| David Palmer was the eldest child of son of David and Mary Palmer. David Palmer married Mary Adams on 27th November 1891 in the district Magherafelt.
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| David Adams Palmer was born 27th September 1892 in near Tamlaght-o-Crilly, Drumagarner, Kilrea. He was one of five children.
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| Family: David Palmer, Mary Palmer, David Adams Palmer (born 27th September 1892, Kilrea), Alexander Cochrane Palmer (born 13th August 1894, Kilrea), Samuel William Palmer (born 30th April 1896, Londonderry), Kennedy Adams Palmer (born 19th December 1897, Kilrea), Ernest G J Palmer (born 10th December 1903, Tandragee).
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| The 1901 census lists David Adams as age 8 living with the family at house 2 in Bushmills Town, Portrush Rural, Antrim. His father was a corn miller.
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| David was a member of Tandragee Presbyterian Church and a former pupil of Tandragee National School.
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| David later attended Hughes Academy in Dublin.
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| In 1907 he took first place in Ireland in the Post Office exams and in June of the following year was again first in Ireland in the examination for Boy Clerks.
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| In August 1910 he passed his final examinations in second division clerkship and was appointed to the Metropolitan Police Office in Dublin.
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| The 1911 census does not list David as living with the family at house 8 in Whites Row, Tandragee County Armagh.
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| The 1911 census lists David Adams Palmer as age 18 boarding at house 10 in Leinster Avenue, North Dock, Dublin. He is described as working as a Civil Service Boy and Clerk in the Irish Land Commission.
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| David enlisted as a special reservist in the South Irish Horse in Derry on the 31st January 1911. He was 18 years and 4 months old.
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| David Adams Palmer served with the South Irish Horse in Ireland (Soldier Number 568) until the 25th October 1915 when he was discharged as a Sergeant to be commissioned as an Officer in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. When he was with the South Irish Horse they were based at Riverstown, Glanmire, Co Cork.
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| He completed his officer training at Alconah, Crowborough prior to becoming a 2nd Lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion of the Dublin Fusiliers based in Dublin.
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| Second Lieutenant David Adams Palmer was then attached to the 8th Battalion serving in Belgium and won the Military Cross at Wytschaete on 29 Oct 1916. The award appeared in the London Gazette on the 21st Dec 1916:-
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'For conspicuous gallantry in action. He led a raid against the enemy with great courage and determination. Later, he spent five hours in ‘No Man’s Land’ searching for a wounded officer'
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| In addition to the Military Cross, he received three certificates for gallantry and devotion to duty and was mentioned in despatches on a number of occasions, including after his death.
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| In January 1917 he was posted to ‘B’ Battalion the Heavy Branch of the Machine Gun Corps. The battalion later became the 2nd Battalion of the Tank Corps.
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| In May 1917 he was promoted to Lieutenant.
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| Lieutenant Palmer was wounded in the battle of Cambrai on the 20th November 1917 but not seriously.
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| On the 3rd March 1918 he became an Acting Captain and was given command of a section (3) of tanks.
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| On the 22nd March 1918, Captain David Adams Palmer received a gunshot wound the to the right shoulder fired from a German aircraft near Morchies.
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| Captain David Adams Palmer died of his wounds three days later on Monday 25th March 1918.
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| Captain Palmer is buried at Dernancourt Military cemetery near the site of the 56th Casualty Clearing Station where he was treated.
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| Captain David Adams Palmer is commemorated on the family headstone in Tandragee Presbyterian Church Churchyard and on the Tandragee War Memorial.
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| His brother, Samuel William Palmer, was killed in action two days later on 27th March 1918. Samuel was born in Londonderry so is not included in the Magherafelt list of casualties.
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| His mother, Mary, died on 7 July 1918, aged 50.
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