Donald was one of six children of Frederick George Payne of Hallaton, Leicestershire, (1891-1957) and Alice Payne nee Carter of Warrington, Lancashire, (1885-1963). His siblings were:
1. Horace Alexander Payne (1913-1942)
2. Joan Payne (1916-1926)
3. Monica Rose Payne (1917-2002)
4. Grace Elizabeth Emily Payne (1927-2013)
5. Herbert S. Payne (b.1928)
He became the husband of Emily Payne of Stockerston, Leicestershire.
In WW2 he joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Service No:1737531) and gained the rank of Flight Sergeant-Flight Engineer. He was aged 23 years at the time of his death.
He served in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve with 115 Squadron, who were based at RAF Graveley, Huntingdonshire.
On the 21st of February 1946, at 11.20am, he was acting as the Flight Engineer in an Avro Lancaster B.Mk.1 (Serial No. PB373), when it crashed, killing all six crew on board. The crew were completing a test flight when the aircraft exploded in the air, disintegrated and eventually crashed in a field. The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with 100% certainty. However, the elevator rib booms had failed under high stress loads, and the aircraft's wing-tips failed. It is also possible that the aircraft caught fire in flight. Several elements from elevators and wings were sheared off while the aircraft was diving into the ground. The explosion took place at 1,000 feet, and the wreckage was spread over a wide area with the largest "chunks" coming down at Fosse Cottages, Fosse Way, and Red House Farm, between Cubbington and Offchurch, near Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. Of the six crew, one of the bodies was found within the fuselage of the aircraft, three in a field nearby to the wreckage, and two others 100 yards from the wreckage. It was feared that a seventh body could not be located despite a frantic search, but, in fact, the seventh man, Flt/Sgt. Robinson, who had been due to take part in the sortie, was safe and well back at RAF Graveley. A single parachute had been observed to descend from the aircraft but on closer inspection it became clear that there was no harness attached to it and it must therefore have been blown clear and unfurled during its descent. There was an unfortunate event once the bodies had been located in which a man was seen trying to steal a wristwatch from one of the bodies. This was reported in several newspapers after the event. The individual concerned was spotted and told to put it back by a local resident. He did so, and made off without the watch.
Donald was buried at St Peter's Churchyard, Stockerston, Leicestershire, and commemorated on the war memorial at Hallaton, Leicestershire.
Donald's brother; Horace Alexander Payne (1913-1942) was also killed during the war. He served as Serjeant 317030 in the 30th Battalion, (Prince of Wales own) West Yorkshire Regiment, and died on the 30th of September 1942. He is buried at Penzance in Cornwall.
SEE: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/59983819/horace-alexander-payne
The other Crew-members of Lancaster PB373 were:
Flight Navigator: Flight Sergeant 1410814 Maurice John Newman (aged 23)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39064114/maurice-john-newman
Air Bomber: Flight Lieutenant 154518 Frederick Reginald Berry (aged 21)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/58318902/frederick-reginald-berry
Wireless Op/Air Gunner: Flight Sergeant 1819939 Dennis William Crutchley (aged 21)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/59586772/dennis-william-crutchley
Air Gunner: Flight Sergeant 1811928 Ronald Stedman
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24346440/ronald-stedman
Pilot: Flight Lieutenant 153835 John Douglas Cantrell (aged 23)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56208457/john-douglas-cantrell
1. Horace Alexander Payne (1913-1942)
2. Joan Payne (1916-1926)
3. Monica Rose Payne (1917-2002)
4. Grace Elizabeth Emily Payne (1927-2013)
5. Herbert S. Payne (b.1928)
He became the husband of Emily Payne of Stockerston, Leicestershire.
In WW2 he joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Service No:1737531) and gained the rank of Flight Sergeant-Flight Engineer. He was aged 23 years at the time of his death.
He served in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve with 115 Squadron, who were based at RAF Graveley, Huntingdonshire.
