Captain James Dennis Payne was a World War I

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

credited with fourteen aerial victories.Shores, et al., p. 299.

Early life

Payne was born in Leamington Spa on 22 July 1896, the son of Edward Dennis and Annie Payne, his father was a policeman. In 1911 he was described as an auctioneers clerk aged 14.

World War I service

On 10 July 1915 Sergeant Payne was awarded flight certificate No. 1415 on

Maurice Farman Maurice Alain Farman (21 March 1877 – 25 February 1964) was a British-French Grand Prix motor racing champion, an aviator, and an aircraft manufacturer and designer. Biography Born in Paris to English parents, he and his brothers Richard and ...

Biplane from the Military School in Birmingham. He was originally assigned to No. 41 Squadron RFC on 12 June 1916, but was shipped out on 16 July, joining No. 29 Squadron RFC on 6 August. On 30 October 1916, Acting

Sergeant Major Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. History In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's infantry, and ranked about third in the ...

Payne was commissioned a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

on duty with the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

. He scored his first victory on 12 August 1917, using a

Nieuport Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars. History Beginnings Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...

fighter to destroy a German

Albatros D.V The Albatros D.V is a fighter aircraft built by the Albatros Flugzeugwerke and used by the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' (Imperial German Air Service) during World War I. The D.V was the final development of the Albatros D.I family and the last Albatro ...

near Houthoulst Forest. His string of triumphs would run until 9 January 1918. During November 1917, three notable events would occur. On the 9th, he would wound and drive down veteran ace

Walter Göttsch Leutnant Walter Göttsch HoH, IC (10 June 1896—10 April 1918) was a German World War I flying ace credited with 20 aerial victories. His final combat assignment was commanding ''Jagdstaffel 19'' in ''Jagdgeschwader II.'' Early life and ser ...

for victory number nine. On the 17th, he was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC i ...

. Also in November he was appointed a Flight Commander, which bore the concomitant rank of captain.Franks, pp. 23—24. By the time he was done, on 9 January 1918, he had destroyed four enemy planes and driven down ten out of control; ten of his victories were over Albatros D.V fighters. All of his victories were scored while flying a

. On 10 January 1918, he was withdrawn to

Home Establishment A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. H ...

Post World War I

Postwar, Payne made a living for a while by

barnstorming Barnstorming was a form of entertainment in which stunt pilots performed tricks individually or in groups that were called flying circuses. Devised to "impress people with the skill of pilots and the sturdiness of planes," it became popular in t ...

. After that, he lived in Belgium.

Honours and awards

Military Cross (MC) 2nd Lt. James Dennis Payne, Gen. List, and R.F.C.

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. While on patrol with two other scouts he attacked a formation of seven enemy two-seaters, bringing down two himself while the two scouts brought down two more. Besides these, he has accounted for five other machines, and at all times shown the greatest gallantry.

References

Bibliography

* * 1896 births 1987 deaths British World War I flying aces People from Leamington Spa Recipients of the Military Cross {{wwi-air