Lest We Forget - Private Perley C. Palmer

Perley C. Palmer was the baby in a family of nine.  He was born on February 8, 1896 in Wentworth, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia.  His parents were Calvin Palmer and Sarah McLeod.  Perley was my 4th cousin, being a descendant of Daniel Teed, the United Empire Loyalist. He was also related to me by marriage through my great great grandfather, Thomas Swallow of Yorkshire, England.

It is unclear whether Perley moved to Maine prior to the war, or whether he decided to choose the American Army and went to Maine to join up.  At any rate, he enlisted in Aroostook, Caribou County Maine in 1917.  He joined the 103 Infantry Regiment, 26th Division which had the motto "To the Last Man"  Upon arriving in France, the Regiment was plunged immediately into action.

On the evening of September 25, 1918 Perley was part of a group of two platoons sent off to march in a different direction, hoping to create a diversion and to take the enemy attention away from the point of the main attack which was set to take place at midnight.  The rain was pelting down and the men had trouble keeping to their feet due to the slick muddy surface of the road.

This march was inevitably a death sentence for these men.  Within minutes, the enemy opened up with machine guns and mortar rounds.  Some time around 10:45 that evening, Perley was struck by a bullet and grievously wounded.  Eventually, with his life fading, he was transported to a hospital ship several miles away and succumbed to his injuries there.

The burial record states that he was buried at sea.  He is memorialised in the Memorial Chapel at St. Mehiel American Cemetery and Memorial at Thaircourt, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France.