James Dennis Payne
Encyclopedia
Captain James Dennis Payne was a World War I flying ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...

 credited with fourteen aerial victories.

World War I service

On 10 July 1915 Sergeant Payne was awarded flight certificate No. 1415 on Maurice Farman
Maurice Farman
Maurice Alain Farman was a French Grand Prix motor racing champion, an aviator, and an aircraft manufacturer and designer.-Biography:...

 Biplane from the Military School in Birmingham.

He was originally assigned to 41 Squadron on 12 June 1916, but was shipped out on 16 July, joining 29 Squadron on 6 August. On 30 October 1916, Acting Sergeant Major Payne was commissioned a second lieutenant on duty with RFC.

He scored his first victory on 12 August 1917, using a Nieuport
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.-Beginnings:...

 fighter to destroy a German Albatros D.V
Albatros D.V
|-See also:-Bibliography:*Bennett, Leon. Gunning for the Red Baron. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press, 2006. ISBN 1-58544-507-X....

 near Houthoulst Forest. His run of triumphs would run until 9 January 1918. During November 1917, two notable events would occur. On the 9th, he would wound and drive down veteran ace Walter Göttsch
Walter Göttsch
Leutnant Walter Göttsch was a German World War I flying ace credited with 20 aerial victories.-Early service:Walter Göttsch volunteered for the German army on 1 July 1915...

 for victory number nine. On the 17th, he was awarded a Military Cross. Also in the autumn, in November he was appointed a Flight Commander, which bore the concomitant rank of Captain.

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 Nieuport
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.-Beginnings:...

. On 10 January 1918, he was withdrawn to Home Establishment.

Post World War I

Postwar, Payne made a living for a while by barnstorming
Barnstorming
Barnstorming was a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s in which stunt pilots would perform tricks with airplanes, either individually or in groups called a flying circus. Barnstorming was the first major form of civil aviation in the history of flight...

. After that, he lived in Belgium.

Honors 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.

Reference

  • Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920 Christopher F. Shores, Norman L. R. Franks, Russell Guest. Grub Street, 1990. ISBN 0948817194, 9780948817199.
  • Nieuport Aces of World War 1. Norman Franks. Osprey Publishing, 2000. ISBN 1855329611, 9781855329614.
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