Leonard A. Payne

Captain Leonard Allen Payne was a British flying ace born in Swaziland. He was credited with 11 confirmed aerial victories while piloting a Bristol F.2 Fighter.^[1]

World War I

On 1 February 1917, Payne enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps while living in his native Swaziland.^[2] On 24 April 1917, temporary second lieutenant Payne was appointed a Flying Officer.^[3]

Payne scored his first aerial victory on 29 October 1917,^[4] piloting a Bristol F.2 Fighter for 48 Squadron in France. He would not win another triumph until 3 January 1918. His third win followed on 26 February 1918, when he set a German LVG aflame in midair. He drove down two Albatros D.V fighters out of control over Mont-d'Origny on 8 March, and was an ace. Four days later, he sent down a Fokker Triplane.^[5]

Payne became a Flight Commander in May 1918.^[6] He scored three victories that month, though it is unknown if he was leading the flight for any or all of them. However, on 30 May 1918, he destroyed a Fokker D.V to become a double ace.^[7]

However, when he won the Military Cross for his valor, the emphasis was not on his air-to-air victories. When the award citation was gazetted on 26 July 1918, it read:

"...Volunteering to proceed on a special reconnaissance under adverse weather conditions, he penetrated for a distance of nine miles behind the enemy's lines, flying at an altitude of 200 feet, despite the most intense machine-gun and rifle fire. He returned later, his machine riddled with bullets, with the required information. Previous to this, he had bombed and engaged with machinegun fire bodies of hostile infantry with the most effective results. He has destroyed one hostile plane and driven down two others out of control. He has at all times displayed the greatest fearlessness and dash."^[8]

On 4 November 1918, Payne scored his 11th victory; it was one of his squadron's final three wins of the war.^[9] Payne's personal tally came to three solo destructions of enemy planes, one shared destruction, and seven German planes sent down out of control.^[10]

Post World War I

Leonard Allan Payne died on 18 February 1919 while serving with the Army of Occupation in Germany. He was buried in Plot I. F. 10 in Cologne Southern Cemetery, Cologne, Germany.^[11]

References

• Guttman, Jon. Bristol F2 Fighter Aces of World War I: Volume 79 of Aircraft of the Aces: Volume 79 of Osprey Aircraft of the Aces. Osprey Publishing, 2007. ISBN 1-84603-201-6, ISBN 978-1-84603-201-1.

Endnotes