In 2014, when we commemorated the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War, a number of new plaques were unveiled in the school chapel bearing the names of OEs who were missing from the main remembrance board.
Many of these had been uncovered during the research for our book Emanuel School at War also published in 2014. The majority of those soldiers omitted were older OE who had lost touch with both the school and the Old Emanuel Association (OEA). Unless the family later made contact with Emanuel or the OEA, a war death was not recorded in our service records, or in the case of Charles Frederick Payne, would be added almost a century after his death. Charles is not alone and we still occasionally uncover alumni who lost their lives and are not included on our memorials.
Charles was born in 1884, attended Emanuel in the mid-1890s, and was later employed as an insurance and finance clerk in central London. He married Ida Muriel Payne (who died in her nineties) and had four young sons Ted, John, Dick and Rupert. The family were living in Tooting when he was originally called up in 1916 and after several months training with the 18th Provisional Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment, Charles was sent to France in August 1917.
On arrival, he was transferred to the two/5th (later the 5th) Battalion of the Duke of Wellingtons (West Riding) Regiment, 62nd Division. Charles was a Lewis Gunner in B Company and, apart from routine trench duties, the main actions that he fought in included the Battle of Cambrai (Nov 1917), the Defence of Bucquoy (late March 1918, during the German Spring Offensive), the Battle of Tardenois (July 1918; part of the Second Battle of the Marne), and several actions during the ‘Last 100 Days’.
After the Armistice, his Battalion marched through Belgium to Germany as part of the army of occupation in the Rhineland. In January 1919, he fell ill and was transferred to a Military Hospital in Boulogne, France, where he died in February 1919 (aged 35) from Broncho-pneumonia (probably initiated by “Spanish Flu”). He is buried at Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille and was promoted to Sergeant a few weeks before his death. Charles posthumously received the Victory and British Empire medals.
Sadly, many soldiers who died after the end of the war and not directly because of the conflict are not included on many war memorials; however, Charles is included on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website. Spanish Flu might have been the ultimate cause for his tragic death, but it was the war, which instigated it.
During his war service, Charles regularly wrote to his wife and almost 100 of his letters and postcards have survived. Here are a small selection from 1916 and beyond whilst he was serving in France:
28 November 1916:
“My dear wife, it was indeed good to read that you had got the ring paper and had been paid in full. How much did you draw? You ask me about pay, dear. Well, since the 1/- at Kingston I have received 2/- Friday week and another 2/- last Friday. I take it you received 2/6 per week as allocated by me? The ways of the Army are strange, and how and why we only record. 2/- is puzzling us all. Yes dear, I shall be in the Yorkshire Regiment but have not yet received definite number etc. We have not yet been served out with uniform and kit, but yesterday I got a splendid pair of boots – heavy of course but quite soft and comfortable. As you may guess there is not much left of my old ones but they will serve me for a rest. Pleased to hear better news of Bill and note Fred is well. Hope Mike will have the best of luck when he leaves the red country on the great adventure.”
9 April 1917:
“Today has been my most exciting day since I became a soldier as I have thrown no less than five live bombs and I can tell you they are no joke. We had to throw them from a trench on to the beach and then duck down quickly to avoid being hit by flying pieces – rather more exciting than coconut shi-ing. We wore steel helmets for the occasion so you can just imagine how I looked. I am still at Jay Wick and likely to be until the move comes off. We had no coal all last week either for heating or cooking and I think it was the most wretched time I have ever spent. Men who have been to France said the food was never so bad out there. Once we had no tea and another day we got it at 7 o’clock instead of 4.30. However I am in splendid health and well able to rough it a bit and today the coal has arrived so things should improve.”
14 October 1917:
“I have had my baptism of fire (both shell and bullets). I went ‘up the line’ as a Lewis gunner. The Germans ‘strafed’ us dreadfully and my first impression was how poor a chance Man has against such infernal weapons as modern artillery, but I kept calm and cool and at times you, my darling, seemed to be very near me as we crouched down in the trench. Fortunately, our Regiment suffered few casualties. The weather has been bad lately so have had several issues of rum as of course we have no fires. Tell Dolce and Marg [Ida’s younger sisters] I have had one or two ‘come round the corners after me’ and also heard them ringing through the air – all kinds of songs in all keys. We have had a church parade today and just where we are resting is out of reach of the guns and also out of hearing so you may guess, dear, it is a real rest for all our nerves. I am very fit just now. We are still in wooden huts and now have a blanket to sleep on which with our great coats and ground sheet makes a fairly warm bed.”
24 November 1917:
“Well, my darling, you will see from the papers we have been in some heavy fighting and some good pals of mine have made the great sacrifice. I thank God I am safe and sound. Our CO was killed. I must not say more, but I know the Germans have gone back a long way. At the moment, we are out of the line, but for how long I don’t know. Glad to learn the boys are well. Please excuse this short letter, dear, but I am very tired and we have to get to ‘kip’. God bless you, dear and keep you in good health, is my constant prayer as I know what a fight you are making for me and the boys.”
1 October 1918:
“Just a few lines my darling to let you know that I am well and safe. You will have seen from the papers that our battalion has been in action and again come through with great credit. I thank God I am safe, and as before when ‘going over the top’ you, my sweetheart, and our dear boys are very near me. You must not worry, little woman, if my letters are irregular for we get no opportunity of sending them off now when ‘up the line.’ We are now out for a few hours. As you know we are going for the ‘Huns’ hammer and tongs and I pray and believe the end is not far off. Tell Ted I am using his pencil to write this letter in a little earth ‘shack’ which I have just finished digging and which I have lined with some hay and straw like a little bird’s nest – it is the snuggest ‘kip’ I have had since leaving home.”
16 November 1918:
“What a glorious thing is Peace. Out here, we cannot yet realise it. I cannot now express in words the glorious feeling we have on rising and going to ‘kip’ and not to hear the awful roar of big guns – to know that we can sleep in security without fear of bombs and shells and above all to know that we shall not again have to go ‘over the top.’ Let us be thankful, dear heart, that soon we shall again be reunited in happiness with our own boys once more. I was not in the last fighting my battalion was in, but I have now rejoined and we are billeted in a town near the Belgian frontier and I fancy our Division will have to go to Germany – but I do not know definitely. I am quite well, dear, and supremely happy and thankful – longing for the day when I land in dear old England. So rapid has been our advance that letters etc. have not reached us yet, but I expect they will eventually reach us. The poor French people whom we have released in the towns and villages are mad with joy and make a great fuss of us. How I should have liked to be in London the night you received news of the armistice – I guess people almost cried with joy. Peace must surely follow, as the German soldiers are utterly demoralised and beaten. I hope to learn that Bill and Leo [Dulce’s husband] are both safe and well and that all upstairs are likewise. We have still a lot of work before us, darling, so we must be patient. It will be a long march through Belgium to Germany. Continue to read the papers dear, and write to me as often as you can – it will make the time pass quicker. Think of me now, little woman, as being happy and comfortable. It is beyond belief almost that we shall spend no more awful days and nights in trenches and God be thanked for it.”
We would like to thank Mr Chris Payne (grandson of Charlie) for his invaluable help in both the Emanuel School at War project and his generosity in sharing all his research, family letters and photographs regarding his grandfather. It is very moving the lengths that families go to in keeping the memories of their loved ones alive and we were honoured to add Charles Payne to our memorials in 2014.
Tony Jones (Emanuel School Archivist)