PAYTON William John

William Payton was born in St Mary’s Parish, Kidderminster in 1888, the son of William and Elizabeth Payton (nee Pugh) who had married in 1885.  William spent at least the first 13 years of his life living in Kidderminster where his father worked as a labourer in a variety of jobs including a dyehouse and as a bricklayer.

In February 1904 William enlisted at Kidderminster for 6 years service as Private 7185 in the 5th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment.  On his attestation paper he gave his age as 18 years and his address as 3 Chadwick Buildings, Clensmore Street, Kidderminster.  He worked for Tomkinson and Adams in Kidderminster and was also a Private in the Volunteer Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment.  William was 5 feet 4½ inches tall with a fair complexion, brown eyes and dark brown hair.  His army service lasted only 9 days, possibly because his true age of 16 was revealed.

By 1911 William had taken employment as a fireman with the Great Western Railway and had moved to Worcester where he was a boarder at 3 Astwood Road.  In 1913 he married Florence J. Mitton in Worcester and the following year the birth of their baby son is registered in Worcester in the September Quarter 1914, the baby’s death is registered in the same quarter 1914.  With experience as a soldier in the volunteer battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment, William was called up immediately after the war broke out in August 1914 and he landed in France on 11th September 1914.  He was killed in action on 24th October 1914 during the first battle of Ypres.

William John Payton, Fireman, Locomotive Department, Worcester, Age 25, Private, 2nd Worcester Regiment, killed in action 24/10/1914.

Source: The Great Western Railway in the First World War by Sandra Gittins, 2010.

1st Group Fireman, Locomotive Department, Worcester [reported missing 14th October 1914.] Reservist.  Death reported in the Great Western Railway staff magazine, reference 1915/07/176.  Photo in the Great Western Railway staff magazine, reference 1915/03/67.