Private Percy Byron Payne

Percy Byron Payne was born at Benalla, Victoria on 13 September 1882. His father’s details are recorded as unknown. His mother, Clara Payne, married Charles Stewart Love in 1896.

Payne served as an apprentice blacksmith in Benalla for two years and then appears to have started work as a railway employee. At the time of enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), Payne gave his occupation as sawyer. He was single at this time and never married.

Payne enlisted in the AIF at Melbourne on 31 August 1915. He was attached initially to the 24th Battalion, 7th Reinforcements. Payne embarked from Melbourne on the troopship Commonwealth on 26 November 1915, arriving in Egypt in February 1916. He was taken on strength into the 8th Battalion and sent to France, where he arrived at Marseilles on 31 March 1916. In April 1916, Payne was attached to the 2nd Brigade Light Trench Mortar Battery (LTMB). He served with this unit until joining the Australian Corps School in March 1918. In February 1919, Payne rejoined the 2nd LTMB. He returned to England with this unit in March 1919 before returning to Australia.

Payne left England aboard the troopship Soudan on 12 May 1919. During the return voyage to Australia Payne participated in a concert held on 10 June 1919, singing two songs “Friend Of Mine” and “Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep”.

He arrived in Australia on 29 June 1919 and was discharged on 21 August 1919.

After his discharge, Payne returned to Benalla, where he resided at his mother’s address. He returned to his former occupation as a railway employee in the Way & Works branch of Victorian Railways and worked at Seymour in 1919 followed by Benalla from about 1922. In 1926, Payne was living in Surrey Hills, Victoria, and continued working as a railway employee up until at least 1954.

Percy Byron Payne died in Victoria during 1962, at the age of 80.