Corporal Leonard Palmer

Wall of Service

Column
22

Row
22

Corporal Leonard Palmer
Royal Cdn Army Medical Corps

Leonard Palmer’s Military Service and the Lady Nelson

Leonard Palmer was born in England in 1913. He emigrated to Canada to help work on the farms, as there was a shortage of help following World War I. He arrived in Halifax on the R.M.S. Lancastria on April 28, 1929.

He was assigned to a farm on Cape Breton Island where he learned farming and animal husbandry. He married in 1938 and had a daughter Florence, born in 1940.

He enlisted in the Canadian Army at the age of 29 as a Private on April 10, 1943. He was assigned to the No. 6 District Depot, for the Halifax Military Hospital, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps (R.C.A.M.C.). He completed initial training on April 29 and was transferred to No. 60 Basic Training Command at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. He completed his training on June 30.

On July 1, 1943, he was assigned to Halifax Military Hospital (HHMI). On November 11, 1943, he qualified as Operating Room Assistant, Grade “B” and began to receive Tradesman’s Rate of Pay.

On May 26, 1944 he was transferred to No. 8 Sub-section and proceeded “on Command” Overseas until September 16. This was his 1st tour on the Lady Nelson Hospital Ship, No. 46. During that time period, the Lady Nelson made four round-trip crossings from Halifax to Liverpool and back. During this time, Leonard was qualified as Nursing Orderly Grade “B” on August 31.

His 2nd tour of duty on the Lady Nelson was from October 21 to December 19, 1944 during which she completed a round trip between Halifax and Liverpool and another from Halifax to Southampton to Milford Haven and back to Halifax.

On May 1, 1945, Leonard was promoted to Acting Corporal. He served on his 3rd tour on the Lady Nelson from May 11 to September 18, 1945. During this period, she completed two round trips between Halifax and Avonmouth, and three between Halifax and Southampton.

On January 28, 1946, Leonard Palmer was honorably discharged from the Army.

His awards included the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal & Clasp, the War Medal 39-45, the 1939-45 Star and the Atlantic Star.

In summary, Leonard Palmer had 33+ months service, including 10+ months as Hospital Orderly and Operating Room Assistant on the hospital ship Lady Nelson.

Click here to read Leonard Palmer's Virtual Sobey Wall of Honour Story

Uniformed man standing with small girl in front of a house,a horse cart is behind them.
Leonard Palmer home on leave with daughter Florence
Headshot photo of young man with glasses.
Leonard Palmer in uniform
Man wearing military clothing with glasses is standing in front of a window.
Leonard Palmer in uniform in front of the farmhouse
Uniformed man standing in a corner of a room in front of a book shelf behind a table.
Leonard Palmer in uniform in parlor of farmhouse
Photo taken of ship from the net.
At sea.
Ships are docked in the port.
Docked.
Black and white photo of a ship with smoke coming out of the funnels.
At anchor, but smoke is coming out of the funnel.
A ship with a red cross sign.
Docked.
Ships are docked at port, and smoke is billowing from the funnels.
Docked. Cannot identify the ship’s number.
Black and white photo of a sailing ship with a red cross sign and billowing smoke from a funnel.
At sea. Cannot identify the ship’s number.
Ship with a red cross sign is docked and there is a small ship in front of it.
Perhaps just docked, with Tug pulling away. Cannot identify the ship’s number.
Group of young men sitting and playing guitar.
Leonard Palmer at the front of the rightmost bench.
Group of young men sitting around a table playing cards and writing on a board.
Leonard Palmer at right front, writing a letter.
A man is lying on an operating table and two doctors wearing white gowns, caps and masks are standing beside him.
An operation about to begin.
Two men standing behind an operating table are looking at the camera.
Leonard Palmer and another staff member in the OR.
Miltary bunk beds with a side table and a jug on it.
Beds in the sickbay.
A man is standing in front of a door of a ship and he is wearing a captain's uniform.
Captain of the Lady Nelson. I don’t know his name.
A ship sails in the sea.
I don’t know the location for this one.
A small ship sails in the sea.
Could be the tug in the earlier pictures.

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