On the 21st of February 1946, at 11.20am, he was acting as the Flight Engineer in an Avro Lancaster B.Mk.1 (Serial No. PB373), when it crashed, killing all six crew on board. The crew were completing a test flight when the aircraft exploded in the air, disintegrated and eventually crashed in a field. The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with 100% certainty. However, the elevator rib booms had failed under high stress loads, and the aircraft's wing-tips failed. It is also possible that the aircraft caught fire in flight. Several elements from elevators and wings were sheared off while the aircraft was diving into the ground. The explosion took place at 1,000 feet, and the wreckage was spread over a wide area with the largest "chunks" coming down at Fosse Cottages, Fosse Way, and Red House Farm, between Cubbington and Offchurch, near Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. Of the six crew, one of the bodies was found within the fuselage of the aircraft, three in a field nearby to the wreckage, and two others 100 yards from the wreckage. It was feared that a seventh body could not be located despite a frantic search, but, in fact, the seventh man, Flt/Sgt. Robinson, who had been due to take part in the sortie, was safe and well back at RAF Graveley. A single parachute had been observed to descend from the aircraft but on closer inspection it became clear that there was no harness attached to it and it must therefore have been blown clear and unfurled during its descent. There was an unfortunate event once the bodies had been located in which a man was seen trying to steal a wristwatch from one of the bodies. This was reported in several newspapers after the event. The individual concerned was spotted and told to put it back by a local resident. He did so, and made off without the watch.
Donald was buried at St Peter's Churchyard, Stockerston, Leicestershire, and commemorated on the war memorial at Hallaton, Leicestershire.
Donald's brother; Horace Alexander Payne (1913-1942) was also killed during the war. He served as Serjeant 317030 in the 30th Battalion, (Prince of Wales own) West Yorkshire Regiment, and died on the 30th of September 1942. He is buried at Penzance in Cornwall.
SEE: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/59983819/horace-alexander-payne
The other Crew-members of Lancaster PB373 were:
Flight Navigator: Flight Sergeant 1410814 Maurice John Newman (aged 23)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39064114/maurice-john-newman
Air Bomber: Flight Lieutenant 154518 Frederick Reginald Berry (aged 21)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/58318902/frederick-reginald-berry
Wireless Op/Air Gunner: Flight Sergeant 1819939 Dennis William Crutchley (aged 21)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/59586772/dennis-william-crutchley
Air Gunner: Flight Sergeant 1811928 Ronald Stedman
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24346440/ronald-stedman
Pilot: Flight Lieutenant 153835 John Douglas Cantrell (aged 23)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56208457/john-douglas-cantrell
Donald was one of six children of Frederick George Payne of Hallaton, Leicestershire, (1891-1957) and Alice Payne nee Carter of Warrington, Lancashire, (1885-1963). His siblings were:
1. Horace Alexander Payne (1913-1942)
2. Joan Payne (1916-1926)
3. Monica Rose Payne (1917-2002)
4. Grace Elizabeth Emily Payne (1927-2013)
5. Herbert S. Payne (b.1928)
He became the husband of Emily Payne of Stockerston, Leicestershire.
In WW2 he joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Service No:1737531) and gained the rank of Flight Sergeant-Flight Engineer. He was aged 23 years at the time of his death.
He served in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve with 115 Squadron, who were based at RAF Graveley, Huntingdonshire.
On the 21st of February 1946, at 11.20am, he was acting as the Flight Engineer in an Avro Lancaster B.Mk.1 (Serial No. PB373), when it crashed, killing all six crew on board. The crew were completing a test flight when the aircraft exploded in the air, disintegrated and eventually crashed in a field. The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with 100% certainty. However, the elevator rib booms had failed under high stress loads, and the aircraft's wing-tips failed. It is also possible that the aircraft caught fire in flight. Several elements from elevators and wings were sheared off while the aircraft was diving into the ground. The explosion took place at 1,000 feet, and the wreckage was spread over a wide area with the largest "chunks" coming down at Fosse Cottages, Fosse Way, and Red House Farm, between Cubbington and Offchurch, near Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. Of the six crew, one of the bodies was found within the fuselage of the aircraft, three in a field nearby to the wreckage, and two others 100 yards from the wreckage. It was feared that a seventh body could not be located despite a frantic search, but, in fact, the seventh man, Flt/Sgt. Robinson, who had been due to take part in the sortie, was safe and well back at RAF Graveley. A single parachute had been observed to descend from the aircraft but on closer inspection it became clear that there was no harness attached to it and it must therefore have been blown clear and unfurled during its descent. There was an unfortunate event once the bodies had been located in which a man was seen trying to steal a wristwatch from one of the bodies. This was reported in several newspapers after the event. The individual concerned was spotted and told to put it back by a local resident. He did so, and made off without the watch.
