Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Royal Air Force L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue (Act. Sqn. Ldr. R. A. Payne, R.A.F.) good very fine £250-300

Roy Ainley Payne joined Class ‘F’ of the Royal Air Force Reserve before the War as an Airman under pilot training (No. 700291). Called up on the outbreak of hostilities in September 1939, he was commissioned in March 1940 and joined No. 13 Squadron, an Army Co-operation unit flying Lysanders. On 23 August 1940, however, he was posted to No. 7 Operational Training Unit at Hawarden, and, after converting to Spitfires, joined No. 602 Squadron at Wetshampnett on 3 September. He subsequently flew in the Battle of Britain, and, as verified by the Squadron’s Operational Record Book, was certainly involved in the occasional dogfight, the 11 September being a case in point - on that date No. 602’s Spitfires engaged 20-30 Me. 110s and lost three of its number for a counter-claim of six enemy aircraft. Payne was advanced to Flying Officer in June 1941 and to Flight Lieutenant in June 1942, but, for reasons unknown, disappears from the R.A.F. List after January 1944.

Withdrawn