Donald Palmer (1906 - 1945)

Born 12 Jun 1906 in Coburg, Victoria, Australia

Husband of Edna Louisa Maida (Bayley) Palmer — married 13 Dec 1939 in St Cuthberts Presbyterian Church Brighton Victoria

Died 13 Feb 1945 at age 38 in Borneo

Biography

Donald Palmer is an Anzac who served in World War Two.

Corporal Donald Palmer served in the Australian Army in World War II
Service started: 20 Jun 1940
Unit(s): 2nd 10th Field Company
Service ended: 13 Feb 1945

Corporal Donald Palmer was a prisoner of war in Sandakan during World War II.

Corporal Donald Palmer died while a prisoner of war during World War II.

Donald Palmer was born on 12 June 1906 in Coburg, Victoria, Australia. He was the son of Henry Palmer and Elizabeth Rebecca Hutchison.^[1]

In 1939, he married Edna Lousia Maida Bayley in Victoria, Australia.^[2]

Corporal Donald Palmer, 2/10th Field Company, Royal Australian Engineers. He was one of over 2000 Allied prisoners of war (POW) held in the Sandakan POW camp in north Borneo, having been transferred there from Singapore as a part of B Force. The 1494 POW's that made up B Force, were transported from Changi on 7 July 1942 on board the tramp ship Ubi Maru, arriving in Sandakan Harbour on 18 July 1942. Corporal Palmer, aged 38, died as a prisoner of the Japanese on 13 February 1945. ^{[3] [4]}

Australian prisoners were sent to Sandakan in 1942 to build an airstrip. At first they were treated reasonably well. Gradually, however, rations were reduced and bashings increased.

By late 1944, with Allied forces advancing toward Borneo, the Japanese decided to send about 2,000 Australian and British prisoners westward to Ranau, in Borneo's rugged interior. Weak and sick prisoners staggered for about 260 kilometres along jungle tracks. Many died on the way, their bodies never recovered. Those unable to continue were killed; those too weak to march had been left behind in Sandakan, where all died or were killed. Only six – all Australians – out of about a thousand sent to Ranau survived the war.

The Sandakan "death march" remains the greatest single atrocity committed against Australians in war. ^{[5] [6] [7] [8]}

Death: Date: 13 Feb 1945. Place: Borneo. Cause: Illness in the POW camp in Borneo. ^[9]

He is commemorated on the Labuan Memorial Panel 5. (Photograph copied from AWM232, items 4 and 5. Personal information from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database.)

PALMER. - In loving memory of Cpl. Don, VX32200, died, P.O W.. Borneo. February 13 1945 loved brother of Arthur, brother in-law of Dot. uncle of Keith and Audrey. -A pal remembered.

Sources

1. ↑ [Births Deaths & Marriages Victoria. Search VIC BDM BIRTH Family name: PALMER Given name(s): Donald Event: births Mother's name >, Eliza Rebecca Mother's family name at birth: HUTCHISON Father's name: Hy Place of birth: COBURG Reg. year: 1906 Reg. number: 17570/1906 ]
2. ↑ [Births Deaths & Marriages Victoria. Search VIC BDM MARRIAGE Family name: BAYLEY Given name(s): Maaida Edna Lousia Event: marriages Spouse's name: PALMER, Donald Reg. year: 1939 Reg. number: 15195/1939 ]
3. ↑ [ Corporal Donald Palmer Service number: VX32200 Unit: 2/10th Field Company RAE Date of death: 13 February 1945 Commemorated on: Panel 24 Conflict: Second World War, 1939-1945 ]
4. ↑ [ Donald Palmer Paybook. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C334803 ]
5. ↑ [ History of Sandakan POW Camp. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandakan_camp ]
6. ↑ [ The horrific ordeal of the Sandakan death marches. https://ww2today.com/12-february-1945-the-horrific-ordeal-of-the-sandakan-death-marches ]
7. ↑ [ History of the death March. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandakan_Death_Marches ]
8. ↑ [ The last survivor of Sandakan: https://www.nib.com.au/the-checkup/community/sandakan-billy-youngs-story ]
9. ↑ [ Donald Palmer Death https://www.powmemorialballarat.com.au/prisoners-of-war/palmer-donald/]

• Memorial: "Commonwealth War Graves Commission"
  Labuan Memorial, Malaysia. (Plot: Panel 5)
  Commonwealth War Graves Commission Record (accessed 10 March 2024)
  Memorial page for Donald Palmer. Service number: VX32200; Rank: Corporal; Died: 13 February 1945; Age: 38.
  Regiment & Unit/Ship: A.I.F. 2/10 Fd. Coy., Royal Australian Engineers (Australia); Additional Info: Son of Henry and Elizabeth Palmer; husband of Maaida Edna Palmer, of Brighton, Victoria.
• Memorial: Virtual War Memorial Australia
• Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
  Find A Grave: Memorial #20347263 (accessed 10 March 2024)
  Memorial page for Corporal Donald Palmer (unknown-13 Feb 1945), citing Labuan Memorial, Labuan, Federal Territory of Labuan, Malaysia (plot: Panel 5.); Maintained by Cobber (contributor 50072026).