Donald was buried at St Peter's Churchyard, Stockerston, Leicestershire, and commemorated on the war memorial at Hallaton, Leicestershire.
Donald's brother; Horace Alexander Payne (1913-1942) was also killed during the war. He served as Serjeant 317030 in the 30th Battalion, (Prince of Wales own) West Yorkshire Regiment, and died on the 30th of September 1942. He is buried at Penzance in Cornwall.
SEE: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/59983819/horace-alexander-payne
The other Crew-members of Lancaster PB373 were:
Flight Navigator: Flight Sergeant 1410814 Maurice John Newman (aged 23)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39064114/maurice-john-newman
Air Bomber: Flight Lieutenant 154518 Frederick Reginald Berry (aged 21)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/58318902/frederick-reginald-berry
Wireless Op/Air Gunner: Flight Sergeant 1819939 Dennis William Crutchley (aged 21)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/59586772/dennis-william-crutchley
Air Gunner: Flight Sergeant 1811928 Ronald Stedman
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24346440/ronald-stedman
Pilot: Flight Lieutenant 153835 John Douglas Cantrell (aged 23)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56208457/john-douglas-cantrell
1. Horace Alexander Payne (1913-1942)
2. Joan Payne (1916-1926)
3. Monica Rose Payne (1917-2002)
4. Grace Elizabeth Emily Payne (1927-2013)
5. Herbert S. Payne (b.1928)
He became the husband of Emily Payne of Stockerston, Leicestershire.
In WW2 he joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Service No:1737531) and gained the rank of Flight Sergeant-Flight Engineer. He was aged 23 years at the time of his death.
He served in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve with 115 Squadron, who were based at RAF Graveley, Huntingdonshire.
On the 21st of February 1946, at 11.20am, he was acting as the Flight Engineer in an Avro Lancaster B.Mk.1 (Serial No. PB373), when it crashed, killing all six crew on board. The crew were completing a test flight when the aircraft exploded in the air, disintegrated and eventually crashed in a field. The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with 100% certainty. However, the elevator rib booms had failed under high stress loads, and the aircraft's wing-tips failed. It is also possible that the aircraft caught fire in flight. Several elements from elevators and wings were sheared off while the aircraft was diving into the ground. The explosion took place at 1,000 feet, and the wreckage was spread over a wide area with the largest "chunks" coming down at Fosse Cottages, Fosse Way, and Red House Farm, between Cubbington and Offchurch, near Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. Of the six crew, one of the bodies was found within the fuselage of the aircraft, three in a field nearby to the wreckage, and two others 100 yards from the wreckage. It was feared that a seventh body could not be located despite a frantic search, but, in fact, the seventh man, Flt/Sgt. Robinson, who had been due to take part in the sortie, was safe and well back at RAF Graveley. A single parachute had been observed to descend from the aircraft but on closer inspection it became clear that there was no harness attached to it and it must therefore have been blown clear and unfurled during its descent. There was an unfortunate event once the bodies had been located in which a man was seen trying to steal a wristwatch from one of the bodies. This was reported in several newspapers after the event. The individual concerned was spotted and told to put it back by a local resident. He did so, and made off without the watch.
Donald was buried at St Peter's Churchyard, Stockerston, Leicestershire, and commemorated on the war memorial at Hallaton, Leicestershire.
Donald's brother; Horace Alexander Payne (1913-1942) was also killed during the war. He served as Serjeant 317030 in the 30th Battalion, (Prince of Wales own) West Yorkshire Regiment, and died on the 30th of September 1942. He is buried at Penzance in Cornwall.
SEE: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/59983819/horace-alexander-payne
The other Crew-members of Lancaster PB373 were:
Flight Navigator: Flight Sergeant 1410814 Maurice John Newman (aged 23)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39064114/maurice-john-newman
Air Bomber: Flight Lieutenant 154518 Frederick Reginald Berry (aged 21)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/58318902/frederick-reginald-berry
Wireless Op/Air Gunner: Flight Sergeant 1819939 Dennis William Crutchley (aged 21)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/59586772/dennis-william-crutchley
Air Gunner: Flight Sergeant 1811928 Ronald Stedman
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24346440/ronald-stedman
Pilot: Flight Lieutenant 153835 John Douglas Cantrell (aged 23)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56208457/john-douglas-cantrell
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