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caught fire, but rejecting alternative evasive action and being determined to provide an accurate and easily visible aiming point for the other bombers, he managed to keep the badly damaged aircraft on a straight course, made a perfect approach and released his bombs. His
Lancaster was last seen
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in reserve. During the outward flight, two
Lancasters collided over the French coast with the loss of both crews. On approaching their target over German airspace, they found that the forecasted
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The order to abandon the Oboe run did not reach Palmer, who continued with his designated role despite his aircraft having already been damaged by
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spiralling to earth in flames and only one member of his crew, the rear gunner, escaped with his life.
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had cleared, leaving them exposed during the long straight approach and vulnerable to
Cologne's
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to attack the
Gremberg railway yards. The air raid went badly. The force was split into three
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Palmer was in command of one of 27 Lancasters accompanied by three
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By the end of 1944, Palmer had completed 110 bombing missions, many with the
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and low-level 'marking' operations against heavily defended
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Royal Air Force
Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II
234:(7 July 1920 â 23 December 1944) was a bomber pilot in the
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forces. His award was the result of his valour during the
624:"Casualty Details: Palmer, Robert Anthony Maurice"
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British World War II recipients of the
Victoria Cross
458:. Some minutes before reaching the target two of his
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citation now hang in the school hall), before being
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533:List of Second World War Victoria Cross recipients
726:Royal Air Force recipients of the Victoria Cross
691:Royal Air Force personnel killed in World War II
470:lost a Lancaster and a Mosquito shot down by
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711:People educated at Gravesend Grammar School
317:in January 1941 and took part in the first
609:(Supplement). 20 March 1945. p. 1593.
273:Skuse), Palmer was born on 7 July 1920 at
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448:to break formation and bomb visually.
269:The son of Arthur Palmer and Lillian (
393:. His Lancaster PB371 was designated
383:on a daylight raid to bomb Cologne's
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444:. It was thus decided to allow the
736:Aviators killed by being shot down
686:British World War II bomber pilots
628:Commonwealth War Graves Commission
501:An Irish Airman Foresees His Death
486:Commonwealth War Graves Commission
348:necessitating deep penetration of
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681:Burials in North Rhine-Westphalia
321:in 1942. He was one of the first
319:1,000-bomber raid against Cologne
721:Royal Air Force squadron leaders
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1:
215:Robert Anthony Maurice Palmer
18:Robert Anthony Maurice Palmer
741:Military personnel from Kent
706:People from Gillingham, Kent
399:Oboe radio bombing equipment
584:Lancaster Mk.III PB371 60-V
371:. On 23 December 1944 over
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203:Distinguished Flying Cross
329:. In 1943 he served with
484:Palmer is buried at the
283:Gravesend Grammar School
170:Cologne bombing campaign
27:Royal Air Force officer
545:Ingleton, Roy (2011).
493:North Rhine-Westphalia
489:Rheinberg War Cemetery
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365:No. 109 Squadron (RAF)
359:At 24 years old, as a
289:in his memory and his
472:German flak artillery
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309:Palmer first flew in
281:. He was educated at
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128:Years of service
88:Free State of Prussia
588:www.lostaircraft.com
325:to drop a 4,000-lb.
551:Pen and Sword Books
401:his orders were to
183:Operation Millenium
606:The London Gazette
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150:RAF Bomber Command
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391:marshalling yards
381:Lancaster bombers
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16:(Redirected from
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656:Find a Grave
631:. Retrieved
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503:' (1918) by
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102:War Cemetery
79:(1944-12-23)
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676:1944 deaths
671:1920 births
601:"No. 36997"
582:Record for
505:W. B. Yeats
456:flak cannon
442:AA defences
438:cloud cover
426:No. 8 Group
313:during the
257:during the
60:7 July 1920
42:Nickname(s)
665:Categories
633:9 February
430:formations
397:and using
311:operations
275:Gillingham
265:Early life
108:Allegiance
63:Gillingham
56:1920-07-07
476:Luftwaffe
453:Wehrmacht
285:(where a
131:1941â1944
100:Rheinberg
69:, England
547:Kent VCs
511:See also
479:fighters
468:squadron
434:Mosquito
385:Gremberg
339:Scotland
287:portrait
116:Service/
460:engines
446:bombers
388:railway
377:Germany
373:Cologne
354:targets
297:in the
255:Germany
176:†
84:Cologne
557:
331:20 OTU
323:pilots
251:action
248:Allied
229:&
205:&
195:Awards
172:
118:branch
95:Buried
569:Notes
253:over
225:
223:,
635:2018
555:ISBN
474:and
466:The
279:Kent
146:Unit
136:Rank
74:Died
67:Kent
50:Born
654:at
586:on
491:in
337:in
333:at
299:RAF
271:nÊe
231:Bar
227:DFC
207:Bar
45:Bob
667::
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615:^
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369:VC
356:.
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220:VC
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