The Wartime Memories Project - The Second World War

Those who Served - Surnames beginning with P.

Surnames Index


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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945

F/Lt. Joe Pawell .     Royal Canadian Air Force 51 Sqd.   from USA




RW Pawling .     British Army 8th Kings Royal Irish Hussars

RW Pawling served with the 8th Kings Royal Irish Hussars British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch.

Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.




Josef Pawlyszyn .       from Poland

Does anyone who was interned in Stalag VIc remember a Polish boy named Josef Pawlyszyn? This is my late father. He was in the camp during WWII. He worked on farms and in a clothing factory. I have his papers and ID cards issued to him by the German government. He was from Stara Bircza, Prezmysl, Poland. Sadly, he died without ever having made contact with his family and he died presuming that they were all killed during the war.




KA Pawsey .     British Army

KA Pawsey served with the British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch.

Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.




LAC George Pawson .     Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve   from Cheetham, Lancs.

According to his group captain, as recorded on his Certificate of Service and Release: This airman has been in charge of the telephone exchange at Hallaxton. He has always been polite and willing to work longer hours to make up for the deficiency in staff. He is conscientious, efficient and takes an interest in his work. According to George, he worked on a highly isolated outpost in the country as a communications officer, radio operator, doing work of some classified nature, he received some kind of guerilla training. To the best of my knowledge they were radio operators, intercepting messages from the Germans and relaying their information. Mostly very boring but important and required personal dedication and action. It was part of bombing raids over Germany.

He never talked much about it, as it was highly classified at the time, and once he immigrated to Canada in the fifties, it was so drummed into him not to talk, that he just couldn't.

However, it seems he lost a lot of friends, and when finally attending a Remembrance Day Ceremony in Powell River B.C. in the 1990's, he was in tears the whole time. I am very curious, as to what exactly they were doing in the country there for 5 whole years, In his discharge book are also stamped Cardington which is supposed to have been a sort of ghost station for Tempsford.




Ch. Sto. Andrew "Jock" Paxton .     Royal Navy   from Glasgow




Arthur William Paxton .     Royal Navy HMS Ferret




L/Bmdr. Arthur Sydney Paxton .     British Army 282 Bty. 88th HAA Regiment Royal Artillery   from Hampstead, London

My late father, Arthur Paxton, signed up in the Territorial Army in March 1939. He was called up for service in August 1939 with the Royal Artillery, 88th HAA Regiment, 282nd Battery. He was initially stationed at White City. From the regiment’s diaries I know he was stationed around London including Enfield, Epping Forest, and Mill Hill.

In July 1941, Batteries 281, 282, and 283 were deployed to the Middle East. They arrived at Port Tewfik in Egypt on 23rd of July 1941. The 282nd Battery consisted of 11 officers and 346 ordinary ranks. Batteries 281 and 283 were a similar size. They were deployed in the Suez area, tasked with defending the Port of Alexandria and the Suez Canal. In October 1941 they were moved to defend the desert landing grounds in preparation for Operation Crusader in the Western Desert. This operation lasted until January 1942, when Rommel counter-attacked. In May 1942, my dad’s regiment was moved to Tobruk, where the 282nd Battery suffered major losses in June.

My father was listed as missing at Tobruk on 20th of June 1942 and is then listed as a POW captured in Cyrenaica. From Tobruk he was taken to Italy, and there is a WO telegram dated September 1942 confirming he was a POW in Italian hands. He is listed as a POW but with no camp allocated, which leads me to believe that he was in a work camp.

We have a family story that when Italy surrendered, my dad was being taken from Italy to Germany and the train he was being transported on was bombed by allied aircraft and he and many others escaped. This could be the Bridge at Allerona, but I can find no corroborating evidence for this. He then hid in the mountains, begging and stealing food from the local farmers. He was recaptured as he was trying to make his way back to Allied lines.

I know that he next turned up at the main prisoner transit camp at Mantova, before being transported by train through the Brenner Pass to Germany. He was initially held during August 1944 at POW camp VII-A before being transferred to Stalag XI-A at Altengrabow in Saxony. Stalag XI-A was liberated by the Americans, and my father was repatriated in May 1945. His POW number was 135310.

I have my father's military service record and the ICRC POW record, but neither gives me any detail as to where my father was held during the 2 years he was a prisoner in Italy. I would love to find out more about my father's time in Italy if anyone can help me.




L/Cpl. Harry Taylor Cooper Paxton .     British Army 6th Battalion Durham Light Infantry

My father, Lance Corporal Harry Paxton from Spennymoor, County Durham, was reported missing in action in the Western Desert just a few months after marrying my mother in January 1942. He was subsequently reported in 1943 as injured in action and detained in POW Camp 73, near Modena in Italy. When Italy surrendered, Harry and a great number of the prisoners decided to stay and wait for the Allies (according to the Italian guards). Unfortunately it was the Germans who arrived! The prisoners were marched to Stalag 357 in Torun, Poland. In August 1944 with the Russians advancing through Poland, the camp was moved to Oerbke, north of Hanover, Germany, where Harry stayed for the rest of the war. He died of a heart attack in 1968 at the cruelly young age of 47.




S/Sgt. Stanley Keith Paxton .     United States Army Air Force 493rd Bomb Group 862nd Bomber Squadron




Sergeant Fraser Paxton. .     Royal Air Force 10 Sqd.




Pte. Payne .     British Army Royal Army Service Corps

Extract from newspaper report from an Interview with Private Payne from Luton, Chatham August 1940.

