Buy My WW2 Book here
(Kite has her own chapter)

Created: 25 July 2001 - Updated: 20 March 2009

By Mike Kemble (c) From information provided by Ray Holden, Clem Bray, Christine Chaplin,
Lionel Irish, Mary Davies, Barrie Holmes & Others 

Page 2 - Continued from Kite - Introduction

A young CPO Payne who survived the Kite sinking (1) Boy sailor, possibly HMS Gurkha (2) Dressed up as ship's captain - possibly a "crossing the line" ceremony

Fully Qualified PO, so this is a post HMS Kite photograph, as he was Acting CPO on HMS Kite. I have been contacted by Barrie Holmes, no relation to Reg Holmes, in Oct 2008, who tells me that his grandfather was CPO Payne. According to his grandmother CPO Payne did not talk much about his war years, a fairly common fact sadly. He settled in Salford and worked on the docks there until his death in 1989. Barrie's mother still has the images if them coming ashore along with a newspaper clipping of the tragic event.

HMS Gurkha was the first ship sunk by aircraft and young John Payne was recognised in some way for throwing live ammunition overboard.
The letter below came from his Vicar from the Sunday School that he attended before joining up. Many attempts were made over time to contact John but
he proved to be elusive. A lead pointing to Cardiff turned out to be his twin brother, but missing. Its possible John is, or was, in Manchester.
He originally came from Cardiff.

The lady is John Payne's mother. We think the swastika is from a sunken U Boat

John Payne's father - a Security Guard

Adrian Raven has kindly sent me two more images of The Farr Family, taken in the 30s

William Farr

Norman Buchanan HMS Kite

Norman's Certificate of Service Assigned to Kite on July 7th 1944

The telegram every parent and sweetheart dreaded and hoped would never arrive

And the follow up confirmatory letter some 2 months later

November 6th 2007. Ray Holden has sent me these two following images. The first is an article written by the late wife of Reg Holmes.
Reg Holmes died on Saturday 14th March 2009. RIP Reg.

The late Betty Holmes

Another picture from Ray Holden's collection is this one of 6 CH Class destroyers in line abreast, steaming at speed.
5 are visible. This, so I have been told, is an extremely rare picture and is much sort after.

INFORMATION OF A NEW GANGES SITE... Trying to compile a long, long list of ex-Ganges Boys, personnel etc
so we can all keep in touch and find two long-lost oppo`s.  www.gangesworld.com

A poem to HMS Kite
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/68/a2720468.shtml

Walker RN - Click Here

Copyright © mike kemble  Home | Walker RN | U boats  | Merseyside | U534 | U344 |