Name
Thomas Rupert Payne
1899
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
06/08/1918
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
19530
Bedfordshire Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HEATH CEMETERY, HARBONNIERES
VI. D. 2
France
Headstone Inscription
He has no family inscription on his Headstone.
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour (Book), Hitchin, St Ippolyts Village Memorial
Pre War
Thomas was born in 1899, in St Ippolyts, Herts. The son of William Payne and Eliza Ann Payne (nee Gregory). One of 5 children.
In 1901 the family were living in St Ippolyts, nr Hitchin Herts,. Present were both parents: William (43) and Eliza (42), with William working as a agricultural straw binder. Their children were: Constance (8), Madeline (5) and Hubert (1, Thomas Hubert?).
Eliza died in 1910.
By 1911 the family were living in St Ippolyts, Hertfordshire. Present was widowed, William, now working as a domestic gardener and Madaline and Thomas. Although widowed the census recorded they had been married for 22 years with 5 children, all living.
Thomas was a member of the church choir.
Thomas enlisted in 1915 when he was only 16 and went for training at Ampthill where was bugler.
Officially Thomas was recorded as born in Hitchin, Herts. and was living there when he enlisted in Bedford.
Wartime Service
Thomas enlisted in Bedford; he was posted to the 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, with the service number 19530.
He went to France I April 1918 and was slightly wounded in July, bur soon returned to his regiment.
Thomas was killed in action on the 6th August 1918; although he was first recorded as missing and then presumed killed. At the time of his death his Battalion was part of the 54th Brigade, 18th Division.
On that day the Germans commenced an assault on a 2-mile front with heavy infantry and artillery attacks and penetrated our line to a depth of 1,000 yards astride the Bray to Corbie Road, South West of Molancourt on the Somme.
His body was located after the was buried at Map Ref. 62d,NE.K.31.a.10.10, identified by a cross on the grave.
He was buried in Plot 6, Row D, Grave 2 in Heath Cemetery, Harbonnieres, France.
Additional Information
By the time Thomas died his father had moved to Nightingale Road, Hitchin.
After his death £11 6s 3d pay owing was authorised to go to his father, William Payne, on 14 December 1918. Later, a war gratuity of £16 was authorised to be paid to him on 6 January 1920.
His pension cards record x, his widow/father/mother, as his next of kin/dependant, living at 108 Nightingale Road, Hitchin. He was awarded a pension of 5s a week from 18 March 1919.
An elder brother was serving in the Royal Engineers.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Adrian Dunne, Stuart Osborne, Jonty Wild, David C Baines
