Payton, Reginald Percy
Personal Information
Rank | Sgt |
Forename(s) | Reginald Percy |
Surname | Payton |
Gender | M |
Age | 23 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 17-08-1941 |
Next of Kin | Son of John Thomas Payton and Elsie Payton (née Gill), of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Vickers Wellington |
Serial Number | W5491 |
Markings |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | United Kingdom |
Burial/Memorial Place | Barmby-On-The-Moor (St. Catherine) Churchyard |
Grave Reference | Row G. Grave 5. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 224 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | R/354A |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 4 |
Squadron | 405 (Vancouver) |
Trade | Air Gunner |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Adjacent to Village Windmill, Mill Rd, Great Gransden, Cambridgeshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone with inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | Remembering 405 (Vancouver) Sqn. PFF at Gransden Lodge 1942 - 1945 |
Location | St. Bartholomew's Church, Great Gransden, Cambridgeshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stained Glass Window, RoH and inscribed metal plaque |
Memorial Text | Commemorating the 801 airmen of 405 Sqn. RCAF who gave their lives 1941 - 1945 |
Location | Pocklington Gliding Club, Pocklington Airfield, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Marble Pillar and inscribed metal plaque |
Memorial Text | In memory of 102 (Ceylon) and 405 (Vancouver) Sqns. Pocklington Airfield |
Miscellaneous Information
Reginald was born on 30 September 1917 at Plymouth, Devon, England, the son of John Thomas Payton and Elsie Payton (Gill). His mother sadly died in 1927 leaving five children to be taken care of. Reginald’s siblings were Leslie, Raymond and sisters Hilda and Edna. He went to Well Lane Primary School in Birkenhead followed by Rock Ferry High in Liverpool (both in England). He later attended Danforth Technical Institute at Toronto. His father had already left England and settled in Canada without his family and at the age of fourteen in 1931, Reginald too, sailed out to Canada where he also made his home. Reginald was working for F.A. Fielder a paper box manufacturing company by 1932. He enjoyed playing hockey and tennis and his hobby was model aeroplanes. |
He enlisted in Toronto 15 May 1939, went to Ottawa 15 December 1939, England 16 February 1940. 400 Sqn 1941 and 405 1 August 1941 (no further movements are shown in his records). Sadly he lost his life from 405 Squadron, only a couple of weeks later. |
Payton Close in Pocklington (where 405 Squadron were based) was named in his honour. |
Casualty Pack Number Find Out More
AIR 81/8383 (P361462/41) |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1787/6 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1787/5 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 16-08-1941 |
End Date | 17-08-1941 |
Takeoff Station | Pocklington |
Day/Night Raid | Night (32% moon) |
Operation | Koln |
Reason for Loss | Coned by searchlights near Hasselt, hit by flak and then by a night-fighter. Although the pilot dived to avoid the fighter, the rear gunner was killed in the assault. It was subsequently hit again, bursting on of the tyres. Despite the damage, the aircraft made it safely back to Pocklington with the air gunner already dead. |