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1. Arthur Charles PALMER
was born on 4 Oct 1930 in Newmarket Suffolk.(1)
The name Palmer is a nickname which stems from the pilgrims to the Holy
Land, who traditionally carried a palm leaf on their return home to signify that
they had actually been to the Holy Land. There were Palmers in the First Fleet
to Australia and New Zealand in the 1700s.
At the age of fourteen while attending the village school at Cheveley, I sat
and passed a government scholarship to go to a teachers training college in Cambridge,
However, after the first year my parents were unable to continue with the finance
involved and so I started woking for a living. My first job was as an apprentice
projectionist at the Doric cinema in Newmarket High Street, this position lasted
about 12 months. I then applied for and got a position with John Slater Photographers
working in the darkroom developing and printing films and photographs, This lasted
for about 18 months before I decided to move on and see the world. As I could
not afford the money involved in paying my own way round the world, I decided
to volunteer and join the Royal Navy.After sitting a medical and various exams
I was accepted as a boy seaman and life in the Royal Navy officially started
on 5th May 1948. My seamanship training was carried out at Royal Arthur at Cosham
in Wiltshire ( incidentallly, one of my instructors during this time was Prince
Philip later to become HRH Duke of Edinburgh, and on two occasions he gave me
a lift from camp in his green MG to London) Over the next seven and a half years,
having been accepted for the Fleet Air Arm branch of the Royal Navy, I travelled
approximately 2/3 of the way round the world, as per the attached scanned documents.Having
married in 1954 I was demobbed from the navy in 1955 and spent a short time as
a furniture salesman in Wantage, Berks, before returning to my first love, horses,
at my father's place of employment, the Dalham Hall Stud at Gazeley in Suffolk.
In 1960 I obtained the position of Stud Groom at a private stud in Hampshire,
the Redenham Park Stud where I was employed by a Mr Archie Kidston. After 5 years
I was fortunate to be appointed to the job of Stud Groom at Sandley Stud in Gillingham,
Dorset, which was the ex National Stud and here the resident stallions were Meadow
Court and Floribunda, the champion sprinter of his year. However, Meadow Court
proved not to be a success at Stud and the decision was made to emigrate to New
Zealand which I did, with my wife and daughter, in 1969. Incidentally, one of
the owners of Meadow Courst was Bing Crosby, the most famous crooner and film
star of his day, whom I was privileged to meet. Life in New Zealand, which had
promised much in the way of employment at the Middle Park Stud nr Hamilton did
not come up to expectations and I was obliged to look for employment elsewhere
other than the racing industry. I joined the New Zealand Dairy Company, later
to become New Zealand Dairy Packers and rose to become their liaison manager,
from which position I retired afer 13 1/2 years with the company, after the death
of our little granddaughter.