cyril Dampier Palmer.

According to Aces High he was born in Cleveland, Ohio and joined the RAF before the war. In September 1939 he was a Flying Officer in No1 Squadron and went with that unit to France. On the 23rd of November 1939 he claimed a 1/3 share in a Do17P. He was hit by return fire and forced-landed. This could be where Skyboy mentions 'front guns'? The crew baled out but the pilot stayed behind and manned the front guns to shoot at Palmer's Hurricane as it flew alongside. The Dornier then crash landed. The pilot, Uffz. Arno Frankenberger, was captured and was a guest of No.1 squadron's mess. F/O Palmer is also credited with a Bf109E on 14/5/40, a Bf110 on 17/5/40 and a half share in an He111 on the 19/5/40. This was his final total, 2 destroyed and 2 shared destroyed. He was also shot down and baled out twice while serving in France. He returned to the UK and saw some service as an instructor but little is known of his subsequent service. He was awarded the DFC (more of that later). As a Squadron Leader he was posted to 234 Squadron as supernumerary on the 6th of October 1942 and was shot down 15 miles north of the Isle de Batz flying Spitfire BH527 on the 27th October 1942 when bounced by four FW190's. Seen to bale out, his body was never recovered.

Fighter Command Losses states the Squadron was on a 'Rodeo' and that F/Sgt W G Drayton was lost in the same combat. Fighter Command Losses records his crash landing on 23/11/39, the aircraft being L1925. On 2/4/40 while flying N2326 he baled out after being shot down by Werner Molders of III/JG53. On 17/5/40 flying P2820 he baled out again after combat with Bf110's near Reims. On none of these occasions does it mention him being wounded.

His award of the Distinguished Flying Cross was Gazetted in the London Gazette of the 5th of November 1940. Unfortunately the citation is not reproduced. Among others awarded the DFC in the same issue were F/O Paul Richey and F/O William Stretton, also of No1 Squadron. The Gazette states 'The above awards are for gallantry and devotion to duty in the execution of air operations.'

Sorry I couldn't find out anything else. Hope this helps.

Regards,

kev35