Current Information:

Age-30

16, Rutland Gate, Knightsbridge

Beaucourt British Cemetery, France

After having been on the defensive since March 1918, by August of that year the Allies were ready to move to the attack and on 8th August, The Battle of Amiens began, a battle that marked the beginning of what came to be known as the Hundred Day Offensive that culminated in the collapse of the German army and the end of the war. British, Australian and Canadian troops attacked on a wide front that stretched about eighteen miles from Morlancourt, north of the River Somme to the Amiens-Roye road while the French launched their own offensive to the south in the Battle of Montdidier. At 4.20am  on 8th August, aided by early morning mist and backed by 900 guns, 600 tanks and 2000 aircraft the assault was unleashed on the unsuspecting Germans many of whom surrendered straight away. Their resistance stiffened as the day progressed but despite this the Allied forces advanced about 7 miles by nightfall, in some cases further, but far less spectacular gains were made over the next three days until the battle ended on 11th August. Losses had been enormous on both sides. British, Australian and Canadian casualties amounted to 19,000 but the Germans lost 26,000, including 12,000 taken prisoner, an awful blow that prompted Ludendorff, the German supremo, to call it the ‘Black Day’ of the German Army.

The British first used tanks in September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme after which they became a feature of the Western Front and had an important role to play in much of the action of the final two years of the war. However, the early tanks had many shortcomings not least of which were the hellish conditions that the tank crews had to contend with. The noise made by the engine and the heat and exhaust fumes coming from it were almost overwhelming. There was no form of suspension and the crew were subjected to violent movements as it traversed shell torn land. Communication was practically impossible and they were slow, barely able to keep up with the infantry. They offered protection from machine-gun and rifle bullets but were vulnerable to shell fire and their speed, or lack of it made them sitting targets. Lastly they were mechanically unreliable and often broke down. Nevertheless, on the plus side they often supported the infantry very effectively with their machine-guns and six-pounder artillery pieces. They could be directed on to specific targets such as machine-gun nests and their ability to take trenches and barbed wire in their stride made it easier to break through the enemy lines. They were also used in mopping up operations after an infantry attack and they were able to deliver much needed supplies, especially ammunition, to the front.

The Tank Corps played an important role in the Battle of Amiens. 600 tanks supported the infantry attack and  the 1st Tank Battalion was attached to the Canadian Corps which attacked on the right of the British front to the south of Villers-Bretonneux and made considerable advances. James Payne was killed in action on 8th August but as  yet there is no further information concerning his death.