take the palm

[hong nam yang]

Following is from "Engineer of victory" by:

In this particular measure, of the sheerefficiency of getting fighting equipment and fighting men from A to B, theBritish probably again take the palm, certainly not because of some innatecleverness, but because of their long organizational experiences and theiracute sense after 1940 of fighting against the odds, together with the prospectof losing.

What does "take the palm" mean here?

 

[The Prof]

I think that 'take the palm', in that sentence, probably means, 'take the prize' or 'are the best'.

I guess that the expression is related to this::
The Palme d'Or (English: Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palme_d'Or

However, as I am only guessing, please wait for other answers too.

 

[hong nam yang]

Thanks. It doesn't seem to be a widely-used expression. And I'll wait for other answers to be sure.