| John De Camborne Paynter | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 May 1898 Southsea, Hampshire, England |
| Died | 6 June 1918 |
| Plot IV. A 78, Dunkirk Town Cemetery | Nord, France |
| Allegiance | England |
| Service/branch | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | No. 6 Naval Squadron RNAS, No. 10 Naval Squadron RNAS, No. 9 Naval Squadron RNAS, No. 13 Naval Squadron/No. 213 Squadron RAF |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Cross |
Captain John De Camborne Paynter was a World War I Royal Naval Air Service flying ace credited with 10 aerial victories. He earned the Distinguished Service Cross for his valour before being killed in a bombing raid.
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Paynter was born in Southsea, Hampshire on 17 May 1898. His mother was Alexandra Laura Paynter.[1]
Paynter was injured in a flying accident on 9 April 1917. After his recovery, he flew with 9 Naval Squadron; it was while flying with them that he scored his first aerial victory on 27 October 1917. He then transferred to 13 Naval Squadron; he would remain with them through their transition to 213 Squadron RAF. On 5 December 1917, he scored a win with them.[2]
On 1 January 1918, he was promoted from Flight Sub-Lieutenant to temporary Flight Lieutenant.[3] He also scored three wins in the early months of 1918. After a break, he scored the remainder of his victories in May and early June 1918.[4]
While doing this, he was wounded in action on two occasions. He died on 6 June 1918 from wounds suffered during a German bombing raid on his squadron's aerodrome.[5] He is buried in Plot IV. A. 78 in Dunkirk Town Cemetery, Belgium.[6] He is also memorialized at Saint Peter's Church, Portsmouth, on a plaque located under the organ loft.[7]
As his award citation shows, Paynter performed admirably in air-to-ground combat as well as in the air:
For the good work performed by him during a bombing attack on Ostende Seaplane Base on the 3rd March, 1918, carried out in spite of very adverse weather conditions. He has shown great zeal and courage as a fighting pilot, having destroyed several enemy machines, and been twice wounded in aerial combats.[8]
| No. | Date/time | Aircraft | Foe | Result | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 October 1917 @ 1040 hours | Sopwith Camel fighter serial number B3830 | Albatros D.V fighter | Driven down out of control | Slijpe, Belgium | Victory shared with Merrill Samuel Taylor, Fred Everest Banbury, Francis Mellersh, Stearne Tighe Edwards, and four other pilots |
| 2 | 5 December 1917 @ 1505 hours | Sopwith Camel fighter s/n B6391 | Albatros reconnaissance plane | Destroyed | 4 miles northwest of Wenduine | Victory shared with George Chisholm MacKay, John Pinder, Maurice Cooper |
| 3 | 29 January 1918 @ 1400 hours | Sopwith Camel fighter s/n B3782 | Seaplane | Destroyed | 100 yards from the pier at Blankenberghe, Belgium | Victory shared with John Edmund Greene, Leonard Slatter, George McKay, Maurice Cooper |
| 4 | 30 January 1918 @ 1420 hours | Sopwith Camel fighter s/n B3782 | Albatros recon plane | Destroyed | 2 miles north of Ostend | Victory shared with Miles Day |
| 5 | 19 February 1918 @ 1355 hours | Sopwith Camel fighter s/n B3782 | Seaplane | Destroyed by fire | East of Ostend | Victory shared with Miles Day, three other pilots |
| 6 | 6 May 1918 @ 1950 hours | Sopwith Camel fighter s/n B7254 | Albatros D.V fighter | Destroyed | Wenduine, Belgium | |
| 7 | 8 May 1918 @ 1950 hours | Sopwith Camel fighter s/n B7254 | Albatros D.V fighter | Destroyed | Wenduine, Belgium | |
| 8 | 8 May 1918 @ 1950 hours | Sopwith Camel fighter s/n B7254 | Albatros D.V fighter | Driven down out of control | Wenduine, Belgium | |
| 9 | 1 June 1918 @ 1420 hours | Sopwith Camel fighter s/n B7254 | Pfalz D.III fighter | Driven down out of control | Bruges, Belgium | Victory shared with four other pilots |
| 10 | 1 June 1918 @ 1420 hours | Sopwith Camel fighter s/n B7254 | Pfalz D.III fighter | Driven down out of control | Bruges, Belgium | Victory shared with another pilot.[9] |
Aerial victory standards of World War I
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