Auction Catalogue

25 September 2008

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations and Medals

Washington Mayfair Hotel  London  W1J 5HE

Lot

№ 1537

.

25 September 2008

Estimate: £200–£250

Four: Stoker Petty Officer A. J. Payne, Royal Navy

1914-15 Star (K. 13449 Sto. 1, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (K. 13449 Act. S.P.O., R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 2nd issue, fixed suspension (K. 13449 S.P.O., H.M.S. Lucia), mounted as worn, contact marks and edge bruising, otherwise generally about very fine (4) £200-250

Alfred James Payne, who was born at East Grinstead, Sussex in October 1887, served aboard the battleship H.M.S. Agincourt for the entire duration of the Great War and was consequently present at Jutland. On that memorable occasion the Agincourt fired nearly 150 shells from her fourteen 12-inch guns and over a hundred from her secondary 6-inch armament, registering hits on an enemy battleship of the Kaiser class and two destroyers. But her part in the battle was far from plain sailing, no small amount of skilful torpedo-dodging making up her brief:

‘As far as the
Agincourt was concerned, our excitement started at 7.08 p.m., when with the sharp turn of the ship a torpedo passed just under the stern, and later on another broke surface about 150 yards short of our starboard beam. At 7.35 p.m. the tracks of two more torpedoes were reported approaching the starboard side, but by good co-operation between the fore-top and the conning tower they were both avoided. Aloft the tracks were clearly visible, and acting on the reports from there the ship was gradually turned away, so that by perfect timing one torpedo passed the port side and one the starboard side; after which we resumed our place in line. A fifth torpedo was successfully dodged by zigzagging at 7.47 p.m., but after this we had no further excitements’ (The Fighting at Jutland refers).

Payne was advanced to Stoker Petty Officer in August 1919 and was still serving at the end of the 1920s. Sold with copied service paper.