Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals and Militaria
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15 A Great War ‘Auxiliary Patrol’ O.B.E. Group of Nine to Lieutenant-Commander R.H. Palmer, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve; Who Served as Second-in-Command to “The Terror of Tobermory”, Vice-Admiral G.O. Stephenson, at H.M.S. Western Isles, 1940-45 a) The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, 1st type, Military Division, Officer’s (O.B.E.) breast Badge, silver-gilt (Hallmarks for London 1919) b) 1914-15 Star, unnamed c) British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. R.H. Palmer. R.N.V.R.) d) 1939-1945 Star e) Defence and War Medals f) Jubilee 1935 g) Coronation 1937, generally very fine, mounted court-style as originally worn (9) £200-250 O.B.E. London Gazette 16.9.1919 Lieutenant Reginald Howard Palmer, R.N.V.R. ‘For valuable services in the Auxiliary Patrol.’ Lieutenant-Commander Reginald Howard Palmer, O.B.E., commissioned Temporary Sub-Lieutenant, R.N.V.R., 8.12.1915, and posted to M.B. Resourceful later the same month; served at H.M.S. Wallington (Auxiliary Patrol Base), from 14.1.1916, before service in the Motor Fishing Boat Our Girls Three and M.L. 62 and 198; Temporary Lieutenant 8.12.1916; commanded ML. 198 from 28.5.1918; invested with his O.B.E. at Buckingham Palace, 3.3.1920; re-engaged for service in the Second War as Temporary Lieutenant-Commander, 13.10.1939; served on ‘Defence Duties’ in Gibraltar, October 1939-April 1940; appointed to H.M.S. Western Isles (AntiSubmarine Training School), under Vice-Admiral G.O. Stephenson, 17.7.1940; he served as Second-in-Command for the remainder of the War, with Stephenson effusive in his praise for him, ‘an officer of exceptional organising ability. A very good seaman. A great designer. He made out all the plans for alterations of Western Isles. He has a great flair for persuading business people, especially in dockyard to do all he wants.... He has done wonderful work in helping to develop the base at Tobermory and by his ingenuity, engineering knowledge and the immense circle of business friends he has got work done here which without him would not have been done...... A wonderful second in command who has risen to every request I have made.... I urge as a matter of justice that Palmer, after 11 years war service in a most responsible position where he has worked with marked and outstanding success shall be promoted to the rank of Commander’ (Service Papers refer); Palmer did not, however, get his promotion and was discharged in 1946.
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