Review of 'Charlie’s War' by Chris Payne (May 2016)

Charlie Payne was a ‘Derby scheme’ conscript who trained with the 18th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. He arrived in France in the spring of 1917 and joined the 2/5 West Riding Regiment (186 Brigade, 62 Division). Here he was trained in handling a Lewis gun. After the Battle of Cambrai, his brigade was sent to the Gavrelle-Oppy section in January 1918. He observed in his letters home that this was an exposed plateau.

At the start of the German March Offensive, the 62nd Division was transferred to IV Corps (Third Army) and was involved in the defence of Bucquoy (25 – 28 March). His division then retreated to Rossignol Wood (28- 30 March). In this action his battalion had the 2/4 Duke of Wellington’s Regiment on its left but the right flank was ‘in the air’. This gap was to have been plugged by an ANZAC battalion but they were 24 hours late in arriving. His battalion survived continual German attacks for 4 days. This resistance cost the battalion over 200 casualties (including 32 killed and 51 missing).

By June, his battalion were out of the line, resting, but news of what was to identified as Spanish ‘Flu crept into his letters home.

In July, 62nd Division was transferred to XXII Corps for the Second Battle of the Marne. This is involved over 36 hours of travel via Paris in order to take up its position in the Bois de Rheims.

In August the battalion received its new recruits to make up numbers lost in the spring. Essentially each battalion in the regiment now had 50% veterans from 1917. From August 25 until 2 September the division advanced as the German Army pulled back. In September, Charlie was granted leave, he was able to get back to his family for 12 days (6-18 September).

On September 29 he was back in action with his battalion, he re-joined them at Marcoing and was part of the section which crossed the St Quentin Canal in face of German machine gun fire. The attack took place at 6pm to prevent the Germans from assembling for attack. Unfortunately, the ‘mopping up’ was not carried out efficiently and men were lost when German prisoners attacked their captors as they were led back behind the lines. It was in this action that Henry Tandey won his VC (Tandey, a private in the 5 Battalion Duke of Wellington’s, was involved in taking a bridge after knocking out a German machine gun post which held up the advance). During September (1918) Charlie’s battalion suffered over 230 casualties (including 52 killed and 5 missing).

The 62nd Division crossed the River Selle on October 20 using a ford and a light bridge. After fierce fighting the objective was taken in two hours. After the battle, Charlie was sent on a Lewis gun course in place of rest! He was able to re-join his battalion in time for the Armistice.

During November and December, the Fourth Army marched into Germany. Its final destination was Mechernich, 55 km south-west of Cologne.While he was posted in Germany, Charlie was promoted to sergeant and undertook the teaching of shorthand, a skill he had acquired before the war.

Unfortunately, this was to be the end of Charlie’s war. He was taken ill with ‘flu, invalided back to Boulogne where he died of pneumonia on 10 February 1919.

Report by Peter Palmer