John Paynter (RAF officer)
John Paynter | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 May 1898 Southsea, Hampshire, England |
| Died | 6 June 1918 (aged 20) (DOW) Bergues, France |
| Buried | Dunkirk Town Cemetery, France 51°01′45″N 2°23′18″E / 51.02917°N 2.38833°E |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | Royal Navy Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1916–1918 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | No. 6 Naval Squadron RNAS No. 10 Naval Squadron RNAS No. 9 Naval Squadron RNAS No. 13 Naval Squadron/No. 213 Squadron RAF |
| Battles / wars | First World War |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Cross |
John De Camborne Paynter, DSC (17 May 1898 – 6 June 1918) was a British flying ace of the First World War, credited with 10 aerial victories while flying with the Royal Naval Air Service. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his valour before being killed in a bombing raid.[1]
Early life
[edit]Paynter was born in Southsea, Hampshire, on 17 May 1898. His mother was Alexandra Laura Paynter.[1]
First World War
[edit]Paynter joined the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) in early 1916 as a probationary temporary flight sub-lieutenant, and was confirmed in his rank on 25 June 1916.[2] He served in both No. 6 and No. 10 Naval Squadrons, before being injured in a flying accident on 9 April 1917. After his recovery, he flew with No. 9 Naval Squadron; it was while flying with them that he scored his first aerial victory on 27 October 1917. He then transferred to No. 13 Naval Squadron; he would remain with them through their transition to No. 213 Squadron RAF. On 5 December 1917, he scored a win with them.[1]
On 1 January 1918, Paynter was promoted to flight lieutenant.[3] He also scored three wins in the early months of 1918. After a break, he scored the remainder of his victories in May and early June 1918.[1] While doing this, he was wounded in action on two occasions.
Paynter died on 6 June 1918 from wounds suffered during a German bombing raid on his squadron's aerodrome at Bergues, France.[1][4][5] He is buried in Plot IV. A. 78 in Dunkirk Town Cemetery, France.[6] He is also memorialised at Saint Peter's Church, Somerstown, Portsmouth, on a plaque located under the organ loft.[7]
Distinguished Service Cross
[edit]As his award citation shows, Paynter performed admirably in air-to-ground combat as well as in the air:
For the good work performed by him during a bombing attack on Ostende Seaplane Base on the 3rd March, 1918, carried out in spite of very adverse weather conditions. He has shown great zeal and courage as a fighting pilot, having destroyed several enemy machines, and been twice wounded in aerial combats.[8]
List of aerial victories
[edit]| No. | Date/time | Aircraft | Foe | Result | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 9 Naval Squadron RNAS | ||||||
| 1 | 27 October 1917 10:40 |
Sopwith Camel (B3830) |
Albatros D.V fighter | Driven down out of control | Slijpe, Belgium | Shared with Captain Stearne T. Edwards, Flight Commander Harold Stackard, Flight Lieutenant Fred E. Banbury, and Flight Sub-Lieutenants Francis Mellersh, John P. Hales, C. A. Narbeth, Arthur W. Wood, & Merrill S. Taylor. |
| No. 13 Naval Squadron RNAS | ||||||
| 2 | 5 December 1917 15:05 |
Sopwith Camel (B6391) |
Albatros reconnaissance aircraft | Destroyed | 4 miles northwest of Wenduine | Shared with Flight Sub-Lieutenants John W. Pinder, George C. MacKay, & Maurice L. Cooper |
| 3 | 29 January 1918 14:00 |
Sopwith Camel (B3782) |
Seaplane | Destroyed | 100 yards from the pier at Blankenberge, Belgium | Shared with Flight Commander Leonard H. Slatter, and Flight Sub-Lieutenants John E. Greene, George C. MacKay, & Maurice L. Cooper |
| 4 | 30 January 1918 14:20 |
Sopwith Camel (B3782) |
Albatros reconnaissance aircraft | Destroyed | 2 miles north of Ostend | Shared with Flight Commander Miles Day |
| 5 | 19 February 1918 13:55 |
Sopwith Camel (B3782) |
Seaplane | Destroyed by fire | East of Ostend | Shared with Flight Commander Miles Day, and Flight Sub-Lieutenants J. C. Stovin, E. V. Bell, & G. D. Smith |
| No. 213 Squadron RAF | ||||||
| 6 | 6 May 1918 19:50 |
Sopwith Camel (B7254) |
Albatros D.V fighter | Destroyed | Wenduine, Belgium | |
| 7 | 8 May 1918 19:50 |
Sopwith Camel (B7254) |
Albatros D.V fighter | Destroyed | Wenduine, Belgium | |
| 8 | Albatros D.V fighter | Driven down out of control | ||||
| 9 | 1 June 1918 14:20 |
Sopwith Camel (B7254) |
Pfalz D.III fighter | Driven down out of control | Bruges, Belgium | Shared with Lieutenants G. D. Smith, C. H. Denny, F. L. Cuttle & P. L. Jenner |
| 10 | Pfalz D.III fighter | Driven down out of control | Shared with Lieutenant G. D. Smith | |||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f "John De Camborne Paynter". The Aerodrome. 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- ^ "No. 29853". The London Gazette. 8 December 1916. p. 11969.
- ^ "No. 30451". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 1917. pp. 88–89.
- ^ "The Roll of Honour: Died of Wounds". Flight. X (496): 712. 27 June 1918. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- ^ "213 Squadron". Royal Air Force. 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- ^ "Casualty Details: Paynter, J. De C." Commonwealth War Graves Commission. 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- ^ Backhouse, Tim (2010). "St Peter's Church (WWI)". Memorials and Monuments in Portsmouth. Archived from the original on 25 March 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- ^ "No. 30635". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 April 1918. p. 4647.
- 1898 births
- 1918 deaths
- People from Southsea
- British World War I flying aces
- Royal Naval Air Service aviators
- Royal Air Force personnel of World War I
- Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
- British military personnel killed in World War I
- Deaths by German airstrikes during World War I
- Military personnel from Portsmouth