Name
Arthur George Payne
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
24/10/1914
28
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
7769
Bedfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BOULOGNE EASTERN CEMETERY
III. A. 8.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
St Mark’s Church Plaque, Colney Heath, North Mymms War Memorial, North Mymms War Shrine (now lost), St Mary's Church Memorial, North Mymms, North Mymms Memorial Hall Memorial, Welham Green, We are not aware of any Roestock memorial
Pre War
Born in Roe Stock, Hertfordshire and lived, second house away from The Plough (PH) in Tyttenhanger Green, Hertfordshire (1891), High Street, Colney Heath (Second house before the village hall – opposite side to the former School House) (1901) and “Bloomfield”, Blue House, Roe Stock (1911).
His parents were William George & Lillian Payne. Both of whom are now buried at St Mark’s Church (new graveyard), William died May 24th 1927 and Lillian died January 12th 1926.
Arthur George Payne is first mentioned in the 1891 census, aged 5, and living with his parents in Tyttenhanger Green, Hertfordshire - it is interesting to note that the Payne families next door neighbour’s were: Fred Cook and George John Brett and their families.
There is evidence in the Colney Heath School register that Arthur’s sister Violet (pupil no 2) attended the school, it is therefore very likely that Arthur did as well.
At some point between 1891 and 1901, the family move to Colney Heath. According to the 1901 census Arthur was the eldest of five children. William and Lillian had three daughters (Lillian, Daisy and Violet) and two sons (Arthur and Ernest). Ernest was eleven years younger than Arthur, but by the end of the Great War William and Lillian had lost both of their sons.
On 2nd July 1910 and at the age of 23, Arthur married Emily May Turner (22) daughter of the publican at the Chalkdrawer’s Arms, at St Mark’s Church. They set up home in “Bloomfield”, Blue Houses, Roestock and his family were living there when he died. The North Mymms parish records indicate that they had two children.
In 1911 he was recorded as a bricklayer’s labourer.
Arthur joined the territorial army as a private in 1903; a member of the Bedfordshire Regiment, but was later promoted to Lance Corporal.
Wartime Service
He was the first man from North Mymms / Colney Heath to lay down his life in the Great War. One of the brave ‘Contemptibles’ he went out with the Bedford’s in August 1914 and was wounded in the early days, and ‘died of wounds’ in Boulogne General Hospital.
He was the first man from North Mymms / Colney Heath to lay down his life in the Great War. One of the brave ‘Contemptibles’ he went out with the Bedford’s in August 1914 and was wounded in the early days, and ‘died of wounds’ in Boulogne General Hospital.
The war diaries record that in mid October 1914 the battalion were ordered to move to Chapelle St Roch. On arrival they were ordered to assist in the attack on German held farms near Violaines. However, the attack was not pushed home and the Battalion withdrew to a new line near Givenchy, about a 1 mile east of Festubert. The enemy was particularly active making attacks on various farms night and day; all of which were successfully repulsed, however the war diary records that on the morning of 22nd October 1914, 23 men were wounded during heavy shelling and it is likely that Arthur was one of these men.
Acknowledgments
Graham Clark – World War One – The Fallen of London Colney, Grace Clark, Jonty Wild
