| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
James William Payne was born in 1886 and baptised in St. Mary, Beverley on 4 Jul 1886, the son of Robert Payne, a travelling showman based in Beverley, and his wife Jane. As a young man he, along with his brothers, worked for his father in the entertainment business.
James served in the Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire) Regiment. He attained the rank of Lance Corporal and on 26 Jan 1918 was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal following operations near Zonnebeke on 22 Oct 1917. With only two men he captured two concrete emplacements and their garrisons. In the first he captured an officer and nine men after a stubborn fight in which one of his men and two enemy were wounded. The other garrison of seven men refused to surrender, he put six men out of action then the unwounded man surrendered. The citation stated that he showed a dashing and soldierly spirit.
After the war he returned to the entertainment industry. In 1939 he was living in Bridlington with his widowed father and younger sister and working as an Amusement Caterer. James died on 3 Dec 1973 and is buried in Bridlington Cemetery with his wife Eva.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |