Former Law Society President Sir John Palmer saw distinguished service on the high seas

Former Law Society President Sir John Palmer, who died last month aged 83, enjoyed adventurous and successful careers as a sailor during the Second World War and as a prominent solicitor.

John Chance Palmer was born in Chancery Lane on 21 March 1920 in a flat overlooking the Society.

He was educated at Orley Farm, Harrow and St Paul's School, London and went up to St Edmund Hall, Oxford, in 1937 to read modern languages.

Politics played an important part in his early life: his father was for many years the parliamentary correspondent for The News Chronicle, while he enjoyed political debate at the Oxford Union with contemporaries such as Edward Heath and Robin Day.

Nonetheless, many years later, he refused the opportunity to stand as the Conservative candidate for Tiverton.

Instead, he chose to concentrate his energy on the legal profession, although he was chairman of the Tiverton and District Conservative Association for many years.

Sir John gained a sailing Blue at Oxford and this boating connection led him to become part of the early draft of young men to join the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve at the outbreak of war in 1939.

As a midshipman, he gained early experience in tugs on the Thames Estuary but was soon thrust into action on the Flower Class corvette HMS Clematis on Atlantic convoy duty.

One of his early experiences was on Christmas Day 1940, when the convoy it was escorting was attacked by the German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper.

After the convoy had scattered, the Clematis's captain had no hesitation in heading straight towards the Hipper, only four miles away.

Fortunately for the Clematis and her crew, as German records have shown, the Hipper did not want to become involved in a battle at that point.

Sir John took part in the North Africa landings on the River Class frigate HMS Exe and finally served as navigating officer on the sloop HMS Amethyst.

He took the surrender in the Channel of the first German submarine, which Amethyst escorted into Portland.

It was while serving on convoy duty out of Plymouth that he met his future wife - Mary Ellyatt, sister of a fellow officer, who was serving as a boating wren.

They were married on 5 February 1945, between convoy trips across the North Atlantic.

He sent Mary a telegram dated Friday 2 February saying: 'Leave starting today, suggest wedding Monday.' After a three-day honeymoon, it was straight back to convoy duties.

Following demobilisation, Sir John entered the legal profession, and was articled with Anstey & Thompson in Exeter.

He qualified in 1948 and for the next two years worked for Mowll & Mowll in Canterbury, but because of a lack of prospects there he decided to move to Tiverton, Devon.

He practised there as a partner in Penny & Harwood, later to become Ashford Sparks & Harwood, before retiring in 1985 prior to the formation of Bevan Ashford.

He was a guiding light in the development of his firm and was instrumental in steering it towards the leading regional practice it has now become.

Sir John was fascinated by the great and famous characters in the law.

Although in many ways a traditional country solicitor, some of his greatest friends were eminent barristers, City solicitors and judges, including Lord Denning.

He was president of the Devon & Exeter Law Society and later was elected as a national Law Society Council member, becoming national president in 1978 to 1979.

As president, he travelled extensively, representing the profession in Australia, Nigeria, the US and Canada.

Both the American and Canadian Bar Associations conferred honorary membership upon him.

During his presidency, he established strong links between the profession, the bar and the government.

He was knighted for services to the profession in 1979.

His bond with the sea remained throughout his life, and he was involved in several naval and sailing organisations.

But his interests were broad, and as honorary secretary of the Society for the Protection of Animals in North Africa, he returned to North Africa for the first time since his time on HMS Exe.

Sir John served on the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board between 1981 and 1992, and was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Devon in 1984 and then Vice Lord Lieutenant between 1992 and 1995.

In 2000, he was made a Freeman of the City of London.

Last year, he published Luck On My Side (Pen & Sword), a book based on his wartime diaries.

Sir John is survived by his wife, Mary, of 58 years and his four sons, two of whom are solicitors, including Christopher Palmer, managing partner of Bevan Ashford's Tiverton office, who represents the West Country and Gwent on the Law Society Council.

Sir John Palmer, MA Hon LLD DL, former Law Society President, born on 21 March 1920; died on 13 July 2003