Charles Henry Payne

Name

Charles Henry Payne
1896

Conflict

First World War

Date of Death / Age

13/11/1916
20

Rank, Service Number & Service Details

Private
5000
Hertfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.

Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards

British War and Victory medals

Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country

THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 12 C.
France

Headstone Inscription

NA

UK & Other Memorials

4 Co' Hertfordshire Reg' Territorials’ Memorial, Hitchin, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour (Book), Hitchin, St Mary the Virgin Church Memorial, Little Wymondley, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford

Pre War

Charles was born in 1896 in Hitchin. his parents were Charles and Harriet Payne.

In 1901 the family were living in Little Wymondley, nr Stevenage, Herts. Present were both parents: Charles (31) and Harriet (26), with Charles (senior) working as a horsekeeper on a farm. Their only child recorded was Charles (5).

In 1911 the family were still living at Little Wymondley. Present were both parents, Charles (senior) now working as a farm labourer. The census recorded they had been married for 15 years with 4 children, of whom 1 had died. Charles (junior) had been joined by two brothers: Fredrick (3) and James (1).

From Charles’ service number, 5000, he had enlisted after the 24 May 1915 and 2 June 1915.

Officially Charles(junior) was living in Little Wymondley, Herts., when he enlisted in Hertford.

Wartime Service

Charles was allocated Regimental number 5000 and served in 4 Company. He was killed in action.

The 1st Herts were part of the 118th Brigade of the 39th Division in II Corps of the 5th Army at the time of his death. This was the Battle of the Ancre, an attempt by General Sir Hubert Gough to reduce the Beaumont Hamel Salient that had hitherto resisted all assaults. The Herts were on the right of the Brigade and assembled at the Schwaben Redoubt just north of Thiepval. Their first objectives were some enemy strongpoints about 200 yards in front of the Redoubt, the so-called Hansa Line of trenches and the final objective the junction of Mill Trench and the Hansa Line, a total advance of about 1,200 yards. Zero hour was 5.45am in thick mist. heavy going with the ground honeycombed with shell holes. He was in 4 Company which led the advance on the right of the Battalion and by 7.30am most of their objectives had been achieved.

The rest of the day was spent consolidating the position, constructing a redoubt at the junction of Mill Trench and the Hansa Line and beating off counter-attacks. A splendid achievement, but at a cost of over 150 men killed and wounded.


Charled has no known grave and is remembered on Pier/Face 12C of the great Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, Somme, France.

Additional Information

After his death £2 17s 5d pay owing was authorised to go to his mother, Mrs Harriet F Payne, on 5 March 1917. Later, a war gratuity of £6 was authorised to be paid to her on 10 October 1919.

His pension cards record his mother, as his dependant, living at Little Wymondley, nr Stevenage, Herts.. She was awarded a pension of 5s a week from 3 July 1917.

Acknowledgments

Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild, Stuart Osborne, Brenda Palmer