Joseph (Joe) PAYNE

PAYNE, Joseph

Service Number: 3684
Enlisted: 25 April 1917, Brisbane, Qld.
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 52nd Infantry Battalion
Born: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 28 April 1885
Home Town: Dakabin, Moreton Bay, Queensland
Schooling: Brisbane State School, Queensland, Australia
Occupation: Farmer
Died: Shell wound to stomach, injured spine - received in action - died of wounds, 47th Casualty Clearing Station, Villers-Brettoneux, France, 25 April 1918, aged 32 years
Cemetery: Crouy British Cemetery, Crouy-sur-Somme
Plot I; Row C; Grave 25 (buried by Rev. G H Reskett),
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Kallangur Pine Rivers Memorial Gates, Narangba & Dakabin Districts Roll of Honour, Woody Point Honour Roll
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World War 1 Service

25 Apr 1917: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3684, 52nd Infantry Battalion, Brisbane, Qld.
31 Oct 1917: Involvement Private, 3684, 52nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Euripides embarkation_ship_number: A14 public_note: ''
31 Oct 1917: Embarked Private, 3684, 52nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Euripides, Sydney
21 Apr 1918: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3684, 52nd Infantry Battalion, taken on strength into 52nd Infantry Battalion

Narrative


PAYNE Joseph #3684 52nd Battalion

Joe Payne was born in Brisbane to parents Edwin and Teresa Payne. By the time he enlisted in Brisbane on 25th April 1917 he was farming at Dakabin, although he gave his occupation as motor driver. Joe was 32 years old and married to Ada. Joe reported that he and Ada had two children at the time of his enlistment but by the time of his embarkation, another child had been born. Joe and Ada lived at Narangba Road, Dakabin.

After enlistment, Joe reported to Enoggera and was placed in a depot battalion. In September he was granted three days home leave and on returning to camp was allocated as a reinforcement for the 52nd Battalion, part of the 13th Brigade, 4th Division AIF. Joe embarked for overseas on 31st October 1917 in Sydney. He allocated 4/- of his daily pay to his wife and children.

The “Euripides” arrived in Devonport on Christmas Day 1917 and the reinforcements marched out to Codford Camp for further training. In February 1918 Joe was found in the village of Steeple Langford without a pass. He was confined to barracks for four days. On 15th April Joe departed Folkstone for Calais. On 21st April Joe was finally taken on strength by the 52nd Battalion.

The month of April had been a hectic time for the 13th Brigade. After a 40 hour march through the night, the 12th and 13th Brigades faced off against three German divisions at Dernacourt on 5th April, suffering enormous casualties. The rest of the month was spent desperately holding the German advance in the defence of Amiens. On 21st April, the day that Joe joined the battalion, there was excitement in the 52nd lines when a German aircraft crashed nearby. The plane was the red Fokker of Manfred von Richthoven, shot down by an Australian machine gunner, Sergeant Popkin, according to an officer of the 52nd Battalion. Many of the men got souvenirs.

The key to the defence of Amiens was the village of Villers Brettonneux. The village was held by the Germans but the situation was desperate and two Australian brigades, the 13th and the 15th were ordered into a night attack, encircling the village from north and south. History records that the attacks were successful and that Villers Brettonneux was the turning point which led to successive British (mainly Australian) victories and the defeat of the German Army in the field.

Joe had been with his unit just four days when he went into the line at Villers Brettonneux. He sustained a trench mortar shrapnel wound to his side( some Red Cross accounts say a machine gun bullet) and died at the 47th Casualty Clearing Station on 25th April 1918, exactly one year since his enlistment. Joe Payne was buried at the Crouy Military Cemetery with the Rev. Heskett in attendance. Ada received a small parcel of Joe’s personal effects and presumably a war pension. She also accepted Joe’s medals in the 1920’s. One unusual item in Joe Payne’s file is a letter to Base Records in Melbourne from the Taxation Department enquiring if #3684 Private Joseph Payne (deceased) was Joseph Payne, Fruiterer of Chermside. Base records replied that they had no information that would help, although the reply did give Ada’s name and address.

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Biography contributed by Ian Lang

 

PAYNE  Joseph  #3684  52nd Battalion

 

Joe Payne was born in Brisbane to parents Edwin and Teresa Payne. By the time he enlisted in Brisbane on 25th April 1917 he was farming at Dakabin, although he gave his occupation as motor driver. Joe was 32 years old and married to Ada. Joe reported that he and Ada had two children at the time of his enlistment but by the time of his embarkation, another child had been born. Joe and Ada lived at Narangba Road, Dakabin.

 

After enlistment, Joe reported to Enoggera and was placed in a depot battalion. In September he was granted three days home leave and on returning to camp was allocated as a reinforcement for the 52nd Battalion, part of the 13th Brigade, 4th Division AIF. Joe embarked for overseas on 31st October 1917 in Sydney. He allocated 4/- of his daily pay to his wife and children.

 

The “Euripides” arrived in Devonport on Christmas Day 1917 and the reinforcements marched out to Codford Camp for further training. In February 1918 Joe was found in the village of Steeple Langford without a pass. He was confined to barracks for four days. On 15th April Joe departed Folkstone for Calais. On 21st April Joe was finally taken on strength by the 52nd Battalion.

 

The month of April had been a hectic time for the 13th Brigade. After a 40 hour march through the night, the 12th and  13th Brigades faced off against three German divisions at Dernacourt on 5th April, suffering enormous casualties. The rest of the month was spent desperately holding the German advance in the defence of Amiens. On 21st April, the day that Joe joined the battalion, there was excitement in the 52nd lines when a German aircraft crashed nearby. The plane was the red Fokker of Manfred von Richthoven, shot down by an Australian machine gunner, Sergeant Popkin, according to an officer of the 52nd Battalion. Many of the men got souvenirs.

 

The key to the defence of Amiens was the village of Villers Brettonneux.  The village was held by the Germans but the situation was desperate and two Australian brigades, the 13th and the 15th were ordered into a night attack, encircling the village from north and south. History records that the attacks were successful and that Villers Brettonneux was the turning point which led to successive British (mainly Australian) victories and the defeat of the German Army in the field.

 

Joe had been with his unit just four days when he went into the line at Villers Brettonneux. He sustained a trench mortar shrapnel wound to his side( some Red Cross accounts say a machine gun bullet) and died at the 47th Casualty Clearing Station on 25th April 1918, exactly one year since his enlistment. Joe Payne was buried at the Crouy Military Cemetery with the Rev. Heskett in attendance. Ada received a small parcel of Joe’s personal effects and presumably a war pension. She also accepted Joe’s medals in the 1920’s. One unusual item in Joe Payne’s file is a letter to Base Records in Melbourne from the Taxation Department enquiring if #3684 Private Joseph Payne (deceased) was Joseph Payne, Fruiterer of Chermside. Base records replied that they had no information that would help, although the reply did give Ada’s name and address.

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Biography contributed by Faithe Jones

Joseph's parents were Edwin Walter Payne and Teresa Edwards who owned a pig farm at Redcliffe. He married Ada Marion Scrine on 16 November 1910 at Brisbane. Joseph was living at Dakabin when he enlisted on 25 April 1917 at Brisbane. He enlisted on Anzac Day 1917 and died of wounds exactly a year later on Anzac Day 1918, aged 33