Hampshire Regiment

ohn was born on Friday 9th February 1900, son of Samuel Salomon Payne and Mary Jane Welsley Boscombe, of Stockbridge, Hampshire. His parents did not marry until 1908, he had a younger brother, Samuel Frederick Maurice. John was educated locally.
John volunteered and enlisted in Romsey, Hampshire, and was mobilised to the Depôt on Tuesday 8th February 1916.
The Battalion was resting and training in billets in the villages of Beaudricourt and Oppy, north of Lucheux from Friday 18th when a draft of men arrived. A Brigade Sports began on Friday 3rd March in Le Suich with the Battalion have mixed fortunes in the events, doing rather badly or winning with little in between. The Battalion moved to billets in Sus-St-Léger on Monday 6th, a difficult march through thick snow that continued to fall until arriving in the village. The next day a Brigade Horse Show was held with the Battalion coming third. An Athletic Sports was held on Thursday 9th where they did quite well at the prize giving the next day. Fatigues were undertaken with further sporting events arranged.
The Battalion returned to the trenches on Sunday 23rd April to relieve the 2nd Royal Irish to the east of Foncquevillers, with HQ in the village. The weather made the conditions at the front dreadful, with the only usable communication trenches flooding. May was spent training until moving to Bertancourt on Tuesday 23rd to begin fatigues.
The Battalion moved into their assembly positions for the summer offensive on Friday 30th June. The Battle of the Somme opened at 7.30am the next morning, ‘A’ Company with half of ‘B’ and ‘C’ in the front line, the other half of ‘C’ to look after an enemy trench on the right flank, and ‘D’ held in reserve. As the assaulting troops left their trenches the German machine fire came from all direction and it was impossible to reach the German front line. After lying in No Man’s Land in shell holes, under the cover of darkness the men returned to the original line, the Battalion was relieved to billets in Mailly.
The action cost the Battalion dear with 15 Officers wounded, 560 men were wounded, killed or listed as missing. Of the Officers killed:
Lieutenant Colonel The Honourable Lawrence Charles Walter Palk, DSO, is buried in Sucrerie Military Cemetery, Colincamps, I.H.14, with Lieutenants Hugh Irving Adams, I.H.12 and Charles James Henry Goodford, I.H.13, 2nd Lieutenants Fenall Powney, I.H.7 and L A Westmore, I.I.72 and 18 of their men;
Captain Arthur Thomas Bonham-Carter is buried in Serre Road Cemetery No 2, XVI.D.13 with 3 of his men;
2nd Lieutenant Henry Talbot Alexander is buried in Redan Ridge Cemetery No 2, Beaumont-Hamel, C.8 with 54 of his men;
2nd Lieutenant Eric William Manning Price is buried in Bertrancourt Military Cemetery, Plot 1. Row G. Grave 15 with 2 of his men;
2nd Lieutenants Norman Henderson Bell, Gerald Henry Joseph Bramble, and Reginald Shapland Cane are commemorated on the Memorial with 122 of their men.
During the 4th July the remnants of the Battalion moved to Bertrancourt until Sunday 9th. They returned to the trenches near Beaumont-Hamel for a tour of duty from Monday 10th to Saturday 15th. Once relieved they returned to Mailly-Maillet where drafts of men, in total 315, joined the Battalion. The Battalion marched to Doullens (North) Station on Sunday 23rd to entrain for Esquelbecq, arriving 5 hours later, at 11.30am. A series of moves took them to the Ypres Salient, and into the line on the Yser Canal, on Tuesday 1st August, relieving the 4th Grenadiers southwest of Pilkem. When out of the line the Battalion was able to make use of the Elverdinghe Château lake and enjoy bathing. At 10.30pm on Tuesday 8th the Germans released gas that killed 10, all of whom are buried in Essex Farm, bar one who is commemorated on the Menin Gate. During Friday 11th the Battalion moved to ‘Camp E’ where they undertook training and fatigues.
The Battalion relieved the PPCLI at Zillebeke in trenches that were overlooked from every direction so it was not a pleasant tour of duty. Following a further tour and some rest the Battalion marched from ‘Camp F’. They used the light gauge railway to Poperinghe on Sunday 10th September then took a train to Bollezeele with billets in Merckeghem for the night. The Brigade was sent to Dunkirk for training that began on Tuesday 12th. General Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston inspected a parade on Saturday 16th, addressing them, wishing the Battalion Godspeed for their return to the Somme that began the next night. During September 27 men and 5 Officers reported for duty, including 2nd Lieutenant Dudley West Phippard who died on Thursday 4th October 1917 and is buried in Cement House Cemetery, IV.A.14.
After training for the next attack the Battalion relieved the 1st Somersets in the line between Morval and Lesbœufs on Sunday 22nd, the events of Monday 23rd were recorded at the time:
After a fine clear night the day broke very misty and zero hour was postponed from 11.30am to 2.30pm. The Brigade was disposed with the Hampshires in the front line and the Rifle Brigade in support on the right, and the Dublins in the front line and Warwicks in support. We were in close touch with the French on our right. Our objective was an imaginary line on the map known as the Brown Line and the objective of the support was an imaginary line known as the Green Line. Our guns, both field and heavy, were falling short most of the morning. At 2.30pm our intense barrage opened and the infantry commenced their advance. We had C Company on the right and A Company on the left in the leading wave, D Company in support and B Company in reserve. Immediately the assault commenced very heavy machine gun and rifle fire was directed on us and the right flank was scarcely able to advance at all as the French who were also attacking failed at the outset. The right, although suffering heavy casualties managed to get into the first German trench where they remained for a few hours eventually had to retire owing to want of ammunition. Eventually the whole line had to retire to its normal position and the situation became normal once more. The Dublins on our left were successful in taking a strong position known as the Gun Pits.
The Battalion lost 79 men killed with nearly 140 wounded. Of the Officers killed:
Captain Henry Julian Cromie is commemorated on the Memorial with 2nd Lieutenants Charles John Girling, Stanley Harrison and Eric Horace Wood, with 72 of their men including 15 year-old Private Thomas Leonard Robinson, 16 year-olds Lance Corporal Alfred Louis Ryan (see their stories below) and Private John James Payne.
John is commemorated on North Baddesley War Memorial.