With the collapse of the French army Private Payne was involved in the evacuation of the 2nd BEF and he and other troops found themselves aboard the ill fated SS Lancastria.

‘The story of the Lancastria has now been told’ he said, ’but one thing that was not sufficiently emphasised was the courage of the troops on board.

‘It has been suggested that the enemy were not aware of the Lancastria’s identity after she had sunk I think I can confirm that’ ‘A Corporal Williamson and myself, both clerks with the R.A.S.C., were manning a Bren gun on the top deck. He was firing and I was feeding the gun. We brought down the plane that bombed the boat and it therefore did not return to its base to tell the tale.

In the explosion which followed the bombing my comrade was severely injured. I think I can say that I saved his life because although he was practically unconscious I managed to dress his wounds and get him safely on a boat. I placed him on the last lifeboat to leave the ship. I tried to get into a boat myself, but overbalanced and fell into the water. I had no life belt and I could not swim, but I found an oar in the water and was able to hold myself up. I was in the water more than 2 hours. We were machine gunned during part of it, but I came through okay and was finally picked up by a French trawler.

When I got aboard I found my comrade was there too. He was lying unconscious on the deck and although I was terribly wet and weary I made a pillow for him out of some wet clothing and stayed with him until we were transferred to a bigger ship. Here he was operated on and is, I believe, now in hospital in England.

I think his feat in shooting down the German plane is deserving of some recognition.

Private Payne added that his experience had somewhat affected his help and that he has now been graded B.1.

Corporal Williamson was my father John Derek Williamson, who died when he was 68 years old in 1988.




A Payne .     British Army 44th Regiment Reconnaissance Corps

A Payne served with the 44th Regiment Reconnaissance Corps British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch.

Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.




Sgt. Donald Eric Payne .     British Army 71st Field Ambulance Royal Army Medical Corps.   from Leicestershire




Pte. Earnest Edwin Payne .     British Army 4th Btn. Royal East Kent Regiment (d.28th May 1940)

Earnest Payne was part of British Expeditionary Force evacuating from St Nazaire. He perished aged 20 aboard HMS Lancastria and is Buried at Noirmoutier-en-L'ile (L'Herbaudiere) Communal Cemetery at Vendee, France. He was the Son of Harry Gordon Payne, Company Quartermaster Serjeant with the Somerset Light Infantry who died on the 2nd July 1940 aged 48, board SS Accordia Star torpedoed North West of Ireland.




ED Payne .     British Army Royal Armoured Corps

ED Payne served with the Royal Armoured Corps British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch.

Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.




L/Stkr. Edward Christopher Payne .     Royal Navy H.M.S. Hunter (d.10th Apr 1940)

I've only recently found out my biological grandfather, Edward Christopher Payne served on the Hunter. I served in the RAAF and am so proud to have had my grand father served. I'm still looking for more information about him.




EHC Payne .     British Army

EHC Payne served with the British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch.

Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.




Sgt. Eric Donald Payne BEM.     British Army 71st Field Ambulance Royal Army Medical Corps   from Leicestershire

My father, Eric Payne went with the RAMC when they left Catterick Camp for Italy, where he served with the 71st Field Ambulance, which was assigned to the Leicestershire Regiment. He was awarded the British Empire Medal. He passed away in 1995.




F Payne .     British Army

F Payne served with the British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch.

Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.




Gnr. Frank William Payne .     British Army 35th L.A.A. Regiment, 89th Bty. Royal Artillery   from Ruislip Manor, Middlesex.

(d.5th Mar 1943)

Frank Payne was a very brave man, I just wish I could have met him, very little is known about my granddad as my father was evacuated to London when he was 5 years old, unfortunately his mum died when he was 18 months old and his father died as a prisoner of war so my Dad stayed with his foster family and made a life never knowing what had happened to his dad until a few years ago.




Brig.Gen. Frederick R. "Fritz" Payne DFC..     United States Marine Corps   from California

Frederick Payne was a fighter ace who shot down six Japanese warplanes during the Battle of Guadalcanal.




G. H. Payne .    




GR Payne .     British Army 15/19th Hussars

GR Payne served with the 15/19th Hussars British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch.

Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.




F/O. H. C. Payne .     Royal Air Force 460 Sqd.




Telegr. Harry George Payne .     Royal Navy Commandos HMS Drake




Jim Payne .     Auxilliary Unit   from Eastleigh, Hampshire

Jim was a member of the unit based in Stoke Park Woods at Eastleigh in Hampshire.




John Joseph Payne .     British Army

My great uncle Jack Payne is a bit of a mystery man. All I know about him is through P.O.W letters he sent my Grandmother, from the letters he says he was taken prisoner in May 1940 in France, possibly Dunkirk. Jack hadn't see my Grandfather for 10 years until he found him on a stretcher about to be evacuated from Dunkirk with G.S.W Forehead. He survived.

The letters came from Stalag 111d camp 998, prisoner number 11096. I don't know what Regiment Jack was in or Rank but he was definitely in the Army. Jack married Victoria after the war, he lived in England and died in the 1960s. Can any one point me in the right direction to get more info on my Great Uncle Jack.




L/Cpl. Leonard William Payne .     Royal Navy 44 Commando Royal Marine   from Birmingham

(d.23rd Jan 1945)




L/Cpl. Leonard William Payne .     Royal Marines 44 Commando   from Birmingham

(d.23rd Jan 1945)

Leonard Payne was my great uncle who fought and died in Burma.





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