WALTER HARVEY PALMER
21 July 1897 - 23 April 1917
At School 1906 - 1915
2nd Lieut 17th Manchester Regt
Walter was born in West Didsbury, Manchester and in 1901 aged 3 was living at 12 Leamington Avenue, Didsbury, with father Alfred, a Manufacturer's Agent in the Lace and Cotton Goods trade, mother Kate and older brothers Harold and Charles. By 1911 the family had moved to 15 St Paul's Road, Withington and younger brother Howard had arrived. At that time Walter's mother was described as an "Exam Superintendent and Private Tutor" so no doubt she had an influence on Walter entering School in 1906 with a scholarship and leaving in 1915 with a School Exhibition at the University. Walter enjoyed a successful all round School career, being Heywood House prefect
1913 to 1915, captain of School Lacrosse 1914-15 and of the Second Cricket Eleven in 1914. Walter was awarded a First Eleven Cricket cap in 1915.
On leaving School, Walter joined the Inns of Court O.T.C. and on 4th September 1916 obtained a commission with the 17th (2nd City Pals) Battalion, Manchester Regiment, 90th Brigade.
He went to the Western Front in October 1916 and was slightly wounded in the arm in January 1917. He rejoined his Battalion after 3 weeks in hospital abroad. At this time the Battalion was in billets at Pommera, approximately 20 miles south west of Arras, engaged in the construction of a railway in preparation for the battle of Arras. on 20th March the Battalion marched to Agny and relieved the 2nd Bedfords in the line at Mercatel, where, being a new line,

trenches were dug and wiring commenced. Until 29 March, working parties were provided to dig communication trenches from the support trenches to the front line. In early April they were billeted in tunnels at Blairville providing working parties for the Royal Engineers. During this time the German army had been conducting a strategic withdrawal to shorten their front line and prepare formidable defences on the Hindenberg system of trenches.
It was this defence system that the Brigade was ordered to attack.

On 9 April the Battalion was moved forward as reserve support for an attack by the 89th Brigade but was not required to go into action. On 19 April the Battalion moved forward again to trenches near Neuville-Vitasse in preparation for their attack. On 23 April at 4.45 a.m. the Battalion moved to attack the German position at Cherisy, east of Heninel, and dug in. "A" Company was under the command of 2nd Lieuts Holt and Palmer. The attack was met with devastating machine gun fire and artillery bombardment from emplacements which had withstood the British bombardment. The Germans counter-attacked on two occasions but these attacks were repulsed with heavy casualties and the Battalion was relieved during the night.

Of the 650 men who went into the assault, 390 were killed wounded or missing, including Walter. The Hulmeian magazine reported "Early in the morning of April 23rd an attack was being made, and Lieutenant Palmer was gallantly leading his platoon when he was hit by a machine gun bullet, and later, when on the ground and before he could be got away, was hit a second time. His servant, who was with him, did all he could for him, but he expired before he could be moved. His Colonel wrote: "He had done some very good work since he joined the Battalion some months ago and we were all very fond of him.""
Walter's body was not found or never identified and he is commemorated on Bay 7 of the Arras Memorial to the Missing.