John Palmer, son of flaxdresser Charles Palmer and Eliza Gillespie, was born in 1886 in Whitehouse, Belfast.

John Palmer was employed by the Workman Clark Shipyard, and was also an Army Reservist before the war. He was called up to the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles when war broke out. He grew up in Fife Street, Belfast, and moved to Glasgow Street when he married Agnes Bruce in Sinclair Seaman's Presbyterian on 25 November 1914. This was possibly when he was on leave to recover from an injury sustained on 31 October 1914. His parents remained close by, in St Aubyn Street just up the road.

He served as a Sergeant and was accidently drowned in the River Lys on 28 October 1915 aged 30. He is remembered at Sailly-Sur-La-Lys Canadian Cemetery in France.

Agnes was married to Sergeant Colin McDonald of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers on 6 December 1920.