Walter Payne was born in Walworth on 21st December 1896 (according to the 1911 Census and other documents). His parents were Richard Arthur, a clerk in the Arsenal stores and Rebecca, 16 years younger than her husband. He had an older brother, Percy Arthur, born about 1893, a clerk at the Polytechnic, and a younger sister, Doris, born about 1904.
At the time of the 1911 Census, the family was living at 19 Warwick Road, Welling, and Walter, then aged 14, was recorded as being a messenger boy for PO Telegrams. When he enlisted with the 17th Kings Royal Rifle Corps (on 25th July, 1915, at Woolwich) he gave his employment as a ‘motor driver’. He was only 18 but gave his age on his enlistment form as 19, one of the many underage soldiers who lied about his age to join up. On enlistment, Walter was 5 feet 5 3/4 inches tall, weighed 9 stone 4lb, and had a chest measurement of 35″ (with an expansion of 2″). He was described in his medical report of being in ‘good physical development’ and he had 6/6 vision in both eyes.
The British Empire League raised 17th (British Empire League) Battalion, The King’s Royal Rifle Corps in London on the 16th of May 1915. Initially, they trained near to home, then joined the 117th Brigade, 39th Division for further training in Hursley Park and Witley with a short time spent in Aldershot during final training. The Division set off for France on the 8th of March 1916, landing at Le Havre and gathered near Blaringhem. Action included an attack near Richebourg l’Avoue, where the Sussex battalions suffered heavy casualties, the Battles of the Somme, including fighting on the Ancre, the Battle of Thiepval Ridge, The Battle of the Ancre Heights, the capture of Schwaben Redoubt and Stuff Trench, and the Battle of the Ancre.)
On 29th March and 16th April 1916, Walter committed 3 minor offences ‘in the field’, for which he was disciplined, maybe as a reaction to the action he had just seen. On 29th March he was late on guard mounting at 8.30 am and was punished with 3 extra jobs. On the same day he committed a further offence of being untidy and unclean on guard mounting at 9.30am, for which he was later disciplined with 2 extra guard duties. On 16th April 1916 he was confined to barracks for 3 days, for talking on parade.
Later that year, at the age of 19, Walter Payne was killed in action on 3rd September 1916, the day the 17th Kings Royal Rifle Corps were involved in an attack east of the River Ancre. After some initial success they were repulsed. Walter almost certainly died in this battle. His personal effects after his death were listed as one tobacco pouch one wrist watch (broken).
His death was reported in the local Observer on 13th October 1916 alongside that of James Moore:
The Great Sacrifice – Two Bright Lives – One an Only Son
Below we publish particulars of the death in action of two young heroes from East Wickham and Welling. The circumstances are particularly sad and touching, for the lads were both popular in the district. The greatest sympathy is felt in the village for the bereaved parents.
Mrs Payne, of Warwick Road, has just received the sad news that her only son, Walter, who belonged to the King’s Royal Rifles, has fallen in action. Like Moore, he was only 19 years of age. He was a brave youth of excellent character, and eager to go to France. His loss is a particularly heavy one for his parent. He was greatly respected in the district by all those who knew him.
Rifleman Walter Payne has no known grave, but is commemorated on Thiepval memorial, (Pier and Face 13A and 13B), the original East Wickham War Memorial, Welling War Memorial and St John, Welling War Memorial.
The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme battlefields bears the names of 72,194 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces.It also serves as an Anglo French memorial and was built as an arch, representing the alliance between the two countries in the Somme offensive against the German defensive front. The men commemorated at Thiepval are those who died in the Somme battle sector before 20th March 1918 and have no known grave. (20th March was the day before the German Army launched a large-scale offensive, codenamed “Operation Michael”, against the British Army Front in the sector of the Somme). Over 90% of those commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial died in the 1916 Battles of the Somme between July and November 1916.
Walter’s older brother, Percy Arthur Payne, enlisted after Walter, on 10th December 1915, at the age of 20. He served with the Royal Tank Brigade Signal Company, service number 334843. Diminuitive, at just 5 foot 3 inches tall, he had been a clerk before the war. Walter married Constance on Christmas Eve 1917 and the couple made their home at 87 Standard Road, Bexleyheath. Percy survived the war and he remained in the army after the war, as a pioneer in the Royal Engineer Signal Company. It appears that he lived to the grand age of 100 years old, dying in Sidcup in 1995.
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Commemorated
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This story has been researched by volunteers. We have taken every effort to ensure its accuracy. If you are related to Walter Frederick Payne, or if you have any further information, please do get in touch.